Korean TV dramas continue to make inroads in Asia

Korean telenovelas like Winter Sonata and Jewel in the Palace have not lost steam across Asia as ratings continue to go up.

The dramas have sparked pan-Asian Koreamania that has even penetrated to the South Pacific island of Saipan with a government deal for filming of new soap opera.


Korean actress Jeon Ji Hyun at Singapore news conference for her new film 'Daisy'

Korean dramas draw 19 percent of the Japanese TV audience, 24.5 percent in Taiwan, 18.6 percent in China and 3.3 percent in Hong Kong.

They have also become increasingly popular in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. The dramas have helped the South Korean tourism industry and even helped local Koreans make it big outside of Korea.

In the Philippines, Sandara Park, a Korean expatriate raised in Manila rose to stardom possibly with some help from the popularity of Korean soaps.


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