‘Weak Hero Class 2’ premieres on Netflix amid increasing IP consolidation in Korean OTT market

‘Weak Hero Class 2’ premieres on Netflix amid increasing IP consolidation in Korean OTT market

 

 

The highly anticipated Korean drama Weak Hero Class 2 has officially premiered on Netflix, marking a significant shift from its predecessor’s home on local streaming platform Wavve. The transition follows Wavve’s financial instability, prompting the franchise’s migration to a more globally positioned platform.

Season 2 continues the story of Yeon Si-eun, portrayed by Park Ji-hoon, who transfers to a new school while struggling with trauma from his past. Building upon the psychological depth and realistic depiction of violence seen in Season 1, the sequel delves further into the emotional complexity of its characters and has already topped Netflix Korea’s viewing charts upon release.

Netflix’s acquisition of Weak Hero Class 2 is part of a broader strategy of securing external intellectual property (IP) with proven popularity. The variety show Hong Kim Dong Jeon has been rebranded as DoDriver: In Search of the Lost Screw, maintaining its original cast and director. Similarly, the mystery reality series Crime Scene, which began on JTBC and later moved to TVING, is now set to launch a new season on Netflix under the title Crime Scene Zero, with K-pop idol Ahn Yu-jin from IVE joining the existing cast.

Industry observers have dubbed Netflix’s approach the "scooping strategy," aimed at minimizing risk while capitalizing on existing fanbases. For production companies, partnering with Netflix offers wider global exposure and potential for higher returns, especially in an increasingly competitive streaming environment.

However, the consolidation of high-value IPs under a single platform raises concerns over reduced content diversity and growing disparities between large studios and smaller, independent creators. Critics argue that such concentration could limit innovation and opportunities for emerging talents.

Despite these concerns, the strong performance of Weak Hero Class 2 and DoDriver post-launch suggests that Netflix’s IP acquisition model is working—at least for now. The strategy is expected to play a central role in reshaping South Korea’s OTT ecosystem in the years ahead.

 

Source: Netflix