ExpressVPN: Here’s How to Watch South Korean TV Shows From Anywhere in the World

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South Korean pop culture has become more fashionable than ever in the United States.

This is largely due to a phenomenon called the “Hallyu Wave,” which is described as a global surge in South Korean pop culture. This wave is distinct, and can be tracked in many aspects of pop culture, including music, TV and movies.

With music, we can see this through the widespread acceptance of K-pop, thanks in part to big acts such as PSY, BLACKPINK, BTS and others. In the world of film and TV, we’ve seen a South Korean culture boom with films including Bong Joon Ho’s 2019 hit Parasite, or the very popular TV shows Squid Game and Physical: 100.

From K-pop to comedy and drama, South Korean media has become a large part of American culture, with people seeking out content in droves. However, it can be hard to tune in to shows and movies from the country because some of this content is blocked in the United States due to regional locks. We’ll be showing U.S. viewers how to stream some of our favorite South Korean content online with ExpressVPN.

How to Watch South Korean Content in the U.S.

If you’re looking to get into more South Korean music-related TV shows, the easiest way to watch is to pair a streaming service with ExpressVPN. The service is a subscription-based VPN — or virtual private network — that can encrypt user data throughout the world wide web.

Masking your IP address protects users from data theft, while ExpressVPN is used to unblock geo-restricted streaming content. The service has dedicated IP addresses and servers from various locations all around the world that help hide your home location.

Here’s how it works: Download ExpressVPN here and set your location to South Korea or Japan, depending on the show you want to watch. With your location on the internet changed, you’ll be able to access international streaming services to watch our recommended shows and so much more.

After an annual billing of $78.18 for the first 28 months (regularly $363.72), ExpressVPN’s “Basic” plan breaks down to just $2.79 a month, with a service term of two years and four months — a nearly 80% savings. ExpressVPN also comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users for all plans. This means that if you aren’t satisfied with your service within 30 days, you can request a refund and your original payment method will be credited with the full order amount.

ShopBillboard’s Top South Korean TV Show Picks

Produce 48 was a massive hit in both South Korea and abroad. The goal of the survival show was to create a K-pop group with chosen members voted on by viewers or “public producers.” The show is classified as the third season of Produce 101. Although it was only active for about two-and-a-half years, the once-popular girl group IZ*ONE was created from the show.

You can find Produce 48 on the South Korean streaming service WATCHA, which you can watch when paired with ExpressVPN.

Much like Pop Star Academy on Netflix, HYBE x Geffen’s World Scout: The Final Piece is a new offering that popped up onto the scene. The show was created by South Korean Entertainment Company HYBE, best known for repping groups such as BTS, SEVENTEEN, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, ENHYPEN, LE SSERAFIM, NewJeans, BOYNEXTDOOR, TWS and ILLIT alongside Geffen Records.

The final episode aired on May 12, revealing the final members of SAINT SATINE. To tune into the competition program in the U.S., you’ll want to use ExpressVPN paired with free ad-supported Japanese streaming service ABEMA. The goal of this survival show is to create a multinational girl group. Both a panel of judges and tallied fan votes will determine the final member, joining Emily, Samara and Lexie.

While news of a Saturday Night Live U.K. practically broke the internet, Saturday Night Live Korea has been quietly holding down the fort for years, bringing laughs to South Koreans and folks across the globe since its beginnings in 2011. The show originally ran until 2017, but was rebooted by South Korean streaming platform Coupang Play in 2021.

The show boasts a similar format with celebrity guests serving as hosts, sketches and performances by musical guests.

To watch the show, you’ll need to access Coupang Play with ExpressVPN. Once you access Coupang Play in South Korea, you’ll be able to watch both new and old episodes of SNL Korea. Meanwhile, plenty of K-pop acts have hosted SNL Korea in the past, including SHINee, TWICE, U-KISS, AOA and Red Velvet’s Wendy.

More on ExpressVPN

In addition, ExpressVPN has servers in more than 100 locations from around the world to mask your data and access streaming services in countries including England, Brazil, Germany, Canada, South Korea, Japan, France, Iceland, India and Australia. Learn more about how ExpressVPN here.