For movie lovers, nothing beats the ‘Netflix and chill’ experience. The video streaming giant (Netflix) has an extensive collection of movies and shows ranging from the 90’s classics to the latest blockbusters, for you to enjoy.
While this may sound like good news to Netflix users in South Korea, where the streaming company recently launched its services, a big disappointment awaits!
The American Netflix library features considerably more content than South Korean Netflix. As if this is not disappointing enough, South Korean Netflix offers limited local content, primarily, due to Netflix’s slow growth in the country.
In spite of all, don’t fret; there is a simple workaround to get access to the American Netflix catalog.
The Easiest Way to Access US Netflix in South Korea
With the right VPN, you can access US Netflix from anywhere in the world, including South Korea. All you need is download and install the VPN on your device and stream American Netflix using your South Korean account. Easy, right?
Unfortunately, not all VPNs in the market guarantee users a reliable connection. And, this is where ExpressVPN comes in!
See, when streaming US Netflix, the last thing you should worry about is video buffering and downtime. ExpressVPN understands this, that’s why they’ve got a horde of US-based servers dedicated for streaming Netflix. As a result, you can be sure to seamlessly stream HD quality videos.
- Unconditional 30-day money-back guarantee
- No activity logs and no connection logs
- Easy-to-use apps for all devices
Why Is American Netflix Blocked in South Korea?
In every country Netflix operates in, there’s a specific number of movies and shows that can be accessed. This means, once you log in to your South Korean Netflix account, you’ll be directed to the content selection licensed for viewing in South Korea.
Although Netflix produces TV shows and movies, oftentimes, it outsources fresh content from other producers and movie studios. As such, Netflix spends quite a fortune buying distribution rights from producers and movie studios.
Notwithstanding, before buying the rights, Netflix management explores the market to establish the counties with the highest viewership. The higher the viewership, the easier it will be for Netflix to recoup the cost of buying the distributing rights.
If the management doesn’t find a substantial audience in a country for certain multimedia content, Netflix won’t purchase rights for that country. This is partly why Netflix users in South Korea may miss out on blockbuster movies like Captain America: Civil War.
How Netflix Blocks Non-US Residents from Viewing American Netflix
As a way of upholding the distribution rights agreement, Netflix uses geo-blocking technology to block non-US residents from accessing American Netflix.
Generally, the technology works by identifying your device’s IP address. Like the traditional postal address, the IP address is a numerical code that indicates the country in which you are browsing.
So if you’re trying to access American Netflix in South Korea, Netflix servers will detect it, and deny you access.
Why Unblock American Netflix in South Korea?
For starters, if you are free to choose from a wide selection of Netflix content, then you stand to get the best bang for your buck (Sorry! South Korean won, in this case)
Even though the Netflix subscription fee in South Korea is relatively affordable, it won’t hurt getting more value for your subscription. Besides, the American Netflix library boasts iconic TV shows such as Star Wars—one of the many movies unavailable in the South Korean Netflix library.
Unless you’re planning to watch episodes days or even months after their release, you definitely need to unblock the American Netflix library.
For better reasons, US expatriates in South Korea may want to unblock American Netflix to keep tabs on shows they were watching back home. Unfortunately, no matter you own an American Netflix account, you still can’t access the US catalog in South Korea. But all is not lost.
With ExpressVPN, you can continue viewing movies from American Netflix using your existing account.
How Does a VPN Work?
A VPN is an online security and privacy tool that protects users’ online data by redirecting it through encrypted channels.
The data is passed through an external server, changing your IP address to that of the server. Since your ‘new’ IP address resembles that of the VPN server, Netflix won’t see your original location, thus giving you access to the Netflix library of your ‘new’ IP address.
As such, if your VPN provider has servers in the US, you cannot to one, and access American Netflix. Also, a VPN encrypts your online activities, making it tough for third parties to access, or monitor it.
How to Use a VPN to Access American Netflix
How to get around the geo-block? A VPN makes it appear as if you’re web-surfing in a different country than you’re in.
Note that you can download a VPN as an app or browser extension. But remember, whichever version you use, ensure it has several US-based servers.
To watch American Netflix in South Korea with a VPN, follow these simple steps:
- Subscribe to your favorite VPN
- Download and install the VPN
- Choose American Netflix library, and connect to one of the US servers
- Stream American Netflix
Does Netflix Block VPN Users?
Although Netflix is strict on VPN users, sometimes the streaming company manually identifies and blocks IP addresses used by VPNs. This is not only difficult but also time-consuming and resource-draining.
Even more, VPN providers such as ExpressVPN leverage different techniques to hide and change their IP addresses.
Besides, unlike most VPN providers, ExpressVPN will respond fast if you have issues accessing geo-blocked content.
The Best VPN to Use in South Korea: ExpressVPN
A server that unblocks Netflix today might get blocked tomorrow. But, it doesn’t end there. VPN providers often replace those servers with superior ones in more locations.
While this conflict between Netflix, users, and VPN providers is still on, feasible options continue (considerably) to flux.
ExpressVPN features a dedicated Netflix page to help you kick off your streaming with a bang! Besides, the whole process of downloading, installation to using ExpressVPN is seamless. To mean, you don’t need any technical skills to use it.
In fact, the interface of the VPN is a large green button that lets you switch the VPN on/off easily. More exciting, ExpressVPN has an automatic kill switch that safely locks your data if your VPN connection drops.
Additionally, the VPN boasts impressive streaming speeds, thanks to its unlimited bandwidth, thus ideal for HD quality streaming. Further to this, ExpressVPN bypasses ISP throttling.
ISPs are known to slow down specific processes, including video streaming. Luckily, ExpressVPN features technologies that beat this so that you can stream Netflix at high speeds for buffer-free HD viewing.
ExpressVPN also unblocks Netflix on numerous platforms, including macOS, Windows, Android, iOS, Linux, routers, and Amazon Fire TV.
On top of these, the VPN allows you to connect up to 5 devices simultaneously. Even more, ExpressVPN is equipped with the MediaStreamer DNS proxy. For this reason, you can watch Netflix on devices that rarely support VPNs, like Xbox One and PS4.
Conclusion
Netflix is arguably the best streaming service provider in the world. Thanks to its exciting collection of TV shows and movies.
For Netflix users in South Korea, it’s even more exciting if you can access the extensive American Netflix library. Thankfully, ExpressVPN lets you securely stream American Netflix.
