Korean Wave

Sohee Kim

BAGUIO CITY -- Korean Wave is now making its presence not only in this Summer Capital but nationwide.  Korean songs like BBoom-BBoom and BAAM can be heard everywhere. Many people watch Korean drama and know Korean actors and actresses well. 

According to AGB Nielsen Philippines, a media research firm, Korean dramas are the most watched having 30.5 percent viewers as of May 28-June 3 rather than Filipino dramas.

​                Recently, the most watched k-dramas aired in the Philippines were Descendants of the Sun having 92% Filipino viewers, aired in GMA 7. Goblin aired in Alto Broadcasting System-Chronicle Broadcasting Network (ABS-CBN) having 14.25% nationwide.

Other K-dramas broadcast in the Philippines were, Black, Missing You, The Legend of the Blue Sea, The Heirs, and Radio Romance.

The reasons why Filipino love Korean drama, we may say, twist of stories and emotions being conveyed.

Those who are into Korean Wave, follow Korean fashion and products.

In watching Korean dramas and singers, they get fashion style ideas like what color of hair is trendy today, clothing preferences and style of make-up.

Korean wave has brought positive effects to Korea's economy. According to Rol, a business and brand strategist, there was an estimated US $11.6 billion contribution from foreign sources in the Korean economy. With interest in Korea peaking up, since 2010, a total of  8.8 million foreigners visited the country to immerse themselves in Korean culture and tourist sites.

The demand for Korean products especially cosmetics and clothing also had gone up in other countries as a result like the Philippines.

​                Korean Wave also contributed to improving its image and appreciation with other countries.  Korea, Japan, and China are known to be rivals, but when K-drama spread in these countries, people started to appreciate and love K-dramas and regardless of issues like Chinese hegemony, Japanese colonization, Korean war, political feuds related to the Peninsula and issues related to International Monetary Fund.

​                Korean Wave not only benefited the Korean economy but also inculcated positive things about Korea with other countries considering  many people do not know much about Korea. They know that Korea had been associated with negative things such as wars.

The negative images were disregarded due to entertainment such as dramas and movies. In this summer capital, the Korean Wave is making inroads among the local populace, even as the number of Koreans residing in the city had gone up. (Sohee Kim is an intern of the Northern Philippine Times and graduating mass communications student of the University of Baguio)