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This is information we have been able to confirm exclusively on Kdrama kopi on January 22, 2026 this year, Disney+ will continue not to offer certain K-dramas in France, even though the platform holds the rights., starting with «In your Radiant Season» and «Perfect Crown». A decision that has sparked deep incomprehension (and real frustration) among fans of Korean series, who denounce a form of injustice between subscribers in different countries. Why pay the same subscription fee for a reduced catalog? We take stock.
At the beginning of the year, Disney+ made it clear in South Korea that the plateform wishes to massively strengthen its K-drama offering, including original in-house productions such as A Shop for Killers season 2, Made in Korea season 2 or The Remarried Empress. This ambitious strategy, already underway in recent years, is in line with Disney+'s determination to make a lasting impact on the Korean drama market.
But like Netflix or Prime Video, Disney+ doesn't limit itself to original productions. The platform regularly acquires broadcasting rights for dramas aired on South Korean television, to make them available to subscribers. In 2025, this was the case for Buried Hearts and Would You Marry Me?, two series originally produced and broadcast by SBS.
This is precisely where the problem lies. These K-dramas are not available on Disney+ France, even though they are in several Asian countries, and sometimes in the UK, as was the case for Buried Hearts. In practice, Disney+ only buys the rights for certain territories, thus depriving French subscribers not only of these series on Disney+, but also of any possibility of seeing them elsewhere, as no other international broadcaster has access to the rights.
Why aren't Disney+ K-dramas available in France?
Disney+ remains deliberately discreet about the exact reasons for these choices. Nevertheless, there are a number of plausible explanations for this situation.
Broadcasting rights that are not always global
When a platform like Disney+ acquires the rights to a K-drama, it doesn't automatically mean that the series will be broadcast in all countries. South Korean studios often sell their content territory by territory, This makes it possible to limit or segment distribution by region. In this way, Disney+ may have the rights for certain markets, without necessarily having negotiated them for France. In other cases, the platform may choose to do not activate a series on a specific territory, This is particularly the case if broadcasting costs are deemed too high in relation to local audience potential.
A catalog strategy tailored to each market
Disney+ does not offer exactly the same catalog from one country to another. The platform adjusts its programming according to several criteria: the size of the expected audience, past performance of similar content, but also the local competition. In France, where Netflix, Prime Video and Viki already play a major role in the K-drama segment, some titles may be considered less of a priority. As a result, a drama heavily promoted in an English-speaking or Asian country may not be perceived as sufficiently profitable or strategic for the French market.
The weight of legal obligations in France
The French regulatory framework also plays a key role. Streaming platforms are subject to obligations to invest in local production, These financial constraints can influence Disney+'s choices. These financial constraints can influence the choices made by Disney+, which must arbitrate between the purchase, adaptation and activation of international content (such as K-dramas) and its obligatory commitments on French territory. This may explain why certain series, though available elsewhere, remain absent from the French catalog.
Growing frustration among Disney+ subscribers
Of all the legal platforms offering K-dramas (Netflix, Viki and Prime Video) Disney+ is currently the most frustrating.. However, the platform has demonstrated its ability to produce and broadcast high-quality Korean series, such as Tempest or Made in Korea. But for many French subscribers, incomprehension prevails.
At issue: a feeling of inequality among subscribers. For the same price, French users find that they can't access certain titles that are available on Disney+ in other countries. This situation is all the more difficult to accept given that these series are sometimes totally inaccessible elsewhere, as the rights have not been opened up to other international platforms.
Faced with the continuing growth of K-drama audiences in France, the question of a change of strategy for Disney+ France is now openly raised. Can the platform sustainably ignore the growing demand for Korean series? Subscribers, for their part, are waiting for answers, and above all, action.
