Korean drama
Encyclopedia
Korean drama refers to televised dramas, in a miniseries
format, produced in the Korean language
. Many of these dramas have become popular throughout Asia
and have contributed to the general phenomenon of the Korean wave
, known as "Hallyu", and also "Drama Fever" in some countries. Most popular Korean dramas have also become popular in other parts of the world such as Latin America
, the Middle East
, and elsewhere.
s with shorter, terminating plots, and without the obvious sexual references often found in western dramas. These dramas typically involve conflicts associated with relationships, money bargaining, relationships between in-laws (usually between the mother and son/daughter in law). As well, they often include complicated love triangle
s where the female hero usually falls in love with a "bad boy" main character
who mistreats her. These dramas last anywhere from 16 episodes to over 100 (most often not exceeding 200).
The other main genre is Korean historical dramas (also known as sa geuk), which are fictionalized dramatizations of Korean history. Korean historical dramas typically involve very complex story lines with elaborate costumes, sets and special effects. Martial arts
, sword fighting and horsemanship are frequently a big component of Korean historical dramas as well. Korean dramas, whether the historical dramas or modern dramas, typically are characterized by excellent production quality, characters with depth, intelligent scriptwriting but largely relies on the use of archetypal characters.
which was broadcast on the NHK
satellite channel NHK BS2 in 2003. The program was aired twice in the same year due to high demand from viewers. NHK even hosted a classical concert featuring Winter Sonata's melodic tunes performed by Korean musicians. Actor Bae Yong Joon
who played the male lead in Winter Sonata is known as "Yon - sama
".
Some have claimed that Korean drama has improved relations between the two countries as more Japanese people became interested in Korean culture. Greater exposer to all things Korean, including language, cuisine, and history not only positively influenced the perception of Koreans among Japanese people, but also relieved some of the antagonism many Koreans had felt towards Japan. The increased interest in Korean culture has promoted Japanese tourism to South Korea and many tours geared towards fans of Winter Sonata and other Korean drama programs have attracted thousands of visitors to the country. Conversely, the series Iris
had several pivotal scenes shot in Akita, Japan, which lead to an increase of Korean tourists in that part of Japan.
Former Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi
has been known to be a big fan of Choi Ji Woo, known as "Jiwoo-hime" or "Princess Ji-woo" in Japan. And the former Japanese first lady Miyuki Hatoyama
, wife of former prime minister Yukio Hatoyama
, has often proclaimed her love of Korean drama even claiming that it is the secret to her youthful appearance.
set of four romantic series hit Hong Kong in the early 21st Century. In 2005, Dae Jang Geum
was broadcast on Hong Kong
's TVB Jade
network in Cantonese
, further continuing the Korean Wave in Hong Kong following the former part of the decade. Dae Jang Geum
became the most highly-rated television series broadcast in Hong Kong of all time, until 2008 TVB drama Moonlight Resonance
tied with it in terms of viewership ratings. Many other Korean dramas followed, and in 2008 TVB released its TVB J2 channel, which broadcast many more Korean series, intending for a younger audience. Its pay-tv service, TVB Payvision's drama channel also broadcast Korean dramas (as well as Japanese drama
and Taiwanese dramas. The popularity of Korean dramas in Hong Kong also sparked an interest in K-pop
and tourism
to Korea
.
was on the air in Thailand, Korean food started gaining wide popularity in Thailand. Due to lop-sided nature of entertainment exports favoring South Korea, the Thai government requested increased introduction of popular Thai films to South Korean media outlets. This led to the signing of an Agreement of Cultural Cooperation between the two countries in August 2004.
airs many Vietnamese dubbed Korean dramas.
s and the Taiwanese dramas, the next successful foreign dramas in the Philippines were Korean dramas. In the height of Taiwanese drama popularity due to the unexpected success of Meteor Garden
that aired on ABS-CBN
, GMA Network
became the first Philippine TV network to release Korean dramas in the Philippines with Bright Girl starring Jang Na-ra (airdate: July 2003) and later, My Love Cindy
(airdate: September 2003). It was a risk on the part of the network since the F4
boys were extremely popular and they were exclusively seen on rival TV network, ABS-CBN. But the gamble proved successful; the two Korean dramas sparked the curiosity of viewers, and increased viewership of the afternoon block of GMA Network. GMA Network also introduced the term, Koreanovela for TV dramas imported from Korea. GMA, Endless Love
starring Song Hye Kyo
, Song Seung Hun
and Won Bin
aired on the primetime block (airdate: September 2003).. The series was so successful that it beat rival ABS-CBN Philippine dramas aired on the same time slot. The success of Endless Love inspired GMA to secure more Korean dramas, such as Winter Sonata
, also known as the second of the Endless Love series which aired in the primetime block after the first Endless Love; and Beautiful Days
which aired in the afternoon block. Both dramas starred Hallyu Queen Choi Ji Woo. With the rising popularity of Choi Ji Woo, ABS-CBN introduced in January 12, 2004 the first Korean drama on their station, The Truth. This was followed by Lovers in Paris
, Memories of Bali
and Save the Last Dance for Me.
Lovers in Paris
became the first primetime TV hit Korean drama on ABSCBN that captured the heart of many Filipinos nationwide. Kim Jung Eun was hailed as the Queen of Korean dramas on ABS-CBN Network
. The said network also aired other popular Korean dramas such as My Girl, Oh Feel Young
, Wonderful Life, Spring Waltz
, A Love To Kill
, Forbidden Love, Princess Lulu
, Only You, Boys Over Flowers
, Princess Hours, Lovers in Paris
, He is Beautiful (You're Beautiful
), Save the Last Dance for Me, Memories of Bali
, Stained Glass
, Spring Day
, Something About 1% (1% of Anything), Wedding, Truth
, Which Star Are You From
, Marrying a Millionaire
, Lovers
, Three Dads With One Mom (One Mom and Three Dads
), Perfect Match (Personal Preference
), Green Rose
, Cinderella's Sister
,My Princess
, My Girlfriend is a Gumiho , Marry Me Mary (Mary Stayed Out All Night
), I Am Legend
, 49 Days
also known as Pure Love, Three Brothers
, My Fair Lady, and Helena's Promise (Scent of a Woman
). Other popular Korean hit dramas to be shown on the network are: City Hunter
, Dream High
, Sungkyunkwan Scandal
, Dream
, Heartstrings
, Protect the Boss
, Thousand Day Promise
, Can't Lose
and Beautiful You
.
GMA Network
aired other Korean dramas such as: Full House, Stairway To Heaven
, Jewel in the Palace
, Shining Inheritance, Jumong, Endless Love
, Endless Love 2: Winter Sonata
, Endless Love 3: Summer Scent
, Love Story in Harvard
, Queen Seon Deok, My Name is Kim Sam Soon, Coffee Prince
, East of Eden
, The Baker King, Temptation of a Wife
, Playful Kiss
and Secret Garden
. Full House is the most popular Korean drama in the Philippines,being aired twice in the same year, airing again only a month after it ended. On the other hand, Autumn in My Heart, also known as Endless Love, is the most replayed Korean Drama in the Philippines having it replayed 6 times already.
Korean celebrities also became popular in the Philippines. Song Hye Gyo is considered as one of the most popular Korean actress in the Philippines for the first Korean drama hit in the Philippines, Autumn in My Heart and Full House. In the Philippines, she is known as the Queen of Korean dramas. Korean actresses Lee Young Ae
, Choi Ji Woo and Kim Jung Eun
are not too far behind because of the tremendous successes of Jewel in the Palace
, Stairway To Heaven
and Lovers in Paris
(based on the Mega Manila TV Ratings, not nationwide ratings). Korean heartthrobs like Lee Min Ho
, Kim Bum
, Lee Dong-wook are just among others who gained a lot of fans in the country.
In many cases, Korean theme songs were also adapted and became chart toppers. "Di Ko Na Kaya," sung by Faith Cuneta, the Tagalog theme song of Endless Love 2: Winter Sonata
, was adapted from the Korean theme song, "From Then Till Now," originally performed by Ryu. The song was a huge success—partly owing to the success of the TV series—propelling the career of the newbie singer. Faith Cuneta eventually became known as Queen of Koreanovela theme songs since many of her songs were used as theme songs in Korean dramas. "Perhaps Love
", the theme song from Princess Hours
was likewise translated and sang in Tagalog. It was entitled, "Pag-ibig Na Kaya?" and became a hit song on 2007.
The boom of Korean dramas continues today as major TV networks continue to invest a timeslot for the said series. For example, in 2009, ABS-CBN
aired Boys Over Flowers
, the Korean adaptation of the Taiwanese drama, Meteor Garden
. The tagline, "THE FEVER IS BACK" was used widely in released teasers. GMA Network
also recently secured toprating Korean shows, Temptation of a Wife
, The Baker King and Secret Garden
, Daemul
which is also known as Big Thing. Among the secured korean drama line-up of GMA Network are Dong Yi, Cinderella Man
, Smile Dong Hae, Lie To Me
and IRIS
.
Many of the more recent k-dramas have been translated fully with high-quality English subtitling. However, some k-dramas DVD sets are not translated completely into English and are issued in sets with fewer DVD's than the Korean language versions, to the dismay of English-speaking consumers. These are typically done so that the story is coherent and satisfying, but viewers are always disappointed to know they are missing out on some portions of the story that were not subtitled into English (for example, with the story of "The Immortal Admiral Yi Sun Shin").
Korean drama fan clubs have appeared in Hawaii
, California
and the metropolitan areas of Chicago
and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. Cable channels in the U.S. (such as AZN
, KBS World
, and MBC America
) have featured several Korean dramas during primetime, in addition to offering daytime and late-night Korean programming, usually subtitled.
In November 2008, Netflix
began offering several Korean dramas as part of their video selection. In August 2009, DramaFever
began offering free subtitled video streaming service, with video advertisements, in the United States. As of May 2010 Korean dramas began airing on a DramaFever channel on Hulu. Additionally, Korean dramas are available at online DVD retailers. Some Korean dramas, however, are not available for Region
1 (North America) encoding and NTSC
video format.
By late 2010 and early 2011, many popular Korean dramas began to air on Puerto Rican channels. This have impacted greatly on which is the Hallyu in the USA and Latin America. Such dramas as My Name is Kim Sam Soon, Princess Hours
, The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince
, Boys Over Flowers
, All About Eve (TV series), Stairway to Heaven (TV series)
and others have proven to be quite successful in Puertorrican households.
, Peru
and Chile
.
. Every evening, there is at least 2–3 different Korean dramas dubbed into Mongolian
on all the well known channels. This has affected the popularity of K-pop, korean cuisine, as well as Korean fashion in Mongolian Youth.
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
format, produced in the Korean language
Korean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
. Many of these dramas have become popular throughout Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and have contributed to the general phenomenon of the Korean wave
Korean wave
The Korean Wave, also known as the Hallyu , refers to spread of South Korean culture around the world. The term was coined in China in mid-1999 by Beijing journalists surprised by the fast growing popularity of Korean entertainment and culture in China...
, known as "Hallyu", and also "Drama Fever" in some countries. Most popular Korean dramas have also become popular in other parts of the world such as Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, and elsewhere.
Plot
Generally speaking, there are two main genres of Korean dramas. The first genre resembles western soap operaSoap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
s with shorter, terminating plots, and without the obvious sexual references often found in western dramas. These dramas typically involve conflicts associated with relationships, money bargaining, relationships between in-laws (usually between the mother and son/daughter in law). As well, they often include complicated love triangle
Love triangle
A love triangle is usually a romantic relationship involving three people. While it can refer to two people independently romantically linked with a third, it usually implies that each of the three people has some kind of relationship to the other two...
s where the female hero usually falls in love with a "bad boy" main character
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
who mistreats her. These dramas last anywhere from 16 episodes to over 100 (most often not exceeding 200).
The other main genre is Korean historical dramas (also known as sa geuk), which are fictionalized dramatizations of Korean history. Korean historical dramas typically involve very complex story lines with elaborate costumes, sets and special effects. Martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
, sword fighting and horsemanship are frequently a big component of Korean historical dramas as well. Korean dramas, whether the historical dramas or modern dramas, typically are characterized by excellent production quality, characters with depth, intelligent scriptwriting but largely relies on the use of archetypal characters.
Popularity in Japan
The first Korean drama to gain widespread popularity in Japan was Winter SonataWinter Sonata
Winter Sonata is a South Korean television drama series broadcast by KBS in 2002. It is the second part of the Endless Love installment directed by Yoon Seok-Ho...
which was broadcast on the NHK
NHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
satellite channel NHK BS2 in 2003. The program was aired twice in the same year due to high demand from viewers. NHK even hosted a classical concert featuring Winter Sonata's melodic tunes performed by Korean musicians. Actor Bae Yong Joon
Bae Yong Joon
Bae Yong-joon , is a South Korean actor best known for his roles in numerous television dramas and one of the first kkonminam icons. He is known as Yon-sama to his Japanese fans.- Early and private life :...
who played the male lead in Winter Sonata is known as "Yon - sama
Japanese honorifics
The Japanese language has many honorifics, parts of speech which show respect, and their use is mandatory in many social situations. Honorifics in Japanese may be used to emphasize social distance or disparity in rank, or to emphasize social intimacy or similarity in rank.The system of honorifics...
".
Some have claimed that Korean drama has improved relations between the two countries as more Japanese people became interested in Korean culture. Greater exposer to all things Korean, including language, cuisine, and history not only positively influenced the perception of Koreans among Japanese people, but also relieved some of the antagonism many Koreans had felt towards Japan. The increased interest in Korean culture has promoted Japanese tourism to South Korea and many tours geared towards fans of Winter Sonata and other Korean drama programs have attracted thousands of visitors to the country. Conversely, the series Iris
Iris (TV series)
Iris is a South Korean espionage television drama series broadcast by KBS in 2009. With a budget in excess of 20 billion won , it, along with its spin-off Athena: Goddess of War, share the record for the most expensive Korean dramas ever produced.Premiering in October 2009, the series was a...
had several pivotal scenes shot in Akita, Japan, which lead to an increase of Korean tourists in that part of Japan.
Former Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi
Junichiro Koizumi
is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 2001 to 2006. He retired from politics when his term in parliament ended.Widely seen as a maverick leader of the Liberal Democratic Party , he became known as an economic reformer, focusing on Japan's government debt and the...
has been known to be a big fan of Choi Ji Woo, known as "Jiwoo-hime" or "Princess Ji-woo" in Japan. And the former Japanese first lady Miyuki Hatoyama
Miyuki Hatoyama
is the wife of former Prime Minister of Japan Yukio Hatoyama. Hatoyama, originally an actress by profession, describes herself as "constantly curious" and a "life composer", who pursues a variety of interests, including a stylist, interior designer and cookbook author.In an interview, then Prime...
, wife of former prime minister Yukio Hatoyama
Yukio Hatoyama
is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan between 16 September 2009 and 2 June 2010, and was the first ever Prime Minister from the modern Democratic Party of Japan....
, has often proclaimed her love of Korean drama even claiming that it is the secret to her youthful appearance.
Popularity in China
In 2006, South Korean programs on Chinese government TV networks accounted for more than all other foreign programs combined.Popularity in Hong Kong
The Endless LoveEndless Love (TV series)
Endless Love was the unofficial title for a set of four Korean drama series directed by Yoon Seok-Ho, produced by KBS stations.- Structure :...
set of four romantic series hit Hong Kong in the early 21st Century. In 2005, Dae Jang Geum
Dae Jang Geum
Dae Jang Geum is a 2003 epic South Korean television series directed by Lee Byung Hoon and produced by MBC. Starring Lee Young Ae, it tells the tale of an orphaned kitchen cook who went on to become the king's first female physician...
was broadcast on Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
's TVB Jade
TVB Jade
TVB Jade is a flagship TV channel in Hong Kong, established by Television Broadcasts Limited, and is one of the free-to-air Cantonese language television channels in Hong Kong, the other being its arch-rival ATV Home...
network in Cantonese
Cantonese
Cantonese is a dialect spoken primarily in south China.Cantonese may also refer to:* Yue Chinese, the Chinese language that includes Cantonese* Cantonese cuisine, the cuisine of Guangdong province...
, further continuing the Korean Wave in Hong Kong following the former part of the decade. Dae Jang Geum
Dae Jang Geum
Dae Jang Geum is a 2003 epic South Korean television series directed by Lee Byung Hoon and produced by MBC. Starring Lee Young Ae, it tells the tale of an orphaned kitchen cook who went on to become the king's first female physician...
became the most highly-rated television series broadcast in Hong Kong of all time, until 2008 TVB drama Moonlight Resonance
Moonlight Resonance
Moonlight Resonance is an award-winning 2008 grand production HDTV drama by TVB. It is an spiritual sequel to 2007's award-winning series, Heart of Greed featuring most of the original cast members. The series is written and edited by Cheung Wah-biu and Sit Ga-wah. Sponsored by Kee Wah Bakery, the...
tied with it in terms of viewership ratings. Many other Korean dramas followed, and in 2008 TVB released its TVB J2 channel, which broadcast many more Korean series, intending for a younger audience. Its pay-tv service, TVB Payvision's drama channel also broadcast Korean dramas (as well as Japanese drama
Japanese television drama
, also called , are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily. All major TV networks in Japan produce a variety of drama series including murder romance, comedy, detective stories, horror, and many others...
and Taiwanese dramas. The popularity of Korean dramas in Hong Kong also sparked an interest in K-pop
K-pop
K-pop is a musical genre consisting of electropop, hip hop, pop, rock, and R&B music originating in South Korea...
and tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
to Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
.
Popularity in Thailand
When the popular drama of Dae Jang GeumDae Jang Geum
Dae Jang Geum is a 2003 epic South Korean television series directed by Lee Byung Hoon and produced by MBC. Starring Lee Young Ae, it tells the tale of an orphaned kitchen cook who went on to become the king's first female physician...
was on the air in Thailand, Korean food started gaining wide popularity in Thailand. Due to lop-sided nature of entertainment exports favoring South Korea, the Thai government requested increased introduction of popular Thai films to South Korean media outlets. This led to the signing of an Agreement of Cultural Cooperation between the two countries in August 2004.
Popularity in Vietnam
The Saigon Broadcasting Television NetworkSaigon Broadcasting Television Network
Saigon Broadcasting Television Network, abbreviated SBTN, is the first 24-hour Vietnamese language channel geared towards the Vietnamese diaspora. It is currently available in the United States on many cable systems as well as through DirecTV. The channel provides children, arts, entertainment,...
airs many Vietnamese dubbed Korean dramas.
Popularity in the Philippines
After the success of Mexican telenovelaTelenovela
A telenovela is a limited-run serial dramatic programming popular in Latin American, Portuguese, and Spanish television programming. The word combines tele, short for televisión or televisão , and novela, a Spanish or Portuguese word for "novel"...
s and the Taiwanese dramas, the next successful foreign dramas in the Philippines were Korean dramas. In the height of Taiwanese drama popularity due to the unexpected success of Meteor Garden
Meteor Garden
Meteor Garden is a 2001 Taiwanese drama starring Barbie Hsu, Jerry Yan, Vic Zhou, Vanness Wu and Ken Chu. It is based on Japanese shōjo manga series, , written by Yoko Kamio...
that aired on ABS-CBN
ABS-CBN Network
ABS-CBN commonly referred to as the Kapamilya Network or simply Dos , is a major commercial television network in the Philippines owned and operated by the ABS-CBN Corporation. It was launched in October 23, 1953 just a few months after the first broadcast of NHK of Japan...
, GMA Network
GMA Network
GMA Network is a major commercial television & radio network in the Philippines. GMA Network is owned by GMA Network, Inc. a publicly listed company...
became the first Philippine TV network to release Korean dramas in the Philippines with Bright Girl starring Jang Na-ra (airdate: July 2003) and later, My Love Cindy
My Love Patzzi
My Love, Patji , alternative title "My Love Cindy", alternative title "My Feisty Girl" . Written by Kim Yi-young, and produced by Lee Jin-suk.-Synopsis:...
(airdate: September 2003). It was a risk on the part of the network since the F4
F4 (band)
F4 is a Taiwanese boy band. The group began in the Taiwanese drama Meteor Garden as F4 with members Jerry Yan, Vanness Wu, Ken Chu, and Vic Chou...
boys were extremely popular and they were exclusively seen on rival TV network, ABS-CBN. But the gamble proved successful; the two Korean dramas sparked the curiosity of viewers, and increased viewership of the afternoon block of GMA Network. GMA Network also introduced the term, Koreanovela for TV dramas imported from Korea. GMA, Endless Love
Endless Love (TV series)
Endless Love was the unofficial title for a set of four Korean drama series directed by Yoon Seok-Ho, produced by KBS stations.- Structure :...
starring Song Hye Kyo
Song Hye Kyo
Song Hye-kyo is a South Korean model and actress. She gained popularity through television dramas such as Autumn in My Heart , All In , Full House , and The World That They Live In ..-Career:...
, Song Seung Hun
Song Seung Hun
Song Seung-heon is a South Korean actor. Song is noted for his roles in Korean dramas like East of Eden, Autumn in My Heart and Summer Scent.-Career:...
and Won Bin
Won Bin
Won Bin is a top South Korean actor and model.- Early life and beginnings :Won was born and raised in a hamlet in the north of Jeongseon in Gangwon-do, South Korea. He is the fifth and youngest child, with one brother and three sisters. His father was formerly employed in a mine and his mother...
aired on the primetime block (airdate: September 2003).. The series was so successful that it beat rival ABS-CBN Philippine dramas aired on the same time slot. The success of Endless Love inspired GMA to secure more Korean dramas, such as Winter Sonata
Winter Sonata
Winter Sonata is a South Korean television drama series broadcast by KBS in 2002. It is the second part of the Endless Love installment directed by Yoon Seok-Ho...
, also known as the second of the Endless Love series which aired in the primetime block after the first Endless Love; and Beautiful Days
Beautiful Days
Beautiful Days is a South Korean television drama series broadcast by SBS in 2001. It stars Lee Byung-hun and Choi Ji-woo.- Synopsis :...
which aired in the afternoon block. Both dramas starred Hallyu Queen Choi Ji Woo. With the rising popularity of Choi Ji Woo, ABS-CBN introduced in January 12, 2004 the first Korean drama on their station, The Truth. This was followed by Lovers in Paris
Lovers In Paris
Lovers in Paris is a South Korean television drama series broadcast by SBS in the summer of 2004. The show won numerous awards including best television drama at the Baeksang Arts Awards and both Park Shin-yang and Kim Jung-eun were awarded the Grand Prize at the SBS Drama Awards.It is the first...
, Memories of Bali
Something Happened in Bali
What Happened in Bali is a South Korean drama series with themes of love, jealousy, fate and pride.- Synopsis :...
and Save the Last Dance for Me.
Lovers in Paris
Lovers In Paris
Lovers in Paris is a South Korean television drama series broadcast by SBS in the summer of 2004. The show won numerous awards including best television drama at the Baeksang Arts Awards and both Park Shin-yang and Kim Jung-eun were awarded the Grand Prize at the SBS Drama Awards.It is the first...
became the first primetime TV hit Korean drama on ABSCBN that captured the heart of many Filipinos nationwide. Kim Jung Eun was hailed as the Queen of Korean dramas on ABS-CBN Network
ABS-CBN Network
ABS-CBN commonly referred to as the Kapamilya Network or simply Dos , is a major commercial television network in the Philippines owned and operated by the ABS-CBN Corporation. It was launched in October 23, 1953 just a few months after the first broadcast of NHK of Japan...
. The said network also aired other popular Korean dramas such as My Girl, Oh Feel Young
Oh Feel Young
"Oh Feel Young!" is South Korea drama series.-Cast:* An Jae-uk as O Pil-seung * Bak Chae-rim as Bong Sun-yeong * Ryu Jin as Yun Jae-ung...
, Wonderful Life, Spring Waltz
Spring Waltz
Spring Waltz is the fourth and final installment of Yoon Seok-Ho's seasonal drama series, Endless Love directed by Yoon Seok-Ho, following the preceding Autumn in My Heart, Winter Sonata and Summer Scent.- Series Development :...
, A Love To Kill
A Love To Kill
A Love to Kill is South Korean television drama series which was broadcast on KBS in the autumn of 2005. It features singer Bi and Shin Min-a.-Synopsis:...
, Forbidden Love, Princess Lulu
Princess Lulu
Princess Lulu is a Korean TV drama that aired July 27, 2005 from to September 29, 2005 on SBS.Aired 2006 at ABS-CBN-Storyline:...
, Only You, Boys Over Flowers
Boys Over Flowers
is a Japanese shōjo manga series written by Yoko Kamio. It was serialized in the bi-weekly anthology magazine Margaret, which is aimed at high-school-age girls. The manga series ran continuously from October 1992 to September 2003, and was collected into 37 tankōbon volumes. In 1996, it received...
, Princess Hours, Lovers in Paris
Lovers In Paris
Lovers in Paris is a South Korean television drama series broadcast by SBS in the summer of 2004. The show won numerous awards including best television drama at the Baeksang Arts Awards and both Park Shin-yang and Kim Jung-eun were awarded the Grand Prize at the SBS Drama Awards.It is the first...
, He is Beautiful (You're Beautiful
You're Beautiful (TV series)
He's Beautiful is a South Korean drama about a fictional boy band A.N.Jell and the relationship between its members when a female, posing as her twin brother, joins the group...
), Save the Last Dance for Me, Memories of Bali
Something Happened in Bali
What Happened in Bali is a South Korean drama series with themes of love, jealousy, fate and pride.- Synopsis :...
, Stained Glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
, Spring Day
Spring Day
Spring Day is a holiday marking the coming of the spring season, which takes place in different countries, on varying dates.-Albania:Albania celebrates the lunar Spring Day on March 14, and from 2004 it is a national holiday...
, Something About 1% (1% of Anything), Wedding, Truth
Truth
Truth has a variety of meanings, such as the state of being in accord with fact or reality. It can also mean having fidelity to an original or to a standard or ideal. In a common usage, it also means constancy or sincerity in action or character...
, Which Star Are You From
Which Star Are You From
Which Star Are You From is a South Korean television drama that airs on Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation .-Plot:...
, Marrying a Millionaire
Marrying a Millionaire
Marrying a Millionaire, is a South Korean drama produced and broadcast by SBS from November 26, 2005 to January 22, 2006. It is also entitled “To Marry A Millionaire” or “Millionaire is My Lover.”-Storyline:...
, Lovers
Lovers (TV series)
Lovers is a South Korean drama series broadcast 2006 by Seoul Broadcasting System. It stars Kim Jung Eun and Lee Seo-jin. The show is the final installment of famed SBS drama series that was shot in a European country...
, Three Dads With One Mom (One Mom and Three Dads
One Mom and Three Dads
One Mom and Three Dads is a Korean television drama.-Synopsis:...
), Perfect Match (Personal Preference
Personal Preference (TV series)
Personal Preference is a South Korean drama series adapted from a 2007 novel "Gaeinui Chwihyang" by Lee Sae In, about a man pretending to be homosexual in order to become roommates with a woman who wants to live with a gay male friend...
), Green Rose
Green Rose
Green Rose is a Korean drama television series that aired on SBS which stars Go Soo, Lee Da Hae, Lee Jong Hyuk and Kim Suh Hyung.Korean series normally run for 16 episodes, but Green Rose was extended up to 22 because of the good feedback that the show garnered in Korea.Green Rose interweaves...
, Cinderella's Sister
Cinderella's Sister
Cinderella's Sister , also known as Cinderella's Stepsister / A Modern Story of Revenge, is a romantic and melodramatic TV drama in Seoul, South Korea, under KBS network. It first aired on March 26, 2010, and ended its broadcast in June 2010...
,My Princess
My Princess
"My Princess" is the season seven finale and the 150th episode of the American sitcom Scrubs. It was broadcast on May 8, 2008 on NBC. Although produced as episode 9, the episode was rearranged to be the season finale due to the season being cut short because of the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of...
, My Girlfriend is a Gumiho , Marry Me Mary (Mary Stayed Out All Night
Mary Stayed Out All Night
Mary Stayed Out All Night is a South Korean Romance-Comedy television series, which originally aired from November 8 to December 28, 2010 on the Korean network KBS2, and starred Moon Geun Young, Jang Geun Suk, Kim Jae Wook and Kim Hyo Jin...
), I Am Legend
I am Legend (TV series)
I am Legend is a South Korean drama produced and broadcast by the SBS TV network.The series is shown in the Philippines and debuted on May 1, 2011 on ABS CBN On its Primetime block its tagline was "Kim Jung Eun is back to her home network ABS-CBN Primetime Asian Novela Home" the network mostly...
, 49 Days
49 Days
49 Days is a South Korean television fantasy drama series broadcast by SBS in 2011.-Synopsis:Ji-Hyun's life seems to be storybook perfect. Her parents adore her and her friends all seem to admire her. Ji-Hyun is also engaged and set to marry her fiance Min-Ho in just a few days...
also known as Pure Love, Three Brothers
Three Brothers (TV series)
Three Brothers is an 2009 South Korean Drama, Romance television series by on KBS starring Lee Jun-Hyuk, Ahn Nae-sang, O Dae-kyu & Do Ji-won-Synopsis:...
, My Fair Lady, and Helena's Promise (Scent of a Woman
Scent of a Woman (TV series)
Scent of a Woman is a South Korean television drama series starring Kim Sun Ah, Lee Dong Wook, Uhm Ki Joon and Seo Hyo Rim. It premiered on July 23, 2011 on SBS.-Synopsis:...
). Other popular Korean hit dramas to be shown on the network are: City Hunter
City Hunter
is a hardboiled manga series written and illustrated by Tsukasa Hojo, published by Shueisha in the Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1985 to 1991. The manga was adapted into an animated television series by Sunrise Studios in 1987...
, Dream High
Dream High
Dream High is a South Korean television drama series broadcast by Korean Broadcasting System in 2011. It features Suzy, Taecyeon, IU, Wooyoung, Ham Eun Jung and Kim Soo-hyun. It aired on the 3 January 2011 and finished on the 28 February 2011 after 16 successful episodes. This drama is popular...
, Sungkyunkwan Scandal
Sungkyunkwan Scandal
Sungkyunkwan Scandal is a 2010 South Korean historical fiction drama, broadcast by Korean Broadcasting System , whose original run was from August 30, 2010 to November 2, 2010.-Synopsis:...
, Dream
Dream (TV series)
Dream is a South Korean TV drama that first aired on July 27, 2009 on SBS. It is also notable for being singer Son Dam Bi's acting debut.-Synopsis:...
, Heartstrings
Heartstrings (TV series)
-External links:* *...
, Protect the Boss
Protect the Boss
Protect the Boss , formerly known as The Boss Has Changed and The Last Secretary , is a 2011 Korean drama starring Choi Kang Hee, Ji Sung, Kim Jaejoong of JYJ, Wang Ji Hye, Lee Hee-Jin and Park Young Kyu.It was first broadcast in South Korea from 3 August to 29 September 2011 on Seoul...
, Thousand Day Promise
Thousand Day Promise
Thousand Day Promise written by famed drama writer Kim Soo-hyun. Thousand Day Promise is a traditional melodrama featuring a love story between a woman who is losing her memory and the pure-hearted man who stands by her side...
, Can't Lose
Can't Lose
Can't Lose also known as I Can't Live Losing is a romance-comedy Korean series aired by MBC network from August 2011 to October 2011.-Synopsis:...
and Beautiful You
Beautiful You
Beautiful You may refer to:* Beautiful You , a 2008 album by John Illsley* "Beautiful You" , a 1981 song The Oak Ridge Boys* "Beautiful You", a song by Carly Smithson...
.
GMA Network
GMA Network
GMA Network is a major commercial television & radio network in the Philippines. GMA Network is owned by GMA Network, Inc. a publicly listed company...
aired other Korean dramas such as: Full House, Stairway To Heaven
Stairway to Heaven (TV series)
Stairway to Heaven is a South Korean television drama series broadcast by SBS between late 2003 and early 2004. It stars Choi Ji-woo, Kwon Sang-woo, Kim Tae-hee, and Shin Hyun Joon.-Plot:...
, Jewel in the Palace
Dae Jang Geum
Dae Jang Geum is a 2003 epic South Korean television series directed by Lee Byung Hoon and produced by MBC. Starring Lee Young Ae, it tells the tale of an orphaned kitchen cook who went on to become the king's first female physician...
, Shining Inheritance, Jumong, Endless Love
Endless Love (TV series)
Endless Love was the unofficial title for a set of four Korean drama series directed by Yoon Seok-Ho, produced by KBS stations.- Structure :...
, Endless Love 2: Winter Sonata
Winter Sonata
Winter Sonata is a South Korean television drama series broadcast by KBS in 2002. It is the second part of the Endless Love installment directed by Yoon Seok-Ho...
, Endless Love 3: Summer Scent
Summer Scent
Summer Scent is a 20-episode TV drama series made in 2003. It is the third installment of the four part Endless Love drama series directed by Yoon Seok-Ho, produced by South Korean TV Network KBS.- Storyline :...
, Love Story in Harvard
Love Story in Harvard
Love Story in Harvard is a 16-episode romantic Korean television drama broadcast in 2004, set in the United States and South Korea...
, Queen Seon Deok, My Name is Kim Sam Soon, Coffee Prince
The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince
The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince is a South Korean drama that began airing on July 2, 2007. It is based on the novel of the same name written by Lee Sun-mi...
, East of Eden
East of Eden (TV series)
East of Eden is a South Korean drama produced by Chorokbaem Media. MBC labeled it as their 47th Anniversary Special Project Drama. Twenty-five billion won was spent on the production of East of Eden.-Summary:...
, The Baker King, Temptation of a Wife
Temptation of a Wife
Temptation of Wife was a highly watched drama in South Korea broadcast by SBS. It began to air in 2008 and continued through the early quarter of 2009, ending on May 1, 2009...
, Playful Kiss
Playful Kiss
Playful Kiss is a South Korean drama that is based on the popular Japanese manga Itazura Na Kiss by Tada Kaoru. The show stars Jung So Min as Oh Ha Ni and Kim Hyun Joong as Baek Seung Jo. It aired from September 1, 2010 till October 21, 2010 and had a total of 16 episodes. On November 2, 2010, a 7...
and Secret Garden
Secret Garden (TV series)
Secret Garden is a 2010 South Korean television drama, starring Ha Ji-won, Hyun Bin, Yoon Sang Hyun, Kim Sa-rang, Lee Jong Suk and Yoo In-na. It was broadcasted on SBS from 13 November 2010 to 16 January 2011. It won a number of awards at both the SBS Drama Awards and 47th Paeksang Arts Awards in...
. Full House is the most popular Korean drama in the Philippines,being aired twice in the same year, airing again only a month after it ended. On the other hand, Autumn in My Heart, also known as Endless Love, is the most replayed Korean Drama in the Philippines having it replayed 6 times already.
Korean celebrities also became popular in the Philippines. Song Hye Gyo is considered as one of the most popular Korean actress in the Philippines for the first Korean drama hit in the Philippines, Autumn in My Heart and Full House. In the Philippines, she is known as the Queen of Korean dramas. Korean actresses Lee Young Ae
Lee Young Ae
Lee Young Ae is a South Korean actress.-Career:Lee made her debut as a TV model in 1991. After appearing in TV commercials, she started playing in TV dramas and movies....
, Choi Ji Woo and Kim Jung Eun
Kim Jung-eun
Kim Jung-eun is a South Korean film and television actress most famous for her roles in Lovers in Paris and Marrying the Mafia...
are not too far behind because of the tremendous successes of Jewel in the Palace
Dae Jang Geum
Dae Jang Geum is a 2003 epic South Korean television series directed by Lee Byung Hoon and produced by MBC. Starring Lee Young Ae, it tells the tale of an orphaned kitchen cook who went on to become the king's first female physician...
, Stairway To Heaven
Stairway to Heaven (TV series)
Stairway to Heaven is a South Korean television drama series broadcast by SBS between late 2003 and early 2004. It stars Choi Ji-woo, Kwon Sang-woo, Kim Tae-hee, and Shin Hyun Joon.-Plot:...
and Lovers in Paris
Lovers In Paris
Lovers in Paris is a South Korean television drama series broadcast by SBS in the summer of 2004. The show won numerous awards including best television drama at the Baeksang Arts Awards and both Park Shin-yang and Kim Jung-eun were awarded the Grand Prize at the SBS Drama Awards.It is the first...
(based on the Mega Manila TV Ratings, not nationwide ratings). Korean heartthrobs like Lee Min Ho
Lee Min Ho
Lee Min Ho is a South Korean actor who is best known for his leading role in 2009 as 'Gu Jun Pyo', the leader of the group of students known as F4, in the South Korean television series Boys Over Flowers. He started his career in small drama roles in 2006, but he came to prominence with his acting...
, Kim Bum
Kim Bum
Kim Bum is a South Korean actor and model. He is best known as So Yi Jeong in "Boys Over Flowers".-Television:-Film:-Kim Bum:#Intro #성탄 전야의 하늘 #지금, 만나러 갑니다...
, Lee Dong-wook are just among others who gained a lot of fans in the country.
In many cases, Korean theme songs were also adapted and became chart toppers. "Di Ko Na Kaya," sung by Faith Cuneta, the Tagalog theme song of Endless Love 2: Winter Sonata
Winter Sonata
Winter Sonata is a South Korean television drama series broadcast by KBS in 2002. It is the second part of the Endless Love installment directed by Yoon Seok-Ho...
, was adapted from the Korean theme song, "From Then Till Now," originally performed by Ryu. The song was a huge success—partly owing to the success of the TV series—propelling the career of the newbie singer. Faith Cuneta eventually became known as Queen of Koreanovela theme songs since many of her songs were used as theme songs in Korean dramas. "Perhaps Love
Perhaps Love (song)
"Perhaps Love" is a song written by John Denver. It was addressed to his wife while they were separated and moving towards a divorce.The song was recorded as a duet by John Denver and Plácido Domingo and appeared in the album by Domingo with the same title Perhaps Love...
", the theme song from Princess Hours
Princess Hours
Princess Hours is a 2006 Korean drama starring Yoon Eun Hye, Joo Ji Hoon, Kim Jeong Hoon and Song Ji-hyo. It was based on manhwa Goong by Park So-Hee. It was broadcast from 11 January to 30 March 2006 on MBC.Princess Hours was one of MBC's most popular dramas of 2006, second only to Jumong...
was likewise translated and sang in Tagalog. It was entitled, "Pag-ibig Na Kaya?" and became a hit song on 2007.
The boom of Korean dramas continues today as major TV networks continue to invest a timeslot for the said series. For example, in 2009, ABS-CBN
ABS-CBN
ABS–CBN Corporation is a Philippine-based media conglomerate. It is the Philippines' largest media and entertainment conglomerate. The corporation was the merger of Alto Broadcasting System which at that time owned by James Lindenberg and Antonio Quirino, and the Chronicle Broadcasting Network ...
aired Boys Over Flowers
Boys Over Flowers
is a Japanese shōjo manga series written by Yoko Kamio. It was serialized in the bi-weekly anthology magazine Margaret, which is aimed at high-school-age girls. The manga series ran continuously from October 1992 to September 2003, and was collected into 37 tankōbon volumes. In 1996, it received...
, the Korean adaptation of the Taiwanese drama, Meteor Garden
Meteor Garden
Meteor Garden is a 2001 Taiwanese drama starring Barbie Hsu, Jerry Yan, Vic Zhou, Vanness Wu and Ken Chu. It is based on Japanese shōjo manga series, , written by Yoko Kamio...
. The tagline, "THE FEVER IS BACK" was used widely in released teasers. GMA Network
GMA Network
GMA Network is a major commercial television & radio network in the Philippines. GMA Network is owned by GMA Network, Inc. a publicly listed company...
also recently secured toprating Korean shows, Temptation of a Wife
Temptation of a Wife
Temptation of Wife was a highly watched drama in South Korea broadcast by SBS. It began to air in 2008 and continued through the early quarter of 2009, ending on May 1, 2009...
, The Baker King and Secret Garden
Secret Garden (TV series)
Secret Garden is a 2010 South Korean television drama, starring Ha Ji-won, Hyun Bin, Yoon Sang Hyun, Kim Sa-rang, Lee Jong Suk and Yoo In-na. It was broadcasted on SBS from 13 November 2010 to 16 January 2011. It won a number of awards at both the SBS Drama Awards and 47th Paeksang Arts Awards in...
, Daemul
Daemul
Daemul is a 24-episode Korean drama broadcast by SBS. One of the most-watched TV series in South Korea in 2010, it gained success due to its stellar cast and story arcs taken from topical and controversial headlines...
which is also known as Big Thing. Among the secured korean drama line-up of GMA Network are Dong Yi, Cinderella Man
Cinderella Man
Cinderella Man is a 2005 American drama film by Ron Howard, titled after the nickname of heavyweight boxing champion James J. Braddock and inspired by his life story. The film was produced by Howard, Penny Marshall, and Brian Grazer.-Plot:James J...
, Smile Dong Hae, Lie To Me
Lie to Me
Lie to Me is a 2009-2011 American television series.Lie to Me may also refer to:* Lie to Me , a South Korean drama series* "Lie to Me" , an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer...
and IRIS
Iris
Iris commonly refers to:* Iris , part of the eye* Iris * Iris , a feminine given name* Iris , a Greek goddess* Iris , a genus of flowering plantsIris may also refer to:-Places:...
.
Popularity and availability in the USA
Korean dramas became popular in the United States particularly in regions with populations of ethnic Koreans. The spread of the popularity of Korean dramas typically centered around these regions perhaps because Korean drama programming is publicly available in those broadcast areas. Now, due to information spread via the internet, cable TV, satellite TV, and DVD rental businesses, along with k-dramas' quality English subtitling and good production quality, Korean dramas have become even more popular across a diverse American audience – i.e., not limited to families of Korean descent. Many fans now include South Korea destinations among their tourist destinations, due to their enjoyment of the Korean TV dramas.Many of the more recent k-dramas have been translated fully with high-quality English subtitling. However, some k-dramas DVD sets are not translated completely into English and are issued in sets with fewer DVD's than the Korean language versions, to the dismay of English-speaking consumers. These are typically done so that the story is coherent and satisfying, but viewers are always disappointed to know they are missing out on some portions of the story that were not subtitled into English (for example, with the story of "The Immortal Admiral Yi Sun Shin").
Korean drama fan clubs have appeared in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and the metropolitan areas of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. Cable channels in the U.S. (such as AZN
AZN Television
AZN Television promoted itself as "the network for Asian America". It was run by International Networks, a wholly owned subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. The channel’s programming targeted the fast-growing, young, affluent, English-speaking Asian American community...
, KBS World
KBS World
KBS World is a name of Korean Broadcasting System's international broadcasting service. It consists of KBS World Radio and a KBS World television channel.- History :...
, and MBC America
Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation
Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC (Hangul : 문화방송주식회사, Munhwa Bangsong Jushikoesa) is one of four major national South Korean television and radio networks. Munhwa is the Korean word for "culture". Its flagship terrestrial television...
) have featured several Korean dramas during primetime, in addition to offering daytime and late-night Korean programming, usually subtitled.
In November 2008, Netflix
Netflix
Netflix, Inc., is an American provider of on-demand internet streaming media in the United States, Canada, and Latin America and flat rate DVD-by-mail in the United States. The company was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Los Gatos, California...
began offering several Korean dramas as part of their video selection. In August 2009, DramaFever
DramaFever
DramaFever is a video website that specializes in streaming Asian dramas and specifically targeting an English-speaking audience. DramaFever has licensing deals with all three major Korean TV networks: Seoul Broadcasting System, Korean Broadcasting System, and Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation....
began offering free subtitled video streaming service, with video advertisements, in the United States. As of May 2010 Korean dramas began airing on a DramaFever channel on Hulu. Additionally, Korean dramas are available at online DVD retailers. Some Korean dramas, however, are not available for Region
Region
Region is most commonly found as a term used in terrestrial and astrophysics sciences also an area, notably among the different sub-disciplines of geography, studied by regional geographers. Regions consist of subregions that contain clusters of like areas that are distinctive by their uniformity...
1 (North America) encoding and NTSC
NTSC
NTSC, named for the National Television System Committee, is the analog television system that is used in most of North America, most of South America , Burma, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and some Pacific island nations and territories .Most countries using the NTSC standard, as...
video format.
By late 2010 and early 2011, many popular Korean dramas began to air on Puerto Rican channels. This have impacted greatly on which is the Hallyu in the USA and Latin America. Such dramas as My Name is Kim Sam Soon, Princess Hours
Princess Hours
Princess Hours is a 2006 Korean drama starring Yoon Eun Hye, Joo Ji Hoon, Kim Jeong Hoon and Song Ji-hyo. It was based on manhwa Goong by Park So-Hee. It was broadcast from 11 January to 30 March 2006 on MBC.Princess Hours was one of MBC's most popular dramas of 2006, second only to Jumong...
, The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince
The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince
The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince is a South Korean drama that began airing on July 2, 2007. It is based on the novel of the same name written by Lee Sun-mi...
, Boys Over Flowers
Boys Over Flowers
is a Japanese shōjo manga series written by Yoko Kamio. It was serialized in the bi-weekly anthology magazine Margaret, which is aimed at high-school-age girls. The manga series ran continuously from October 1992 to September 2003, and was collected into 37 tankōbon volumes. In 1996, it received...
, All About Eve (TV series), Stairway to Heaven (TV series)
Stairway to Heaven (TV series)
Stairway to Heaven is a South Korean television drama series broadcast by SBS between late 2003 and early 2004. It stars Choi Ji-woo, Kwon Sang-woo, Kim Tae-hee, and Shin Hyun Joon.-Plot:...
and others have proven to be quite successful in Puertorrican households.
Popularity in Latin America
Recently some Korean dramas have gained modest popularity in Latin American countries such as Brazil, MexicoMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
and Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
.
Popularity in Mongolia
Korean dramas are very popular in MongoliaMongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
. Every evening, there is at least 2–3 different Korean dramas dubbed into Mongolian
Mongolian language
The Mongolian language is the official language of Mongolia and the best-known member of the Mongolic language family. The number of speakers across all its dialects may be 5.2 million, including the vast majority of the residents of Mongolia and many of the Mongolian residents of the Inner...
on all the well known channels. This has affected the popularity of K-pop, korean cuisine, as well as Korean fashion in Mongolian Youth.
Notable Actors
- Ahn Jae Wook
- Bae Yong JoonBae Yong JoonBae Yong-joon , is a South Korean actor best known for his roles in numerous television dramas and one of the first kkonminam icons. He is known as Yon-sama to his Japanese fans.- Early and private life :...
- Chae Rim
- Cha Tae Hyun
- Choi Ji Woo
- Choi Siwon (Super JuniorSuper JuniorSuper Junior is a South Korean boy band. Formed in 2005 by producer Lee Soo-man of SM Entertainment, the group comprised a total of thirteen members at its peak, and was once claimed to be the world's largest boy band...
) - Choi Seung Hyun (Big Bang (Korean band))
- Dong Young BaeTaeyangDong Youngbae , better known by his stage name Taeyang or Sol, is a South Korean recording artist, entertainer. After appearing in Jinusean's music video "A-yo", Taeyang began training under YG Entertainment at the age of 12 alongside fellow member and leader G-Dragon...
(Big Bang (Korean band)) - Eugene (entertainer)
- Gong YooGong YooGong Yoo is a South Korean actor.-Profile:Gong Yoo graduated with B.A. degree and is still working on his M.A. degree in performing arts at Kyung Hee University. He started his career in showbiz with small parts in dramas and films. He first lead role was in Hello My Teacher in 2005...
- Han Chae YoungHan Chae YoungHan Chae-young is a South Korean actress.-Career:She majored in performing arts at Dongguk University....
- Han Ji Hye
- Han Ji Min
- Ha Ji Won
- Han Ye SeulHan Ye SeulHan Ye Seul is a Korean actress and model primarily working in Korea.- Biography :Han's real name is Kim Ye-Seul-Yi, while her English name is Leslie Kim. She was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, before moving to South Korea to pursue acting/modeling...
- Han Hyo Joo
- Hyun BinHyun BinHyun Bin is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his lead roles in the dramas My Name is Kim Sam Soon in 2005, and Secret Garden in 2010.-Career:...
- Jae HeeJae HeeJae Hee is a South Korean actor who made his on-screen debut in the Korean drama School. He got his first break as a lead actor in Kim Ki-duk’s movie 3-Iron which won awards both locally and internationally and in effect opened more opportunities for Jae Hee in the entertainment industry.In 2005,...
- Jang Dong Gun
- Jang Geun-sukJang Geun-sukJang Keun-Suk is a South Korean actor, singer and model. He is best known for playing the role of band leader Hwang Tae Kyung in the hit 2009 drama You're Beautiful, with Lee Hong Ki, Jung Yong Hwa, Park Shin Hye and Kim Yoo Jin also known as UEE...
- Jang Na Ra
- Jang Seo Hee
- Jang Woo HyukJang Woo HyukJang Woo Hyuk is a South Korean rapper. He debuted under SM Entertainment as one of the members of the 5 member boyband H.O.T. in 1996.-H.O.T.:...
- Jeon Ji Hyun
- Ji Jin HeeJi Jin HeeJi Jin-Hee , or Jin-Hee Ji, is a South Korean actor best known for his roles as lead actor in various South Korean drama series, which include Miss Kim's Million Dollar Quest, Love Letter, Spring Day, the highly popular and successful, Dae Jang Geum and Dong Yi . He first debuted at music video of...
- Ji Seong
- Joo Ji HoonJoo Ji HoonJoo Ji Hoon is a popular model and actor from South Korea. He is well known for portraying Crown Prince Lee Shin in Princess Hours , which was his acting debut....
- Nam Gyu Ri
- Jung Yong HwaJung Yong HwaJung Yong Hwa is a South Korean singer-songwriter and actor. His name is also written as Yonghwa, Yong-Hwa or Yong-hwa. He made his show business debut as Kang Shin-woo in the drama You're Beautiful on 7 October 2009 and co-starred with Park Shin Hye in the 2011 drama Heartstrings as Lee Shin...
(C.N.BlueC.N.BlueCN Blue , stylized as CNBLUE, are a South Korean rock band formed in Seoul in 2009. The band consists of Jung Yong Hwa , Lee Jong Hyun , Lee Jung Shin and Kang Min Hyuk...
) - Kang Dae Sung (Big Bang (Korean band))
- Kim Ha Neul
- Kim Ji Soo
- Kim So-eunKim So-eunKim So-eun. is a South Korean actress under NOA Entertainment. She has appeared in a number of series and dramas, such as The Iron Empress and Sad Love Story. She is best known for the role of Chu Ga-eul in the popular drama series Boys Over Flowers.- Biography :Kim So-eun, born September 6, 1989,...
- Kim Tae WooKim Tae WooKim Tae-Woo is a K-pop singer, originally the lead singer of popular boy band g.o.d.. Kim was born in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, the third in a family of one son and two daughters. He attended Kyunghee University in the Post Modern Music Department.He debuted in the K-pop industry as the...
- Lee Byung-hunLee Byung-HunLee Byung-hun is a South Korean actor, singer and model. He has starred in popular television dramas such as Iris , All In and Beautiful Days...
- Lee Da HaeLee Da HaeLee Da-hae , is a South Korean actress who has appeared in a number of Korean television series and dramas such as My Girl and Green Rose.-Biography:...
- Lee Dong Hae (Super JuniorSuper JuniorSuper Junior is a South Korean boy band. Formed in 2005 by producer Lee Soo-man of SM Entertainment, the group comprised a total of thirteen members at its peak, and was once claimed to be the world's largest boy band...
) - Lee Dong WookLee Dong WookLee Dong-wook , is a South Korean actor who is best known for his leading role in 2005 as Seol Gong Chan in the television drama My Girl. He went on to star in La Dolce Vita and Partner...
- Lee Hong KiLee HongkiLee Hong Ki/Lee Hong Gi , is a South Korean idol singer, actor and MC. He is the lead singer of popular Korean band F.T. Island, a South Korean rock band, is well known for his powerful and versatile voice. He is the elder sibling in his family, and has a younger sister who currently still lives...
(FT Island) - Lee HyoriLee HyoriLee Hyori is a South Korean singer. She debuted as a member of the successful pop girl group Fin.K.L, but has since become a solo artist. In 2003 she released her debut solo album Stylish which won many "Daesangs"...
- Lee Jun KiLee Jun KiLee Jun Ki is a South Korean actor, model and singer, who Koreans regard as a quintessential kkonminam idol. He rose to fame as Gong-gil in The King and the Clown...
- Lee Jun Ho
- Lee Ki Kwang (Beast (South Korean band))
- Lee Min HoLee Min HoLee Min Ho is a South Korean actor who is best known for his leading role in 2009 as 'Gu Jun Pyo', the leader of the group of students known as F4, in the South Korean television series Boys Over Flowers. He started his career in small drama roles in 2006, but he came to prominence with his acting...
- Lee Seung HyunSeungri- External links :* *...
(Big Bang (Korean band)) - Lee Seo Jin
- Lee Sung Min (Super JuniorSuper JuniorSuper Junior is a South Korean boy band. Formed in 2005 by producer Lee Soo-man of SM Entertainment, the group comprised a total of thirteen members at its peak, and was once claimed to be the world's largest boy band...
) - Lee Seung-kiLee Seung-KiLee Seung-Ki is a South Korean football player who plays for Gwangju FC as a Midfielder.- Club career :Lee was selected by Gwangju FC as a draft pick from the University of Ulsan for the 2011 K-League season...
- Lee TaeminLee TaeminLee Taemin , also known as Taemin , is a South Korean idol singer, dancer, and actor. He is most famous for being one of the vocalists and the main dancer of the contemporary R&B and pop quintet boy band, SHINee, under the label of SM Entertainment.-Career:Taemin was discovered and recruited by his...
(SHINeeSHINeeShinee is a contemporary R&B South Korean boy band. Formed by SM Entertainment in 2008, they made their debut on May 25, 2008 on SBS's Inkigayo with their promotional single, "Noona Neomu Yeppeo "...
) - Lee Yo Won
- Lee Young AeLee Young AeLee Young Ae is a South Korean actress.-Career:Lee made her debut as a TV model in 1991. After appearing in TV commercials, she started playing in TV dramas and movies....
- Jang WooyoungJang WooyoungJang Wooyoung, generally known as Wooyoung , was born on April 30, 1989. He is a South Korean idol singer in 2PM, a 6-member boy band that is active in South Korea and managed by JYP Entertainment.-Early life:...
(2PM2PM2PM is a South Korean boy band, originally a seven-member group, but currently consisting of six members due to the sudden contract termination of leader Jaebeom following an Internet controversy in September 2009. They are managed by JYP Entertainment...
) - Jay ParkJay ParkPark Jaebeom , also known as Jay Park, is an American recording artist, dancer, rapper, music producer, b-boy, songwriter, composer and actor...
- Jung Woo Sung
- Kim BumKim BumKim Bum is a South Korean actor and model. He is best known as So Yi Jeong in "Boys Over Flowers".-Television:-Film:-Kim Bum:#Intro #성탄 전야의 하늘 #지금, 만나러 갑니다...
- Kim Heechul (Super JuniorSuper JuniorSuper Junior is a South Korean boy band. Formed in 2005 by producer Lee Soo-man of SM Entertainment, the group comprised a total of thirteen members at its peak, and was once claimed to be the world's largest boy band...
) - Kim Hee-sunKim Hee-sunKim Hee-sun is a South Korean actress from Seoul who has been acting in Korean TV dramas and films for over a decade.Kim debuted on TV as a year 11 student and later majored in Drama at Chung-Ang University...
- Kim Jung Eun
- Kim JoonKim JoonKim Joon , is a South Korean rapper, actor, and model who rose to stardom with his portrayal of Song Woo Bin, one of the famous F4 in KBS2's 2009 hit drama Boys Over Flowers....
- Kim Hyun JoongKim Hyun JoongKim Hyun Joong was born on 6 June 1986. He is a South Korean entertainer and the leader of boyband SS501. Kim is well-known for his role as Yoon Ji Hoo in the 2009 Korean drama Boys Over Flowers, winning Best Actor Award at the Seoul International Drama Awards 2009 and Popularity Award at the 45th...
(SS501) - Kim Nam Gil
- Kim Rae WonKim Rae WonKim Rae-won is a South Korean actor and model. Kim graduated from Joong-Ang University and his childhood dream was to become a basketball player, but his dream was shattered when he hurt his ankle tendon....
- Kim Sun AhKim Sun AhKim Suna is a South Korean actress best known for her role as Kim Sam Soon in My Lovely Sam Soon.-Biography:Kim Suna was born in Daegu and then spent much of her school years in Chōfu, Tokyo . After first appearing in a music video by Kim Hyun-cheol, she started appearing often on TV but did not...
- Kim Tae HeeKim Tae Hee'Kim Tae-hee is a South Korean actress and model. She has appeared in several Korean Dramas such as My Princess, Iris and Stairway to Heaven.- Career :...
- Ko SooKo SooGo Soo is a South Korean actor. He has appeared in SBS television series Piano, Green Rose and Will It Snow On Christmas?...
- Ko Hyeon Jeong
- Koo Hye SunKoo Hye SunKu Hye Sun is a South Korean actress. An admirer of Leonardo Da Vinci, Ku also dabbles in directing, writing, illustrating, singing and composing. She is best known for her role as Geum Jan Di in the hit TV show Boys Over Flowers.-Career:...
- Kwon Sang-wooKwon Sang-woo-Career:Kwon Sang-woo, the most visible example of the so-called "mom-zzang" movement, started his career as a fashion model in the late 1990s. His first acting experience was in the TV drama Delicious Proposal, and for the first few years of his entertainment career he received only minor roles...
- Kwon Ji Yong (Big Bang (Korean band))
- Kyeon Mi-riKyeon Mi-riKyeon Mi-Ri is a South Korean actress and singer, best known for her role in Dae Jang Geum as the main antagonist Lady Choi.- Career :Kyeon Mi-Ri's role in the period drama Dae Jang Geum brought her to the attention of fans in East Asia and South East Asia, including regions like Japan, Hong Kong,...
- Moon Geun YoungMoon Geun YoungMoon Geun-young is a vivacious and multi-talented South Korean award-winning actress, commercial film star, and model. Affectionately called "Korean nation's little sister," Moon started modeling at the age of 12 and appeared in the documentary film On the Way the following year...
- Nichkhun HorvejkulNichkhun HorvejkulNichkhun Horvejkul ; is a Thai Chinese American singer in 2PM, a 6-member boy band that is active in South Korea and managed by JYP Entertainment.-Background:...
(2PM2PM2PM is a South Korean boy band, originally a seven-member group, but currently consisting of six members due to the sudden contract termination of leader Jaebeom following an Internet controversy in September 2009. They are managed by JYP Entertainment...
) - Park Eun Hye
- Park Min-Young
- Park Shin Hye
- Bi/Rain
- Ryu Shi Won
- Sandara ParkSandara ParkPark Sandara , better known as Dara , is a South Korean idol singer, actress, television host and model. She is best known as being a member and the Director of Communications of the Korean girl group 2NE1. However, she first gained major popularity on ABS-CBN's Star Circle Quest during her stay in...
(2NE12NE1Both the song and the group became popular online: Fire topped Mnet's online chart and 2NE1 became a popular search term. The group was awarded three Cyworld Digital Music Awards; "Lollipop" and "Fire" both won "Song of the Month" and the group won "Rookie of the Month" for May 2009...
) - Shin DonghoShin DonghoShin Dongho is a South Korean idol singer and member of the Korean boyband, U-KISS under NH Media Entertainment. Dongho is the youngest of the members which include Kevin Woo, Lee Kiseop, Shin Soohyun, Kim Eli, Kim Jaesop and Yeo Hoon Min. Dongho can communicate in Mandarin because he studied in...
(U-kissU-KissU-KISS is a South Korean boy band formed by NH Media in 2008. The members of the group are Soohyun, Eli, Kevin, Dongho, Kiseop, Hoon and AJ . Alexander and Kibum became former members, when their contracts were terminated in early 2011,The group has released two full-length albums, five extended...
) - Shin Min-aShin Min-aShin Min-a may refer to:* Shin Min-a , South Korean actress* Shim Mina, South Korean singer...
- So Ji Sub
- Song Il GookSong Il GookSong Il Gook is a popular South Korean actor. He starred in several historical Korean dramas such as Jumong and Emperor of the Sea. He graduated from the Cheongju University and majored in Performing Arts. He is the grandson of Kim Du-han, great grandson of the famous Korean independence movement...
- Song Hye KyoSong Hye KyoSong Hye-kyo is a South Korean model and actress. She gained popularity through television dramas such as Autumn in My Heart , All In , Full House , and The World That They Live In ..-Career:...
- Song Ji Hyo
- Song Seung Heon
- Soo AeSoo AePark Soo-ae , known simply as Soo Ae, is a South Korean actress.- Career :Soo Ae nearly became a member of a pop idol group. Fresh out of high school, a record agent approached the young stunner on the street in the trendy Apgujeong area. She spent six months in grueling practice, but in the end...
- Son Ye Jin
- Sung Yu RiSung Yu RiSung Yu Ri is a South Korean singer and actress, the youngest member of currently inactive K-pop group Fin.K.L.Sung first appeared in the miniseries "Bad Girls" which earned her the "Best New Actress" award. She followed it up with the popular series "Thousand Years Of Love" in which she...
- TaecyeonTaecyeonOk Taec-Yeon , generally known as Taecyeon, is a member in the Korean boy band 2PM, where he is the main rapper...
(2PM2PM2PM is a South Korean boy band, originally a seven-member group, but currently consisting of six members due to the sudden contract termination of leader Jaebeom following an Internet controversy in September 2009. They are managed by JYP Entertainment...
) - Won BinWon BinWon Bin is a top South Korean actor and model.- Early life and beginnings :Won was born and raised in a hamlet in the north of Jeongseon in Gangwon-do, South Korea. He is the fifth and youngest child, with one brother and three sisters. His father was formerly employed in a mine and his mother...
- Yoon Eun HyeYoon Eun HyeYoon Eun-hye is a South Korean actress, singer, entertainer and model. She debuted as a member of girl group Baby V.O.X, staying with the group from 1999 to 2005...
- Kim JunsuXiahKim Junsu , also known by his stage name Xiah , is a South Korean singer-songwriter, composer and occasional actor...
(JYJJYJJYJ is a three-member pop group, formed by three members of the South Korean boyband TVXQ: Jaejoong, Yoochun and Junsu. Their group name is taken from the first letters of each members' names....
) - Kim JaejoongHero (singer)Kim Jaejoong , also known by his stage name Hero, is a Korean singer-songwriter, actor, and director....
(JYJJYJJYJ is a three-member pop group, formed by three members of the South Korean boyband TVXQ: Jaejoong, Yoochun and Junsu. Their group name is taken from the first letters of each members' names....
) - Choikang ChangminMax (singer)Shim Changmin also known as Max , Choikang Changmin in South Korea, Changmin in Japan, and Shen Changmin in China and Taiwan, is a Korean singer, songwriter and occasional actor best known as one-half of South Korean musical duo TVXQ...
(DBSKTVXQTVXQ, an acronym for Tong Vfang Xien Qi , is a South Korean pop group formed in 2003 under SM Entertainment. In South Korea they are known as Dong Bang Shin Ki , often abbreviated by international fans as DBSK; they were later introduced in Japan as Tohoshinki under the Avex sub-label Rhythm Zone...
) - Park YoochunMicky (singer)Park Yoochun , better known by his stage names, Micky, Micky Yoochun and , is a Korean singer-songwriter, composer, and occasional actor. He was a member of South Korean boy band TVXQ, known as Dong Bang Shin Ki in South Korea and Tohoshinki in Japan...
(JYJJYJJYJ is a three-member pop group, formed by three members of the South Korean boyband TVXQ: Jaejoong, Yoochun and Junsu. Their group name is taken from the first letters of each members' names....
) - Jung YunhoU-KnowJung Yunho , better known by his stage names, U-Know, U-Know Yunho and , is a Korean singer and occasional actor. He is the leader of the South Korean boyband and now duo TVXQ.-Early life:...
(DBSKTVXQTVXQ, an acronym for Tong Vfang Xien Qi , is a South Korean pop group formed in 2003 under SM Entertainment. In South Korea they are known as Dong Bang Shin Ki , often abbreviated by international fans as DBSK; they were later introduced in Japan as Tohoshinki under the Avex sub-label Rhythm Zone...
) - Yoona
- Yoon Doojoon
- Yoon Eun HyeYoon Eun HyeYoon Eun-hye is a South Korean actress, singer, entertainer and model. She debuted as a member of girl group Baby V.O.X, staying with the group from 1999 to 2005...
- Yoon Shi Yoon
- Zo In Sung
See also
- Contemporary culture of South KoreaContemporary culture of South KoreaThe contemporary culture of South Korea developed from the traditional culture of Korea, and on its own path away from North Korean culture since the division of Korea in 1948. The industrialization and urbanization of South Korea, especially Seoul, have brought many changes to the way Korean...
- List of top rated Korean Dramas
- Korean waveKorean waveThe Korean Wave, also known as the Hallyu , refers to spread of South Korean culture around the world. The term was coined in China in mid-1999 by Beijing journalists surprised by the fast growing popularity of Korean entertainment and culture in China...
- List of Korea-related topics
- List of Korean television shows
- Fantaserye
- DramaFeverDramaFeverDramaFever is a video website that specializes in streaming Asian dramas and specifically targeting an English-speaking audience. DramaFever has licensing deals with all three major Korean TV networks: Seoul Broadcasting System, Korean Broadcasting System, and Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation....
- Korean Broadcasting System (KBS)
- KBS World (United States)KBS World (United States)KBS World is an American television channel operated by KBS America, a subsidiary of Korean Broadcasting System, targeting Koreans in North America. Launched on October 6, 2005, it runs with their broadcasting schedule, separated from KBS World in South Korea....