Abelardo - Speech.docx

ABELARDO, AURORA ISABEL G. BAC-3 Dominancy of Korean Drama According to PCCW (Pacific Century CyberWorks) Managing Director Janice Lee, “there are over 30 million viewers online who would consume videos on the internet regularly and a survey showed that 70 percent of these viewers watch Korean shows.” I started watching Korean Dramas when I was in elementary and since then, I can say that I am truly captivated by their dramas. All of my close friends and my family calls me the “Korean girl” because of my interest to Korean dramas, music and their fashion. As you can see, it is actually a regular thing to have Koreanovelas on Filipino televisions. In 2003, GMA Network premiered the first Korean drama series in the Philippines entitled “Bright Girl”. From the research of AGB Nielsen Philippines, “Koreanovelas are most watched by Filipinos, as observed in the ratings of the shows, rather than the local drama of Filipino artists. This is how Korean dramas have affected the Philippine television, proving that Filipinos are being entertained by the Korean dramas.” From the moment you open your social media accounts, seeing posts about Korean dramas and not only that but also Korean groups and fashion related to Korea are the things that will never be missed on your timeline. Have you ever wonder why Korean Dramas are such a hit? It is not only about how beautiful and handsome the actors are but because there are so much more. Let me start with the storyline. Aside from being unpredictable, Filipinos love watching

Korean dramas because it makes them go crazy and brings so much happiness to them. To the people who regularly watch Korean dramas, they know that every Korean drama tends to develop faster compared to local dramas that could run for years and create a lot of subplots. Korean dramas are more straightforward that’s why it only has sixteen episodes and two months airtime. The storyline of the Korean dramas not only brings romance that brings the “kilig factor” to the Filipinos but it also contains friendship and family values. Second, Filipinos are hooked because of the Official Sound Track or known as OST. The music used is an essential factor in Korean dramas. Because of the OSTs, the Filipinos tend to feel the exact emotions on what the actors feel in a particular scene and they can easily understand and absorb the story. Admit it, it’s actually quite unappealing when there is no background music in a drama that makes the viewers get bored and the impact of the music is quite big to the Filipinos because even after watching the drama, once they hear one of the soundtracks of the Korean drama they have watched, they can’t help but to think about their favourite scenes. Third, showing the family oriented values. We, Filipinos have qualities which we are proud of and one of that is having a strong family ties and our country is known for our family centered nation. This is one of the reasons why Filipinos got hooked watching Korean Dramas because of the similarities of Filipino and Korean culture. Close family relationships are important for many Koreans and living together even after one of the family is married, it is not a problem to them because it appeared to be an acceptable lifestyle. Lastly, the moral lesson of each drama. Based from the article of Candy Magazine, it is

stated that “from the widening gap between rich and poor (The Heirs), to standing up for yourself (Strong Woman Do Bong Soon) and to following your heart against all odds which viewers can get basically almost all of the Korean dramas. To achieve our dreams, succeed in our career, and find true love, these are some of the values that Filipinos get when they are watching.” Korean dramas keep becoming popular especially here in Philippines. On 2016, Philippine Daily Inquirer made an article and it is stated that “Inquirer launched an application called Viu which is the first service in the Philippines to offer fast, legal and free streaming and downloading of Korean variety shows, dramas and music programs with subtitles to smart phones and tablets. Indeed, the Koreans have affected the Filipinos.” Not only that because GMA Network produced a Korean drama inspired series entitled “My Korean Jagiya” starring Heart Evangelista and Alexander Lee that premiered last August 21, 2017. Aside from being hooked of the Filipinos into watching Korean dramas, they’re also into Korean music and fashion. As long as they appeal to the taste of television audience, Koreanovelas will continue to warm the hearts of Filipinos. It is not a bad thing unless you forgot the essence of a true Filipino.