(image: Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, April 8 (Korea Bizwire) — Global streaming giant Netflix is ending its free one-month trial service in South Korea.
As of Wednesday, the company ended the 30-day trial service in South Korea, five years after the company began South Korean operations in January 2016.
The free trial service, which Netflix has offered since shortly after its establishment, has now ended in all of the countries that Netflix offers its services in after the last remaining countries, including South Korea, Greece and Serbia, ended the service.
Netflix recently saw a massive growth in subscribers following the coronavirus outbreak, reaching as many as 203.6 million around the globe last year.
In South Korea, too, the number of subscribers soared, surpassing 10 million as of February, and more than doubling over the past 12 months.
The company, in turn, is beginning to raise subscription fees in a number of countries and blocking account sharing to increase profitability.
In South Korea, the monthly subscription fee is between 9,500-14,500 won (US$8.48-12.94), which is expected to rise in the near future.
Netflix has reportedly been testing policies to block unauthorized streaming by intercepting account sharing practices.
Its premium subscription plan allows up to four simultaneous streams for a single account. The company is said to be working on policies to prevent those other than family members or housemates from gaining access to videos.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
