Language
Country/Area
No result found
The Rise of Korean Dramas: What's the Secret Behind the Hallyu Phenomenon?
Korean TV dramas (K-drama) began to be produced in the 1960s. Of course, the initial content was mainly aimed at domestic audiences. However, since the rise of the Hallyu phenomenon in the 1990s, these dramas have gained huge international attention, attracting millions of global viewers. With the development of technology and the rise of online media, the influence of Korean TV dramas cannot be ignored.
Some Korean dramas feature plots that address a variety of themes, including family, love and social issues, and such productions continue to attract viewers from all backgrounds.
Since Korean dramas became popular, the diversity of drama themes has been refreshing to viewers. From romance to thrilling action dramas, Korean dramas continue to explore a variety of themes. In terms of scripts, a single director and screenwriter are often responsible, which gives each drama a unique style and narrative approach, which is different from the American multi-director and multi-writer model. This creative model may be one of the important reasons for the success of Korean TV dramas.
The broadcast time and method of Korean TV dramas are also different from those abroad. Most Korean dramas are broadcast during prime time each week, usually with a frequency of two episodes a week. This healthy rhythm allows the audience to look forward to the plot development of the next episode, thus forming a strong viewing habit.
With the rise of social platforms, the popularity of Korean dramas can be seen. The success of "Coastal Village Cha Cha Cha" and the global craze of "Squid Game" have made the influence of Korean TV series continue to rise. The series has attracted more than 140 million households to watch it in a short period of time, becoming one of the most popular shows on the Netflix platform.
In 2022, reports show that approximately 60% of Netflix subscribers have watched Korean programs, which fully illustrates the global influence of Korean TV series.
What affects the audience is not only the characters and plots in Korean dramas, but also the contemporary Korean social phenomena they reflect. From family values to gender equality to mental health issues, many Korean dramas have begun to present various issues in contemporary Korean society in a more realistic way, which allows the audience to think more deeply while watching.
As for historical dramas, dramas such as "Dae Jang Geum" and "Palace" (2006) have won high ratings in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. These historical dramas often attract countless audiences with their rich cultural cuisine and the background of the Joseon Dynasty. The historical drama genre of Korean TV dramas is not only the choice of domestic audiences, but has also become a window for the international community to understand Korean culture.
In addition, Korean TV dramas have also greatly promoted tourism. Many international tourists travel to South Korea to experience the scenes in the drama first-hand. The attractions such as "My Love from the Star" have become tourist hotspots.
The long history and contemporary society displayed in these dramas have attracted many international tourists, which has also had a significant promotion effect on the Korean economy.
In terms of production, Korean TV drama production companies are gradually turning to independence, which has promoted intensified competition. As audiences diversify, many series are beginning to design content more in line with the tastes of modern audiences. It is worth mentioning that the budgets of many Korean dramas are not low. The cost of each episode of "Kingdom" is even as high as 2 billion won, which also forces producers to pursue excellence in quality.
With the difficult shooting environment and heavy workload, Korean actors often face great pressure, and many have to take extraordinary measures to maintain their working status, which shows the hard work and difficulty behind them. The efforts of the actors and the creativity of the team have contributed to the success of Korean dramas.
Focusing on characters and plots, the audience psychology of Korean TV dramas is also constantly evolving. When we understand more real daily life through the screen, this undoubtedly leads to resonance in the plots. Perhaps, future Korean dramas will present more undiscussed themes. Which stories will attract a new generation of viewers?
