Though there are millions, I have met only a few, and among the few, I am happy to introduce to you four of the most loyal and enthusiastic Philippine fans of Korean dramas. These ladies always know the latest Korean dramas and films, and of course, the names of the actors and actresses who star in it!
Meet Cielo, Itchay, Jenny and Marlu. I call them the Korean drama queens of the Philippines. Although they’re not related by blood, they call themselves ‘Seoul Sisters’, having been brought together by a common love for Korean dramas and films.
Even before Hallyu, or the Korean Wave, reached the Philippines in the early 2000s, Koreana, the Korean quartet that sang ‘Hand in Hand’ in Korean and English during the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games in Seoul on September 17, 1988, was probably the first Korean group and the first Korean song that was seen and heard by the most number of Filipinos as the ceremonies were broadcast live in the Philippines that day. Many years later, in 2003, came Bae Yong-joon and his Winter Sonata drama that swept the Philippines. And the rest, they say, was not only history but a flood of Korean dramas, Korean celebrities, and K-pop artists and music that couldn’t seem to satisfy the hunger of the millions of shrieking Filipino fans.
And just like any devoted fan, these ladies flew to Korea to visit locations of their favorite Korean dramas and realize their dreams of being in an actual Korean drama scene wearing Korean traditional costumes. Of course, shopping for Korean cosmetics was also in their hectic itinerary.
The ‘Seoul Sisters’ visited the popular Gyeongbukgong Palace, Changdeokgung Palace, Deoksugung Palace, Insadong, Namdaemun, Myeongdong, Dongdaemun, Gangnam area and Hongdae in Seoul as well as Nami Island and the MBC Dae Jang Geum Park, a very popular location for Korean dramas that also offers drama tours in Yong-in City in Gyeonggi Province. With the help of the official website of Korea Tourism Organization that provides helpful information to tourists in different languages and their ‘man on the ground' (as Marlu called me), they had fun touring Korea and getting up close and personal with their favorite Korean dramas.
According to these ladies, these Korean dramas are fun to watch because they are well-made and feature exotic locations, and the lead characters are always perfectly coiffed and impeccably attired even when they’re lying on their deathbeds. The dramas’ storylines always appeal to a wide audience as these are always about love, family and friendships. And as they hardly feature any violence or sex scenes that may be inappropriate for some audiences, they are generally viewed as wholesome.
They also said that another feature of these Korean dramas that makes them likable is that Korean actors and actresses have perfected the art of restrained acting. I think I understand what they mean. Having watched a lot of Philippine television, I noticed that Filipino actresses have a habit of going hysterical in every other scene like they just found a rat in the kitchen. Korean actresses, however, remain calm and just let tears flow even when such rat ate all her kimchi fried rice.
After their first visit to Korea a few years ago, the ‘Seoul Sisters’ have returned almost every autumn when their schedules allowed them to. They said that every time they’re here, they found the experience magical and so much fun. Although every time they fly back to Manila they feel the time spent in Korea seems not enough, they’re happy that, not only is their luggage full of Korean goodies and presents for loved ones back home, it’s also full of fun memories that would only make their watching Korean dramas more enjoyable.
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