Disney+ carves its niche with Korean thrillers — and Nine Puzzles proves it’s working

There’s something a little wild about seeing Disney+, the home of princesses, lightsabers, and Marvel heroes, quietly turn into one of the hottest streaming hubs for Korean thrillers. No flashy announcements, no global fanfare, just a steady stream of dark, twisty K-dramas sneaking onto the platform and building an international following.

And now? Enter Nine Puzzles, the sleek new crime series pulling in K-drama fans and turning heads across continents. In a matter of days, it shot to the top of Disney+’s global charts, proving that when it comes to suspense, the Mouse House knows exactly how to play the game.

This move goes beyond nostalgia or blockbuster franchises, leaning into clever storytelling, sharp acting, and the kind of slow-burn tension that keeps you glued to the screen long past midnight.

So, how did Disney+ carve out this unexpected little niche? And why is Nine Puzzles the show that proves the strategy is working? Let’s take a closer look.

How Disney+ found its Korean thriller groove

While Netflix has been loudly waving the K-drama flag for years, Disney+ took a quieter route. Instead of chasing romantic comedies or teen melodramas, the platform leaned into something darker, thrillers with bite, crime stories with emotional depth, and narratives that linger in your mind long after the credits roll.

Series like Moving, Revenant, and Big Bet laid the groundwork, showing that Disney+ wasn’t just dipping a toe into Korean content. It was building a catalog that could compete with the best, tapping into the same global hunger for tension, mystery, and high-stakes storytelling.

What makes this approach stand out is that Disney+ didn’t try to mimic Netflix’s massive rollout strategies or flood the platform with dozens of titles at once. Instead, it chose its projects carefully, curating stories that matched the platform’s sleek, polished vibe. And when Nine Puzzles arrived, everything clicked into place.

Nine Puzzles: a breakout success

At the center of the buzz is Nine Puzzles, a sharp, stylish crime thriller turning casual viewers into obsessed fans. The story follows Yoon Ena, played by Kim Da-mi, who, as a teenager, discovered her uncle murdered, with only a single puzzle piece left at the scene.

A decade later, she’s a profiler investigating a string of copycat murders, and she’s forced to team up with Detective Kim Han-saem, played by Son Suk-ku, who still suspects she knows more about that original crime than she lets on.

The show pulls viewers into a tangled world of secrets, trauma, and suspicion, layered with the kind of performances that make every scene crackle. Written by Lee Eun-mi and directed by Yoon Jong-bin, Nine Puzzles is a showcase of everything K-thrillers do best, blending personal stakes with high-wire tension.

And the numbers prove it. Within just nine days of its release, Nine Puzzles became Disney+’s most-watched Korean series globally in 2025, topping charts in South Korea, Japan, and Hong Kong. It’s not simply a domestic hit, it’s a global streaming force.

Why Nine Puzzles resonates with global audiences

Part of the magic lies in how it balances the familiar with the unexpected. There are cold cases, mismatched investigators, and ticking-clock suspense, but the series wraps it all in a distinct emotional weight that feels uniquely Korean. It’s about the scars people carry and the messy, painful ways they heal or fall apart.

Global audiences are drawn to that layered approach. Add in the show’s sleek visuals, atmospheric soundtrack, and magnetic lead performances, and you get a package that feels polished without losing its edge.

For viewers used to the rhythms of Western thrillers, Nine Puzzles offers something fresh, a different cultural rhythm, and a sharper emotional punch that lingers long after the final episode.

What does this mean for Disney+’s global strategy?

The runaway success of Nine Puzzles is more than just a bragging point for Disney+, it’s proof that the platform’s investment in Korean content is paying off. Instead of relying solely on its legacy franchises like Marvel and Star Wars or its deep animation library, Disney+ is steadily building a reputation as a home for premium international thrillers.

This move isn’t accidental. By carefully selecting projects that match its global ambitions, Disney+ is tapping into a massive audience hungry for high-quality Korean dramas, especially in the crime and thriller space. It’s a smart strategy that expands the platform’s appeal far beyond the family-friendly or franchise-heavy image many still associate with the Disney name.

With Nine Puzzles leading the charge, Disney+ is sending a clear message: its Korean originals are not side projects, they’re a core part of the platform’s future.

Final thoughts

Nine Puzzles stands as more than just another shiny title in the Disney+ library, it’s a statement. It shows that the platform knows how to play the global content game, not by flooding the market, but by choosing stories that hit hard and stick with audiences.

For fans of sharp, emotionally charged thrillers, it’s the perfect binge. For Disney+, it’s proof that its strategy is working, carving out a space where Korean dramas rise as global sensations. And if Nine Puzzles is any indication, this is only the beginning.