Guess who's topping Japan's list of favorite Asian actors? A Korean actor takes the number one spot, followed by four other Korean actors, who seem to be riding the Korean Wave that has swept across Japan. The most loved is Bae Yong-joon, the star of the hit drama "Winter Sonata". When Bae took a trip to Japan in April, he was greeted by 5,000 fans at the airport. Bae also placed second after the DVD player on a list of the hottest marketable items in Japan.
"The increasing popularity of Korean actors in Japan has boosted Japanese women's interest in Korean men as a whole. Many have expressed their desire to marry Korean men, so dozens of Japanese have been invited to this unique event in Seoul to see whether they can find their Mr. Right here in Korea", said one event organizer.
After being introduced, participants had a chance to get to know one another. The speed dating event involved participants having five-minute conversations in a rotating sequence. Unfortunately, the unique event ended without the expected results. Not even one couple could be seen by the end of the night. Maybe it was the communication problems since most of the participants needed interpreters. Or maybe it was that people couldn't find suitable matches.
"Although it's sad that I didn't meet Someone Special today, it was a good experience to have met many Japanese women. I hope I meet someone next time", said one male participant. "I couldn't find my type among the participants. Actually I have a crush on a staff member here".
But the host of the event, Rakuen Korea, an international matchmaker agency, says the disappointing outcome of the night doesn't reflect the reality. In fact, the number of Japanese women marrying Korean men jumped by 30 percent last year compared to 2002. Organizers say this is due to the rise in popularity of Korean men since the Korean wave hit Japan. They add the more the Japanese show interest in Korean people, the more it could contribute to bringing the two countries closer.
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