Korean Drama, more popularly called, “KDrama” or “Koreanovela refers to Korean-language television shows made in South Korea. These shows began to be produced around the early 1960s but were mostly consumed domestically until the Korean Wave in the 1990s. They have since achieved significant international popularity, with millions of viewers across the world.
In 2003, the South Korean drama began broadcasting in the Philippines, “Successful Story of a Bright Girl” in GMA-7, but during that time, other country’s TV shows are being consumed by the Filipino people, those from Taiwan and Mexico.
Until Lovers In Paris happens, is a 2004 South Korean television series starring Park Shin-yang, Kim Jung-eun, and Lee Dong-gun. ABS-CBN dubbed the series in Filipino and was aired on the network from November 15, 2004 to January 28, 2005. The series was a mega-hit where Kitchie Nadal’s “Wag na Wag mong Sasabihin” became a household anthem every 9 PM. I mean, who didn’t know Carlo, Vivian and Martin?
Another of Kim Jung Eun’s masterpieces, “Princess Lulu” aired on ABS-CBN from February 13 to April 12, 2006. Also starring, Jung Joon-Ho and Kim Heung-soo. It made the country LSS (Last Song Syndrome) to Piolo’s cover of “Closer You And I” as its theme song.
K-dramas are mostly known for having different genres, and expect them to not always have a happy ending. One of them is “Memories In Bali,” a 2024 TV Series starring Korea’s household names, Jo-In Sung, Ha Ji Won, So Ji Sub, and Park Ye-Jin. The series ends with only one of the four main characters alive. Another one is, “Save The Last Dance For Me” a romantic K-Drama starring Ji Sung and Eugene that airs on ABS-CBN from October 23, 2004, to January 2, 2005.
While ABS-CBN focuses on romantic KDramas, GMA bets on historical dramas that are mostly set in the Joseon Dynasty. To name a few, there are Jumong, Dong Yi, Empress Ki, and Queen Seon Deok. But also GMA stepped ahead as it secured most of the beloved romantic K-Drama during that time, Autumn In My Heart, Full House, Stairway to Heaven, All About Eve, Temptation Of Wife, Lie to Me, Coffee Prince, My Name is Kim Sam Soon, Secret Garden, The Master’s Sun. I mean, Won Bin, Song Seung Heon, Song Hye Kyo and Rain, Choi Jiwoo and Kwon Sang Woo, Eun Hye Yun and Gong Yoo, So Ji Sub and Hyun Bin? Wow.
While most K-Dramas never fail to make our hearts flutter, back to these days, I think one of the secret ingredients why Filipino loves to watch these K-Dramas is the Tagalog/Filipino theme song like, “Fallin” by Janno Gibbs in Full House, “Pag-Ibig Ko’y Pansinin” by Faith Cuneta for Stairway To Heaven, “Pangarap na Bituin” also by Faith Cuneta for Jewel in the Palace, I’ll Be There” by Julie Ann San Jose for Lie To Me, “Because of You” by Martin Nievera for Coffee Prince but maybe no one beats the “If We Fall Inlove” of Yeng Constantino, RJ Jimenez and “Pag-Ibig Nga Kaya” by Rachel Ann Go and Christian Bautista for Princess Hours.
Aired in 2006, the cast was led by Yoon Eun-Hye, Ju Ji-hoon, Kim Jeong-hoon, and Song Ji-Hyo, who took the roles of Janelle, Gian, Troy, and Monique. In the modern world, where kingdoms and monarchies still exist, would you still believe in an arranged marriage? It is said that the story was based on a real-life situation of the United Kingdom’s, Prince Charles, Princess Diana, and Camilla. It became an instant hit, that led to ABS-CBN to re-aired it in 2013. ABS-CBN also continues to dominate primetime romantic K-Dramas, with City Hunter, Cinderella Sister, 3 Dads, and 1 Mommy, Only You, Missing You, To The Beautiful You, My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, Heirs, and even the very popular Korean version of Meteor Garden, “Boys Over Flowers” and Lee Dong Wook’s lead series, “My Girl”.
Through the years, K-Dramas are still a stress reliever for the Filipino household. At the start of 2010, most of the Koreanovela could be watched without subtitles through Korean sites like Dramacool, Asianwiki, and MyDramaList to name a few until some of it was shut down due to legal concerns.
Pre-pandemic days, K-Dramas or Koreanovelas are still being marketed all over the world, now with accessible apps like Viu, Netflix, and Viki. But during the pandemic, Koreanovelas became a favorite habit of every household as they binged-watch popular shows like Hotel De Luna, Goblin, Weightlifting Fairy, W Two World, Itaewon Class, Why Secretary Kim, Its Okay To Be Not Okay, Scarlet Heart, Strong Woman Do Bong Soon, While You Were Sleeping, I Am Not A Robot, Fight For My Way, Our Beloved Summer, Business Proposal, and the two of the most popular of them, 2006’s Descendants of The Sun and 2019’s Crash Landing On You.
And would you believe, from having to download it to illegal sites and on-repeat Tagalog theme songs, most of the K-Dramas right now are being watched at the same time in South Korea? The episodes are being uploaded on streaming sites like Netflix, Viu, Amazon Prime, and Disney Plus. While the OSTs can be streamed on Spotify.
K-Dramas are now part of Filipino households, also as a way of thanking Filipino fans for their undying support, most Korean Actors and Korean Actresses continue to add the Philippines to their fan meeting stops. Just recently, Kim Seohyun, Kim Jiwon, Byeon Wooseok, Cha Eunwoo, and Kim Seon Ho have been in the country to meet their fans and interact with them through re-enacting the popular scene on their favorite K-Dramas.
Way to go to our hopeless romantic cringe-worthy K-Drama who ruins our sleeping habits, because as they say, we are all being scammed by the phrases, “One last episode then I’ll sleep!” 🙂
