The full force of the Korean Wave hit Japan in 2004. Four years later, the phenomenon known here as "hallyu" has succeeded in creating a comfortable niche for itself in the Japanese TV and music world.
In November, 2004, the initial frenzy clogged Narita Airport, as thousands of Bae Yong-joon fans flocked to welcome him to Japan, ten people were injured as the crowd outside his Tokyo hotel scrambled to get a peek at him. Today, the hallyu boom has evolved into a calmer, sustained and widespread interest in Korean pop culture that has increased the Japanese public's desire to better understand the customs, lifestyle and cuisine of their closest neighbor.
Of course, not everyone has rushed to ride the Korean Wave, but it has succeeded in widening the perceptions and perspectives of many. Here on the northern island of Hokkaido, where Korean TV dramas are especially popular, signs of the hallyu presence are everywhere. Ladies gently jostle each other out of the way to get at the wid...| More
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"Taewangsasingi ("The Legend", The Four Guardian Gods of the King)" featuring Korean wave Bae Yong-joon as King Kwanggaeto the Great of the Koguryo Kingdom, was a hit in Korea last year with ratings up to 37.5 percent. The work of Kim Jong-hak and Song Ji-na, producer and script writer of a perennial hit "Sandglass", "The Legend" was expected to draw as much popularity in Japan as it did in Korea, but on a terrestrial channel NHK at 11 p.m. on Saturday, its rating remains at around 7 percent. The last episode is to be aired on Sep. 27. Given such enormous popularity of Bae in Japan, where he is known as Yonsama, and more than 20 percent ratings for "Winter Sonata", which made him a superstar there, the figure shows the predicament Korean soap operas are in at the moment.
Japanese viewers say that "The Legend" is too confusing. Unlike in Korea, historical soaps are not popular and find it hard to get ratings of more than 10 percent. Despite flashy computer graphic works and colorful ...| More
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"Autumn in My Heart", "Winter Sonata" and "Full House". These are some of the famous Korean television dramas that have won worldwide popularity among international viewers and created the Korean wave, or "Hallyu".
Overseas tourists take photos in front of the poster of KBS drama "Winter Sonata".
Behind the international success of these dramas among overseas viewers, are the two major broadcasters -- KBS World and Arirang TV.
KBS World, the international television and radio service of Korea's public broadcaster the Korean Broadcasting System, comprises KBS World Radio and its satellite TV broadcasting system overseas.
Since its maiden transmission of a 15-minute English broadcast on Aug. 15, 1953 under the station name "The Voice of Free Korea" which was later renamed "Radio Korea International" in August 1994, KBS World Radio has been considered the country's sole foreign language promotional broadcast to the entire world. KBS World Radio now broadcasts in a total of 11 la...| More
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The animated version of "Winter Sonata", which will feature the voices of Bae Yong-joon and Choi Ji-woo, will go into production with an airing date tentatively scheduled for early next year.
The production company said the cast and crew of the series have recently been confirmed. They include the actual actors who starred in the drama series "Winter Sonata" and director Seong Baek-yeob, who created the animated series "Oseam". The company said the animated series will be broadcast in Korea and Japan and that it is also considering producing a film version as well.
Other crew members include writer Kim Hyeong-hwan, who wrote "Superstar Mr. Gam", and producer Lim Jeon-hyeong, who took part in the making of the history drama series "The Legend".
The animated version of "Winter Sonata" will be a joint production between Korea and Japan and is already receiving significant media attention in both countries....| More
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Korean dramas have been quite popular in Japan ever since the successful "Winter Sonata" (2002), starring Bae Yong-joon and Choi Ji-woo.
Since its airing, Japanese Winter Sonata fans have been visiting the filming sites and attending fan conventions to meet their favorite Korean stars.
While Korean dramas still fair fairly well in Japan, some have voiced concerns that their popularity has been dwindling to a degree, as other serials aired in Japan after "Winter Sonata" have not been as explosively popular as their predecessor.
But hopes are high for other Korean dramas to prove a big hit, such as "Hwangjin-i", a successful KBS historical drama series, starring Ha Ji-won.
It will be broadcast in Japan on NHK's terrestrial or free-to-air channel.
Hwang Jin Yi is scheduled to air on NHK every Saturday at 11:10 p.m. beginning October 11.
The series is based on the life of "Hwangjin-i", one of the most graceful 16th century female entertainers, or "gisaeng" who was also a...| More
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All the pictures
