South Korea has been one of the most developed countries globally. As I remember watching Korean dramas every night on television since I was a child, it has become a mainstay for entertainment until now. I started watching Korean dramas as they were the only available shows from Korea decades ago on local television here in the Philippines. I remember there were street stalls at public markets selling pirated discs of some famous Korean drama currently airing. This is my first encounter with the Hallyu Wave.
To define Hallyu Wave, or the Korean wave, as it’s called internationally, is the phenomenon in which South Korea’s pop culture has spread exponentially to be a part of the world’s culture. From Korean dramas, Korean cosmetic products, variety shows, food to Korean pop, it has become a significant part of young people’s lives, especially the growing industry of Korean idols.
I first heard K-pop in their drama OSTs wayback mid-2000s as I noticed that K-dramas always have heartfelt or catchy songs to accompany romantic or tense scenes. It was kind of eye-opening to see original songs being made into OSTs for every drama and not the remade songs I always hear on local dramas. K-dramas tend to be fast-paced, usually spanning to 16 episodes with a 1-hour run and airing 2 episodes per week in Korea. Occasionally having 20 or 24 episodes depending on the plot written by the writers. With these, came the ever rising popularity of some Korean actors and actresses to which we can still see today. Now that streaming platforms have increased their Korean content, we can see K-dramas having 12 episodes per season with the chance of renewal.
During the mid to late 2000s, I was not paying much attention to Korean idol groups, the reason mostly because internet connection then is limited. It was costly and it was normally only used for school work. It was not until 2009 that I started seeing the popularity of a Korean idol group called Super Junior with their song “Sorry Sorry”. Noticing that some of my classmates have been paying attention to their latest news and happenings, I thought then that it was somehow ridiculous to be a fan of a 13-member group, which for me, they all looked alike. I admit that the song was catchy, their choreography is easily remembered and people can follow it.
Then, came the day I was curious. I wanted to see what it is about them that made my classmates pay attention. And, what I found out was that, they were not only idols who perform onstage, they also do variety shows that show their interaction with each other, and I found them very funny. Their trainee stories which show their years of hard work in learning to sing, learning different languages and dance in synchronized perfection in which I feel inspiring. With the way they carry themselves, entertaining people and making sure that audiences will laugh at their antics, I became a fan. At this point, I was not yet a super fan, who’s dedicated to buying every album and watching every concert. I was at the stage where I’m still exploring. Then, I came across other idol groups, BigBang, TVXQ, 2NE1, SNSD and many more. Even though I don’t understand Korean, their songs and choreography are catchy, their shows entertaining and funny, and I found myself wanting to delve deeper and know more about K-pop.
It was not until 2013, at a time where I experienced a failure in my life and searching for something to inspire me and comfort me, I watched the music video of the song “Growl” by EXO. It was fantastic! I immediately became a fan. Watching them perform gave me comfort and I found a new focus. You can call it a distraction from my life, however, I would like to call them my companions. Their songs, whether it be the fast songs or the ballad songs, gave me the comfort I was looking for. Sometimes their songs made me cry, made me scream for more, and made me want to look forward to another day. They became my encouragement to go on another challenge or goal and stay positive in the future. When I watched their concert here in the country, my tears flowed. It was somehow unbelievable that I was watching them in person, not on streaming platforms. I am proud to say that with my dedication, although I don’t buy every merchandise, I was able to watch every concert they held here in Manila and I’m going to continue being a loyal fan for accompanying me through the years.
Since I became a fan, I was influenced to attend Korean language classes. I wanted to understand the lyrics of their songs, and watch Korean dramas without reading subtitles. Somehow, I added a skill for myself even though my purpose is to entertain myself. Now, I can read Hangeul, can understand parts of conversations from dramas and I can easily memorize lyrics for future concerts.
The Korean Wave’s impact in my life has been huge, inspiring me to set new goals for myself, learn a new language that I can use further in the future, expose myself to Korea’s history and culture and maybe, just maybe, I can also bring a positive influence to other people like the Korean wave did to me.
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