The Korean drama (drakor) *Celebrity* premiered on June 30, 2023. Its first season, starring Park Gyu Young and Kang Min Hyuk, consisted of 12 episodes.
According to Netflix data, *Celebrity* was the most popular non-English language series globally from July 3-9, 2023, with a total of 49.9 million hours viewed.
*Celebrity* portrays the world of top celebrities and influencers in South Korea. However, the depicted lives of these influencers are not as glamorous as imagined.
The series follows the struggles of Seo Ah Ri (Park Gyu Young), a woman from a bankrupt family who strives to become a popular celebrity. To reach the top, Seo Ah Ri is willing to do anything, even becoming entangled in the dramas of other influencers.
Meanwhile, *King the Land*, starring Lee Jun Ho and Im Yoon Ah, dropped to third place with 30.8 million hours viewed from July 3-9, 2023.
The previous week, *King the Land* had topped the rankings with 24.5 million hours viewed.
This Korean drama sparked controversy in episodes 7 and 8, which featured Samir, an Arab prince played by Indian actor Anupam Tripathi.
In these episodes, Samir is portrayed as a man who enjoys nightlife in clubs and drinks with multiple women.
This portrayal drew criticism on social media for being disrespectful to Arab culture regarding alcohol consumption.
*Fake Profile* ranked second among the most popular non-English Netflix series, with 33.3 million hours viewed the previous week.
Here is a complete list of the top 10 most-watched non-English Netflix series from July 3-9, 2023:
1. *Celebrity* (Season 1): 49.9 million hours viewed
2. *The Surrogacy* (Season 1): 33.3 million hours viewed
3. *King the Land* (Season 1): 30.8 million hours viewed
4. *Doom at Your Service*: 25 million hours viewed
5. *Fatal Seduction* (Season 1): 19.1 million hours viewed
6. *See You in My 19th Life* (Season 1): 16.6 million hours viewed
7. *Bloodhounds* (Season 1): 12.8 million hours viewed
8. *Fake Profile* (Season 1): 9.5 million hours viewed
9. *Back to 15* (Season 2): 7.9 million hours viewed
10. *Sleeping Dog: Limited Series* (Season 1): 7.2 million hours viewed