Removing the evangelists—fine— because they will find another spot to do their work and will have a warm home to go back to at the end of the day. However, I really hope the city has a plan in place on how to handle the homeless situation that isn’t simply removing—forcing— them out from Seoul Station. From experience witnessing how my city forcibly removed large amounts of the homeless without a plan in place, it has made the city more unsafe and difficult to get around. By forcibly removing a large population of the homeless without a plan in place— i.e. like settling them at another location or giving them resources— it only encourages them to disperse and spread across the entire city and populate parts of the city which should be kept private, safe, and free from any kind of hindrance, i.e. Neighborhoods with a large elderly population or neighborhoods with a large young family population with young children 🥲
I found on Dramabeans that the two current posts as of 5am (8pm in my home country Philippines) was photos that officially a coincidental fictional Kdrama newscasts (I guess the first photo was from Kdrama The Impossible Heir starring Lee Jae-wook (note: prison cloth no. 3866 was also used in another Kdrama Defendant), while the latter photo was from upcoming JTBC Kdrama No Secrets starring Go Kyung-pyo).
Interview: Korean American therapist uses K-dramas to start conversations about mental health
by Lee Gyu-lee
In today’s hectic society, especially in countries like Korea that run on hustle culture, mental health can often be overlooked, and taking a moment to look into one’s own psychological well-being might feel like a luxury that can’t be afforded.
But Korean American therapist Jeanie Chang hopes to change such a notion, turning around how mental health is viewed and approached through the use of K-dramas.
Chang, who is a licensed marriage and family therapist and certified clinical trauma professional, uses K-drama examples in her clinical work, suggesting relatable series that could help patients overcome their mental struggles.
Aside from her work as a clinician and corporate speaker, she gained social media influence with her YouTube channel, Noona’s Noonchi, in which she takes a deep dive into K-dramas from a mental health perspective using her experience as a clinician. Her growing influence led her to found her own wellness company of the same name, offering mental health education and resources related to Korean culture.
“The main reason why I brought K-dramas into my work is that many people struggle talking about mental health. What’s a good way of talking about it? By giving an example of a story (from a K-drama). It gets very burdensome and makes them feel like it’s all about their grief but if I bring a story about somebody else, this is helping me because it takes a burden off the person,” Chang said during an interview with The Korea Times at the newspaper’s office in downtown Seoul, Tuesday.
“I bring in a K-drama and it changes the conversation. All I had to do was bring up a K-drama but then I’m really talking about mental health … So I brought K-dramas in to talk more about mental health in a more fun way and with less stigma.”
The clinician had her share of soul-searching before launching her clinical career, starting out as a broadcast journalist after college. But feeling burnout despite her passion for the field, she quit her job to enter business school, before taking a break from her professional life to raise four children.
During the break, she took time to reflect on her true passion and interest and made a big decision to pursue the field of psychology, even though it was completely unrelated to her previous work experiences.
“I remember thinking, what am I good at? What do I enjoy? … Then it came to me. Everything has been centered on me examining people’s well-being, using my ‘nunchi’ [Korean word for ability to detect other people’s moods] to understand relationships and emotions. So I decided to start from scratch and go to the field of psychology,” she said.
Chang, who moved to the U.S. as a baby, wasn’t familiar with K-dramas until she came across the rom-com series “Jealousy” in 1992, during a summer program in Korea. Since then, she fell in love with K-dramas, experiencing therapeutic moments through TV series.
“It was during those moments, years of raising kids, graduate school and watching K-dramas, that I realized they helped me. They helped me understand my emotions and my mental health … And during that time I was going ‘Oh, it’s helping me understand why I’m angry at my mom about this,’ I see it on a show and I was processing,” she said.
Her first experience of incorporating K-dramas into her clinical practice came by chance when she was treating a Chinese family. Being a tough session, she brought up the topic of K-dramas to ease the tension, suggesting they watch the drama series “Reply 1988,” which had the story of a similar family relationship.
And as COVID-19 further fueled the global popularity of K-dramas, it came naturally to Chang to discuss Korean series more easily and approachably during her sessions, leading her to start her YouTube channel.
Chang noted that the Korean cultural concept of “jeong,” which translates to affection and attachment, and “han,” grief and resentment, are the crucial factors that make K-dramas suitable for helping people reflect on their own grief and trauma.
“K-dramas are perfect because they are wholesome, and show such love and connection. It’s still all relatable to the world. Everybody wants to feel a connection and knows there’s regret, sorrow, family conflict and trauma. K-dramas have universal themes and messages that anybody can relate to,” she said, adding that character-driven plots allow people to relate more to the stories.
“What K-dramas do well is to focus on the people and the characters’ growth and development … The writers do a good job of capturing those emotions (of resilience, hope and trauma). What Western TV shows do is focus on the plot. But at the end of the day, they’re not going to relate to a plot but to the people.”
When asked about the best series to watch to deal with grief, she recommended “Move to Heaven,” “Be Melodramatic” and “Thirty-Nine,” although adding it could be different for each person as “grief does not look the same.”
Chang is expecting her book release this May, titled “How K-Dramas Can Transform Your Life: Powerful Lessons on Belongingness, Healing, and Mental Health.”
The book shares her experience of utilizing K-dramas to work with people, including a memorable case of a former lawyer in his 60s who discovered K-dramas during his imprisonment. His experience of witnessing fellow prisoners getting emotional through K-dramas changed his life and helped him through his time in prison.
“He would say K-dramas brought us into a world that was real but it was not real because we weren’t there but we were able to escape through our emotions,” Chang said.
“In this book are global perspectives of people who see K-dramas through their reality … They saw one K-drama like ‘Move to Heaven’ and it changed their life to help them process grief, trauma and emotions.”
Chang expressed her hopes to take part in changing Korea’s perspective on mental health, a topic much less acknowledged in the nation.
“The history is we don’t talk about emotions in Korea. My dad, for instance, would never say ‘I’m sad’ … That generation is what kind of built Korea,” the therapist said.
“I still think Korea is very advanced in many things but in mental health, they’re a little bit behind. So they just need to catch up, but once they do, Korea is so competitive that they’re going to have some advanced mental health system. And I want to be part of that.”
I almost cried. Finally, this day is official.
I think we all here can relate to what she has to say, because otherwise, we wouldn’t have been here this long. Bravo to her. I think she’s headed in the right and progressive direction. The timing is also right. 🥹
Thank you for sharing the article. It resonates with us Beanies on a very primal level as all of us have felt the magical touch of K-dramas in our life.
I always thought Kdramas (as well as Chinese, Taiwanese,… dramas) were relatable because I am from Asia, and I always wondered if Western audience would find Western movies or TV shows relatable to them the way I do Kdramas. After I found DB, seeing beanies gather here from all over the world, I partly found the answer to my question, but not quite, because the fact that Western audience find Kdramas relatable doesn’t necessarily negate Western shows’ relatability. I’d be fascinated if I had an extensive answer to that question.
They really do charge. But I assume they were provoked by the hunt? But that size! I had to look it up: “In Northeastern Asia, large males can reach brown bear-like sizes, weighing 270 kg (600 lb) and measuring 110–118 cm (43–46 in) in shoulder height.” Crikey.
Also, no one holds a gun right and the recoil of the shotgun that KSH shot would have made his shoulder go straight back into her face, and probably giving her at least a bloody nose. (But only someone a US watcher might pick up as almost no one in Korea owns a gun.)
Back in my country only the rich go hunting and it is seen as a lavishly cruel thing that only the powerfull would do. I assume that is the perception in SK also. Our comunist dictator enjoyed these hunting trips where he would “hunt” boars and deers for entertainment. Now we have the billioners use the same hunting grounds with their foreign bussiness partners when they do deals. Same as the kings did in Joseon era or old Europe.
Besides the bad CGI, the editing was bad also with appearing from nowhere and the boar at a very close distance. Reminded me of when NKM in My dearest jumped and caught the Qing princess at the end of Part 1.
Good point. Also, would one shot from that weapon taken that boar down charging at that speed? Weren’t they out looking to hunt pheasants and such and not big game?
I loved this article about recent updates on actress Han Ye-seul and actress-radio DJ Choi Kang-hee. https://koalasplayground.com/2024/03/01/k-actresses-han-ye-seul-and-choi-kang-hee-take-on-non-acting-industry-jobs-in-recent-period-for-differing-reasons/
Han Ye-seul recently licensed to aesthetician because she loved K-beauty and one of her faves was to do Netflix Kdrama in the future. Meanwhile, Choi Kang-hee got her own different jobs apart from actress. Before that, after her acting experience for 25 years, she told her manager that she won\’t take scripts anymore and even she changed her mobile number. Then, her own family now fully supported after they told her that she don\’t want acting anymore. And then, she took waitress, housecleaner, sanitation worker and now she learned to be a broadcasting writer.
Oh my… the Korean spring flower festival in Sokcho was now over after 15 years due to declined number of population. https://m.koreatimes.co.kr/pages/article.asp?newsIdx=369793
Spring flower festival in Sokcho closes amid population decline
by Lee Hae-rin
The cherry blossom festival of Sokcho in Gangwon Province will close 15 years after its establishment due to a lack of workers amid the aging of its residents and a declining population in the region.
Founded in 2009, the festival in Sokcho\’s Sangdomun Village had garnered recognition among springtime picnickers here, offering scenic views of the cherry blossom tunnels along the way to Mount Seorak and other nearby regional food-based specialties.
However, the event was canceled in 2019 due to a massive wildfire that wreaked havoc in mountainous towns of Gangwon Province. In addition, it was also suspended from 2020 to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It resumed last year.
Despite its popularity, the annual event has faced operational difficulties as the members of the women\’s association of the village, which took the leading roles in preparing for the festival, are now in their 70s and 80s.
This year, the residents have finally decided to abolish the festival due to the lack of young people in the town.
\”More than half of the residents have aged to over 65 and it is, unfortunately, no longer possible to hold the festival that receives over 10,000 visitors every year,\” the residents said.
According to the city government, the village has a total population of 343 people and 173 of them are now aged over 65.
Wow what a shame. That’s an amazing achievement to have that much tourism coming in from the work of such a small committee. It would make sense for a group of younger people to be shipped in to consult with the older residents so the knowledge is not lost and the younger people literally do the heavy lifting.
I can’t believe it with the amount of money tourism brings in you would think they would take this to the national tourism department. Considering the high unemployment numbers they could use unemployed with an incentive of additional skills and something for their cv. I am sure they could get sponsorship from conglomerates too. I don’t even live there and think it’s a terrible loss.
This is not happening only in SK, in european countries, specially the eastern ones that I know, all the vilages have mostly older population due to the young going to the big cities for college or work. Mostly are older women that have lost their husbands. They are like ghost villages when you pass by them.
If you take into account what happens in Netherlands, for example, where they are trying to push the farmers out of thier farms fo bs reasons or in USA, where you have billioners like Gates and Bezos buying a lot of farmland, one must wonder why is it all happening. Then you stumble upon this article, it kind of makes you think a tad more when you think of one possible reason besides control of food resources, and why you have bilioners that made their wealth with disregard for everything, including environment issues, pushing this very popular agenda:
“The idea would have been treated as a joke if it weren’t backed by a group of Silicon Valley billionaires who included Michael Moritz, the venture capitalist; Reid Hoffman, the investor and co-founder of LinkedIn; and Laurene Powell Jobs, the founder of the Emerson Collective and the widow of the Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. They and others from the technology world had spent some $900 million on farmland in a demonstration of their dead seriousness about Mr. Sramek’s vision.”
Oh no… this was the saddest news for both Korean universities and the Korean education due to continuing declined birthrate. 🙁 https://m.koreatimes.co.kr/pages/article.asp?newsIdx=369494
Universities struggle to fill classes amid population decline
by Lee Hae-rin
Universities in Korea are struggling to fill their classes as the number of first-year students matriculating to colleges this spring falls short of their intended class sizes amid the country\’s falling birthrate.
Jongno Hagwon, one of Korea\’s largest college preparation institutes, said in its analysis of Korean Council for University Education data that 169 schools in the country failed to fill their admission quotas by the registration deadline this year, falling short by 13,148 student enrollments in total.
Universities outside Seoul accounted for 88.2 percent of the total enrollment shortage, failing to fill 11,595 places.
Some of these universities failed to reach 50 percent of their enrollment goals, with one university only managing to fill 21.6 percent of its incoming class, the analysis showed.
The trend affected the so-called in-Seoul universities, referring to more prestigious schools in the capital that many students wish to attend for better employment opportunities and social recognition.
Among these schools, 31 failed to recruit a total of 618 first-year students this year, which accounts for 4.7 of the total enrollment shortfall.
Seokyeong University saw the most significant shortage, needing 111 students to meet its enrollment goal, followed by Sejong University with 53, Hansung University with 34, Hongik University with 31, Kookmin University with 29, Chung-Ang University with 19, Hankuk University of Foreign Languages with 18 and Hanyang University with 17 students.
Gyeonggi Province and Incheon also had 35 universities needing to recruit 935 more students, accounting for 7.1 percent of the total shortage.
Jeju Island was found to need the biggest number of additional students. Two of the island\’s universities are seeking an average of 226.5 additional students.
Meanwhile, Kangwon Tourism College, the only college in the eastern city of Taebaek, Gangwon Province, will close down at the end of this month due to a lack of students.
It is the second community college in the country to shut down after Daegu Future College, which closed six years ago for the same reason, and the 20th institution of higher education to close since 2000.
The school decided to close its doors 30 years after its founding, which the Ministry of Education approved earlier this month.
According to the Korean Educational Development Institute, the number of elementary, middle and high school students in the country will drop from this year\’s 5.2 million to 4.25 million in 2029 due to a plummeting birthrate.
Korea\’s birthrate hit a record low at 0.78 last year, and Statistics Korea estimates the figure will fall even further to 0.65 next year.
I wonder if opening more opportunities for international students that closed up during pandemic border closures would help?
I know classes in my city for all levels of education are combusting at the seams— some middle schools have had to transfer students to other schools, too, because not only are the class sizes too big— which means less accountability, less care, and a lesser quality in the education given— the school buildings themselves are not fit to house such a big student body, and that’s not even including the teaching staff
1 million decline? That is huge, 20% of future workforce. Not to mention the future implications that will have on paying retairement benefits to exactly the population that worked their a$$ off in the economic boom that the country went through. That is a sacrifice generation, indeed.
Hopefully they will keep the standards high and not allow unqualified people in the critical professions.
If you take into account when the MeeToo movement started and how it was and is maintained through agressive and extremist feminist propaganda all these years through social media, books and dramas/movies, it all makes sense. I bet they are celebrating every time this news are shared. This is not a SK issue only, it is happening everywhere. I am meeting more and more young adult women that are convinced not to have children here and in my native country. SK is a win for them because of their succes in such a family and traditional country. In my native one there was a shortage initially due to many leaving to work in the western european countries. Now there is a shortage of qualified workers, cannot find good electricians, plumbers, maintenance workers, etc. Not to mention the more unqualified ones because everyone goes to college due to low standards in education. There is an influx of immigrants all the way from Asia, business are seeking international workers to survive. So there is a movement of population everywhere. It is sad what is happening and everyone is passively accepting it. Manufactured consent to surender entire nations that will ultimatelly enslave people more.
One better solution instead of imigration is seeing more marriages and babies in dramas endings. But that is not happening, 90% of new dramas have these endings that promote separations of the main leads through various ending scenarios. More unity between genders and less divide. More incentives to newly weds and parents and more child support. But that will not happen because they don’t want this. The saddest thing is that women will continue to suffer and be underpaid but will not say anything against the immigrant men that were brought up to get the job and to lower the salary of the korean man.
Forgive my rant on your fan wall.
https://m.koreatimes.co.kr/pages/article.asp?newsIdx=369427
Interview: Viu spearheads growth in Asian streaming market with Korean content, local adaptations
By Kwak Yeon-soo
Hong Kong — In 2015, Viu emerged on the Asian streaming scene, a time when international platforms had yet to embrace the mandate of investing in local content in the Asia-Pacific region. However, the multi-territory Viu distinguished itself early by capitalizing on the appeal of Korean entertainment beyond its borders.
“There was a lot of illegal consumption [of Korean content], but without proper subtitling and localization,” Janice Lee, Viu CEO and PCCW Media managing director, said during a recent interview with The Korea Times.
“So we started offering a quick turnaround for subtitling. We wanted to shorten the time between the on-air schedule and Viu release so it could be fast as four hours. That’s really important in Asia because if you’re late, people won’t value it.”
The CEO noted that about 80 percent of Viu’s new users choose Korean content as their first title to watch on the platform.
“Obviously over the years, we’ve seen an explosion of Korean content — both music and video content — and the popularity is beyond Asia. It’s almost quite mainstream now. As a category, we definitely saw it expand,” she said.
Lee credits this surge in interest due to Viu’s impressive growth in subscribers and revenue. Viu’s revenue grew by 27 percent year-on-year to $261 million in 2023, propelled by subscription and advertising sales growth. The platform also saw its paid subscribers increase by 10 percent to 13.4 million with 62.4 million monthly active users at the end of 2023.
“We have maintained high revenue growth over the years as an Asian player,” she said. “Some are refocusing or maybe pulling back a bit on the Asian content slate, but Viu has always stayed true to being a homegrown Asian player made here for Asia.”
What contributed to Viu’s expansion in the highly competitive video streaming industry?
“I would say the continuous creativity and development of talent. Korean content is important for us, but Chinese content really took off last year. So we want to keep the balance,” she said.
“We want to continue to engage with more content creators, producers and studios. K-pop stars making crossover to K-drama is definitely a plus. K-pop idols and actors are very versatile and talented. They can act and sing, and this has contributed to cross-feeding the category between music and TV series.”
Lee also pointed out the evolving preferences of Southeast Asian audiences and identified the genres of Korean content that resonate with the platform’s extensive user base of over 60 million active users.
“Historically Korea is very well-known for romantic comedy, but I think we have moved way beyond that,” she said.
According to Lee, the first Viu Korean Original “Reborn Rich” (2022) was a huge success because of its high production quality and because it weaves dramatic acting and historical events. In the first quarter of 2023, Viu launched another Viu Korean Original “Taxi Driver 2,” which attracted both male and female viewers alike due to its fast-paced plot. A webtoon-turned-drama “A Good Day to Be a Dog” had a big fan base to begin with.
“Adapting a webtoon into a TV series is our sweet spot,” she said.
Lee stressed that Viu’s strategy does not necessarily go after dramas that are popular in Korea.
“I think each platform has its own audience space. So we have done less of the Korean horror zombie series, but more slash action series. We serve our viewers, so we constantly monitor what they like on our platform,” the CEO said.
In addition to Korean content, Viu more recently has made significant strides in localizing content, creating adaptations of popular global intellectual properties (IPs) with a local twist and developing original IPs tailored for the region.
“We learn from the user behavior of our audience and we also select certain titles that we believe will work if we adapt them locally with local actors — not just reprising exactly the same stories but adapting them to be more locally relevant,” she explained.
Early adaptations include the Malaysian version of the Nordic crime series “The Bridge” and the Indonesian version of U.S. teen thriller “Pretty Little Liars.” Then the focus shifted towards creating remakes of popular Korean dramas.
“In the beginning, we asked ourselves, ‘If a title in its original Korean form was already successful on Viu, would people watch it again if we produced it in a local language?’ The results have shown that we have done quite well,” she said.
This approach has proven successful, with adaptations such as the Malaysian version of “W” and the Indonesian “The World of the Married” achieving high viewership. The Hong Kong version of “A Business Proposal” also performed exceptionally well. “Reborn Rich” is set for a Thai remake and “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim” is being remade in the Philippines.
Future of Viu
Through strategic content curation, rapid localization and a keen eye on audience preferences, Viu leverages Korean content’s global appeal and innovative local adaptations to cement its position in the competitive streaming landscape.
Looking to the future, Viu’s strategy extends to developing its own original content with the aim of increasing its portfolio of Viu Originals. With the establishment of Viu Original Studio in 2021, the platform is on track to introduce about 23-25 original productions in 2024.
“Developing original IPs takes much longer because it’s seeding of an idea and writing the script for the first time,” Lee said.
Viu’s efforts to broaden its content spectrum and foster deeper connections with its audience are evident in its push towards unscripted content and interactive experiences.
Lee highlighted the potential of unscripted content, noting, “Unscripted shows are still big. ‘Running Man’ is still one of our top titles and people love it, but newer formats like ‘EXchange,’ a dating reality show, did very well,” she said.
In the post-pandemic era, the streaming service has been keen on expanding viewer engagements, notably through meet-and-greet events such as Viu Scream Dates.
“We launched it last year because at the back of the pandemic, viewers were very keen to go out and during the last three years of the pandemic, they watched a lot more content. They want to meet the cast and connect further,” she explained.
This initiative allows fans to meet and connect with the cast of popular shows, with Cha Eun-woo, the star of “A Good Day to Be a Dog,” to kick start Viu Scream Dates in Malaysia on Feb. 24, Singapore on April 13 and Indonesia on April 20.
Lee revealed that Viu will continue to invest big in the Southeast Asian market. Viu is currently available in 16 countries across Southeast Asia, the Middle East and South Africa.
“Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines are fastest growing markets in terms of growth and market size potential,” she said.
With a focus on expanding markets, particularly in the rapidly growing Southeast Asian countries, Viu aims to reach beyond urban centers to tap into a larger audience base.
“Even though we have over 60 million active users and over 13 million paid subscribers, we’re still scratching the surface because just Indonesia alone has over 250 million population. So we’re quite focused on increasing the penetration in the markets and bringing our content to the non-metro cities.”
Lee emphasized the importance of understanding local nuances, with country managers playing a key role in tailoring content to cater to local audiences.
“I think getting to know things like ‘what is a good hook for a particular market’ is really important. In Southeast Asia, markets are not the same. Pricing has to be tailored to each market,” she said.
Viu currently does not plan to enter the saturated Korean market.
“I would say there are enough players in Korea. So that is not something in our cart right now,” Lee said.
However, the platform is keen on strengthening partnerships with Korean production companies for local adaptations, supporting the long-tail success of Korean IP internationally.
“I think the success of the IP not just lies in its first creation, but also in its derivative creation to popularize it in other languages. I think that would help the industry as a whole. We hope we can have access to bigger projects in Korea,” she said.
Picture no. 1: Janice Lee (Viu)
Picture no. 2: HK version of A Business Proposal
Picture no. 3: Malaysian version of W
OMG, two of my fave non-Korean celebs, Zendaya and Timothee Chalamet will be two of the You Quiz on the Block foreign guests as they will appear in this famous TvN variety show. I knew they promoting in South Korea for their upcoming American film Dune: Part 2.
Alienoid actor Ji Gun-woo passed away due to a car accident last year.
According to an exclusive report from Herald Pop, he passed away in a car accident back in August 2023. It was belatedly made known to the public recently, with a small tribute to his legacy in the ending credits of Alienoid 2. He was 45 years old. He played the role of the suited killer in Alienoid and he was seen as the man in the ancient Goryeo dynasty who somehow had a modern, western style suit and sought to kill Mureuk (played by Ryu Jun Yeol). Ji Gun Woo also played roles in movies The Thieves, Berlin, and Asura.
#2023Roundup
Day 27 – Best sageuk The Matchmakers and My Dearest
Day 28 – Best makjang Kdrama Perfect Marriage Revenge
Day 29 – Best daily Kdrama Unpredictable Family (KBS1)
Day 30 – Best weekender from KBS2 The Real Has Come!
I have to apologize. I thought Shooting Stars which was my pick was from the beginning of 2023, that was why I disagreed with you. It is from 2022, so I had no business to disagree with picks from 2023!
Aye hey … chill, no worries. You are absolutely right to disagree, if that is what you really feel. It’s all good. As you would have seen / experienced in the posts for this year – the first rule of Round Up is that – there are no rules! 😉
Beanies mention dramas from any year which they may have seen this year or just as “best ever”. 🤷♀️
I didn’t see this drama but I clicked right away on the video because Paul Kim’s OST contributions are always wonderful. This was no exception. Loved it!
Jezz
April 1, 2024 at 11:04 AM
https://m.koreatimes.co.kr/pages/article.asp?newsIdx=371833
Seoul City to remove street preachers, homeless from Seoul Station Square
Bebe | Nessa❣️
April 1, 2024 at 11:21 AM
Removing the evangelists—fine— because they will find another spot to do their work and will have a warm home to go back to at the end of the day. However, I really hope the city has a plan in place on how to handle the homeless situation that isn’t simply removing—forcing— them out from Seoul Station. From experience witnessing how my city forcibly removed large amounts of the homeless without a plan in place, it has made the city more unsafe and difficult to get around. By forcibly removing a large population of the homeless without a plan in place— i.e. like settling them at another location or giving them resources— it only encourages them to disperse and spread across the entire city and populate parts of the city which should be kept private, safe, and free from any kind of hindrance, i.e. Neighborhoods with a large elderly population or neighborhoods with a large young family population with young children 🥲
Jezz
March 30, 2024 at 5:50 AM
I found on Dramabeans that the two current posts as of 5am (8pm in my home country Philippines) was photos that officially a coincidental fictional Kdrama newscasts (I guess the first photo was from Kdrama The Impossible Heir starring Lee Jae-wook (note: prison cloth no. 3866 was also used in another Kdrama Defendant), while the latter photo was from upcoming JTBC Kdrama No Secrets starring Go Kyung-pyo).
Reply1988 -❣️Mother Bean❣️
March 30, 2024 at 6:28 AM
Good catch, I saw both didn’t register the similarities.
Healer’s
March 30, 2024 at 6:13 PM
I kind of feel bad for Lee Jae-wook when this shot of him was used for WWW thumbnail 😂
Jezz
March 14, 2024 at 8:28 PM
https://m.koreatimes.co.kr/pages/article.asp?newsIdx=370605
Interview: Korean American therapist uses K-dramas to start conversations about mental health
by Lee Gyu-lee
In today’s hectic society, especially in countries like Korea that run on hustle culture, mental health can often be overlooked, and taking a moment to look into one’s own psychological well-being might feel like a luxury that can’t be afforded.
But Korean American therapist Jeanie Chang hopes to change such a notion, turning around how mental health is viewed and approached through the use of K-dramas.
Chang, who is a licensed marriage and family therapist and certified clinical trauma professional, uses K-drama examples in her clinical work, suggesting relatable series that could help patients overcome their mental struggles.
Aside from her work as a clinician and corporate speaker, she gained social media influence with her YouTube channel, Noona’s Noonchi, in which she takes a deep dive into K-dramas from a mental health perspective using her experience as a clinician. Her growing influence led her to found her own wellness company of the same name, offering mental health education and resources related to Korean culture.
“The main reason why I brought K-dramas into my work is that many people struggle talking about mental health. What’s a good way of talking about it? By giving an example of a story (from a K-drama). It gets very burdensome and makes them feel like it’s all about their grief but if I bring a story about somebody else, this is helping me because it takes a burden off the person,” Chang said during an interview with The Korea Times at the newspaper’s office in downtown Seoul, Tuesday.
“I bring in a K-drama and it changes the conversation. All I had to do was bring up a K-drama but then I’m really talking about mental health … So I brought K-dramas in to talk more about mental health in a more fun way and with less stigma.”
The clinician had her share of soul-searching before launching her clinical career, starting out as a broadcast journalist after college. But feeling burnout despite her passion for the field, she quit her job to enter business school, before taking a break from her professional life to raise four children.
During the break, she took time to reflect on her true passion and interest and made a big decision to pursue the field of psychology, even though it was completely unrelated to her previous work experiences.
“I remember thinking, what am I good at? What do I enjoy? … Then it came to me. Everything has been centered on me examining people’s well-being, using my ‘nunchi’ [Korean word for ability to detect other people’s moods] to understand relationships and emotions. So I decided to start from scratch and go to the field of psychology,” she said.
Chang, who moved to the U.S. as a baby, wasn’t familiar with K-dramas until she came across the rom-com series “Jealousy” in 1992, during a summer program in Korea. Since then, she fell in love with K-dramas, experiencing therapeutic moments through TV series.
“It was during those moments, years of raising kids, graduate school and watching K-dramas, that I realized they helped me. They helped me understand my emotions and my mental health … And during that time I was going ‘Oh, it’s helping me understand why I’m angry at my mom about this,’ I see it on a show and I was processing,” she said.
Her first experience of incorporating K-dramas into her clinical practice came by chance when she was treating a Chinese family. Being a tough session, she brought up the topic of K-dramas to ease the tension, suggesting they watch the drama series “Reply 1988,” which had the story of a similar family relationship.
And as COVID-19 further fueled the global popularity of K-dramas, it came naturally to Chang to discuss Korean series more easily and approachably during her sessions, leading her to start her YouTube channel.
Chang noted that the Korean cultural concept of “jeong,” which translates to affection and attachment, and “han,” grief and resentment, are the crucial factors that make K-dramas suitable for helping people reflect on their own grief and trauma.
“K-dramas are perfect because they are wholesome, and show such love and connection. It’s still all relatable to the world. Everybody wants to feel a connection and knows there’s regret, sorrow, family conflict and trauma. K-dramas have universal themes and messages that anybody can relate to,” she said, adding that character-driven plots allow people to relate more to the stories.
“What K-dramas do well is to focus on the people and the characters’ growth and development … The writers do a good job of capturing those emotions (of resilience, hope and trauma). What Western TV shows do is focus on the plot. But at the end of the day, they’re not going to relate to a plot but to the people.”
When asked about the best series to watch to deal with grief, she recommended “Move to Heaven,” “Be Melodramatic” and “Thirty-Nine,” although adding it could be different for each person as “grief does not look the same.”
Chang is expecting her book release this May, titled “How K-Dramas Can Transform Your Life: Powerful Lessons on Belongingness, Healing, and Mental Health.”
The book shares her experience of utilizing K-dramas to work with people, including a memorable case of a former lawyer in his 60s who discovered K-dramas during his imprisonment. His experience of witnessing fellow prisoners getting emotional through K-dramas changed his life and helped him through his time in prison.
“He would say K-dramas brought us into a world that was real but it was not real because we weren’t there but we were able to escape through our emotions,” Chang said.
“In this book are global perspectives of people who see K-dramas through their reality … They saw one K-drama like ‘Move to Heaven’ and it changed their life to help them process grief, trauma and emotions.”
Chang expressed her hopes to take part in changing Korea’s perspective on mental health, a topic much less acknowledged in the nation.
“The history is we don’t talk about emotions in Korea. My dad, for instance, would never say ‘I’m sad’ … That generation is what kind of built Korea,” the therapist said.
“I still think Korea is very advanced in many things but in mental health, they’re a little bit behind. So they just need to catch up, but once they do, Korea is so competitive that they’re going to have some advanced mental health system. And I want to be part of that.”
owl 🦉 🫰
March 14, 2024 at 8:36 PM
I want to pre-order her book! So, world nunchi be like reading the room, or more personal like understanding the clues a person is giving indirectly?
mmmmm
March 14, 2024 at 10:12 PM
I almost cried. Finally, this day is official.
I think we all here can relate to what she has to say, because otherwise, we wouldn’t have been here this long. Bravo to her. I think she’s headed in the right and progressive direction. The timing is also right. 🥹
Healer’s
March 15, 2024 at 4:27 AM
Yes, finally! Tbh, I never thought this day would come.
🌸 Cera (@Seeker) 🌸
March 15, 2024 at 12:28 AM
Thank you for sharing the article. It resonates with us Beanies on a very primal level as all of us have felt the magical touch of K-dramas in our life.
Healer’s
March 15, 2024 at 4:38 AM
I always thought Kdramas (as well as Chinese, Taiwanese,… dramas) were relatable because I am from Asia, and I always wondered if Western audience would find Western movies or TV shows relatable to them the way I do Kdramas. After I found DB, seeing beanies gather here from all over the world, I partly found the answer to my question, but not quite, because the fact that Western audience find Kdramas relatable doesn’t necessarily negate Western shows’ relatability. I’d be fascinated if I had an extensive answer to that question.
Unaspirated
March 15, 2024 at 4:59 AM
I’ve been following her for a long time! So glad she’s becoming more well known!
Jezz
March 12, 2024 at 12:12 AM
photo no. 1: I knew Hercyna was just a fictional brand/PPL.
photo no. 2: Here comes the CGI boar!
#QueenofTearsep2
Reply1988 -❣️Mother Bean❣️
March 12, 2024 at 12:42 AM
Are boars really that big and do they randomly attack as they always seem like a rhinoceros and charging out of no where.
indyfan
March 12, 2024 at 1:43 AM
They really do charge. But I assume they were provoked by the hunt? But that size! I had to look it up: “In Northeastern Asia, large males can reach brown bear-like sizes, weighing 270 kg (600 lb) and measuring 110–118 cm (43–46 in) in shoulder height.” Crikey.
🌸 Cera (@Seeker) 🌸
March 12, 2024 at 1:48 AM
🫨🫣
Kodra aka PPP
March 12, 2024 at 3:49 AM
Was’t it planted by someone? It showed a hole in the fence like it was cut. I just assumed it was the uncle that was cut off from the family.
Ally
March 12, 2024 at 5:18 AM
Also, no one holds a gun right and the recoil of the shotgun that KSH shot would have made his shoulder go straight back into her face, and probably giving her at least a bloody nose. (But only someone a US watcher might pick up as almost no one in Korea owns a gun.)
Kodra aka PPP
March 12, 2024 at 6:45 AM
Back in my country only the rich go hunting and it is seen as a lavishly cruel thing that only the powerfull would do. I assume that is the perception in SK also. Our comunist dictator enjoyed these hunting trips where he would “hunt” boars and deers for entertainment. Now we have the billioners use the same hunting grounds with their foreign bussiness partners when they do deals. Same as the kings did in Joseon era or old Europe.
Besides the bad CGI, the editing was bad also with appearing from nowhere and the boar at a very close distance. Reminded me of when NKM in My dearest jumped and caught the Qing princess at the end of Part 1.
bong-soo
March 12, 2024 at 6:50 AM
Good point. Also, would one shot from that weapon taken that boar down charging at that speed? Weren’t they out looking to hunt pheasants and such and not big game?
bong-soo
March 12, 2024 at 6:52 AM
Thinking back now I guess deer were also up for grabs.
Blue (@mayhemf)
March 12, 2024 at 8:56 AM
One shot is enough for CGI boar 😂😂
The angle and the way it fell down were all off to me.
Jezz
March 11, 2024 at 11:43 PM
My interested facts on Song Joong-ki’s recent Netflix film My Name Is Loh Kiwan per Netflixkcontent Instagram account:
🌸 Cera (@Seeker) 🌸
March 12, 2024 at 12:10 AM
Wow 🤩 Thanks for sharing!!
Reply1988 -❣️Mother Bean❣️
March 12, 2024 at 12:45 AM
These are great. Thanks for sharing.
mmmmm
March 12, 2024 at 9:29 AM
I enjoyed reading these tidbits. Thanks for sharing.
Jezz
March 2, 2024 at 9:00 PM
I loved this article about recent updates on actress Han Ye-seul and actress-radio DJ Choi Kang-hee.
https://koalasplayground.com/2024/03/01/k-actresses-han-ye-seul-and-choi-kang-hee-take-on-non-acting-industry-jobs-in-recent-period-for-differing-reasons/
Han Ye-seul recently licensed to aesthetician because she loved K-beauty and one of her faves was to do Netflix Kdrama in the future. Meanwhile, Choi Kang-hee got her own different jobs apart from actress. Before that, after her acting experience for 25 years, she told her manager that she won\’t take scripts anymore and even she changed her mobile number. Then, her own family now fully supported after they told her that she don\’t want acting anymore. And then, she took waitress, housecleaner, sanitation worker and now she learned to be a broadcasting writer.
Jezz
March 1, 2024 at 11:45 PM
Oh my… the Korean spring flower festival in Sokcho was now over after 15 years due to declined number of population.
https://m.koreatimes.co.kr/pages/article.asp?newsIdx=369793
Spring flower festival in Sokcho closes amid population decline
by Lee Hae-rin
The cherry blossom festival of Sokcho in Gangwon Province will close 15 years after its establishment due to a lack of workers amid the aging of its residents and a declining population in the region.
Founded in 2009, the festival in Sokcho\’s Sangdomun Village had garnered recognition among springtime picnickers here, offering scenic views of the cherry blossom tunnels along the way to Mount Seorak and other nearby regional food-based specialties.
However, the event was canceled in 2019 due to a massive wildfire that wreaked havoc in mountainous towns of Gangwon Province. In addition, it was also suspended from 2020 to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It resumed last year.
Despite its popularity, the annual event has faced operational difficulties as the members of the women\’s association of the village, which took the leading roles in preparing for the festival, are now in their 70s and 80s.
This year, the residents have finally decided to abolish the festival due to the lack of young people in the town.
\”More than half of the residents have aged to over 65 and it is, unfortunately, no longer possible to hold the festival that receives over 10,000 visitors every year,\” the residents said.
According to the city government, the village has a total population of 343 people and 173 of them are now aged over 65.
Reply1988 -❣️Mother Bean❣️
March 2, 2024 at 1:28 AM
Wow what a shame. That’s an amazing achievement to have that much tourism coming in from the work of such a small committee. It would make sense for a group of younger people to be shipped in to consult with the older residents so the knowledge is not lost and the younger people literally do the heavy lifting.
🌸 Cera (@Seeker) 🌸
March 2, 2024 at 2:20 AM
Absolutely. Youngsters from all over the country should be invited to volunteer.
bbstl 🧹
March 2, 2024 at 9:43 AM
It’s a case for whatever regional government department the FL worked for in Destined with You, she was always running around doing things like this.
Reply1988 -❣️Mother Bean❣️
March 2, 2024 at 10:01 AM
I can’t believe it with the amount of money tourism brings in you would think they would take this to the national tourism department. Considering the high unemployment numbers they could use unemployed with an incentive of additional skills and something for their cv. I am sure they could get sponsorship from conglomerates too. I don’t even live there and think it’s a terrible loss.
Kodra aka PPP
March 2, 2024 at 4:29 AM
This is not happening only in SK, in european countries, specially the eastern ones that I know, all the vilages have mostly older population due to the young going to the big cities for college or work. Mostly are older women that have lost their husbands. They are like ghost villages when you pass by them.
If you take into account what happens in Netherlands, for example, where they are trying to push the farmers out of thier farms fo bs reasons or in USA, where you have billioners like Gates and Bezos buying a lot of farmland, one must wonder why is it all happening. Then you stumble upon this article, it kind of makes you think a tad more when you think of one possible reason besides control of food resources, and why you have bilioners that made their wealth with disregard for everything, including environment issues, pushing this very popular agenda:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/19/business/economy/flannery-california-forever-solano.html
“The idea would have been treated as a joke if it weren’t backed by a group of Silicon Valley billionaires who included Michael Moritz, the venture capitalist; Reid Hoffman, the investor and co-founder of LinkedIn; and Laurene Powell Jobs, the founder of the Emerson Collective and the widow of the Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. They and others from the technology world had spent some $900 million on farmland in a demonstration of their dead seriousness about Mr. Sramek’s vision.”
https://journalrecord.com/2023/04/billionaires-highlight-solid-investment-in-farmland/
https://www.euronews.com/green/2023/11/30/dutch-farmers-could-be-paid-to-close-their-livestock-farms-under-new-scheme
bbstl 🧹
March 2, 2024 at 9:51 AM
The biggest farm buyouts in the US are food corporations like Cargill consolidating land into mega farms.
Kodra aka PPP
March 2, 2024 at 11:10 AM
For now, maybe. Later probably they throw in some of those 15 minutes cities when they can change the legislature.
Jezz
February 26, 2024 at 7:09 PM
Oh no… this was the saddest news for both Korean universities and the Korean education due to continuing declined birthrate. 🙁
https://m.koreatimes.co.kr/pages/article.asp?newsIdx=369494
Universities struggle to fill classes amid population decline
by Lee Hae-rin
Universities in Korea are struggling to fill their classes as the number of first-year students matriculating to colleges this spring falls short of their intended class sizes amid the country\’s falling birthrate.
Jongno Hagwon, one of Korea\’s largest college preparation institutes, said in its analysis of Korean Council for University Education data that 169 schools in the country failed to fill their admission quotas by the registration deadline this year, falling short by 13,148 student enrollments in total.
Universities outside Seoul accounted for 88.2 percent of the total enrollment shortage, failing to fill 11,595 places.
Some of these universities failed to reach 50 percent of their enrollment goals, with one university only managing to fill 21.6 percent of its incoming class, the analysis showed.
The trend affected the so-called in-Seoul universities, referring to more prestigious schools in the capital that many students wish to attend for better employment opportunities and social recognition.
Among these schools, 31 failed to recruit a total of 618 first-year students this year, which accounts for 4.7 of the total enrollment shortfall.
Seokyeong University saw the most significant shortage, needing 111 students to meet its enrollment goal, followed by Sejong University with 53, Hansung University with 34, Hongik University with 31, Kookmin University with 29, Chung-Ang University with 19, Hankuk University of Foreign Languages with 18 and Hanyang University with 17 students.
Gyeonggi Province and Incheon also had 35 universities needing to recruit 935 more students, accounting for 7.1 percent of the total shortage.
Jeju Island was found to need the biggest number of additional students. Two of the island\’s universities are seeking an average of 226.5 additional students.
Meanwhile, Kangwon Tourism College, the only college in the eastern city of Taebaek, Gangwon Province, will close down at the end of this month due to a lack of students.
It is the second community college in the country to shut down after Daegu Future College, which closed six years ago for the same reason, and the 20th institution of higher education to close since 2000.
The school decided to close its doors 30 years after its founding, which the Ministry of Education approved earlier this month.
According to the Korean Educational Development Institute, the number of elementary, middle and high school students in the country will drop from this year\’s 5.2 million to 4.25 million in 2029 due to a plummeting birthrate.
Korea\’s birthrate hit a record low at 0.78 last year, and Statistics Korea estimates the figure will fall even further to 0.65 next year.
Bebe | Nessa❣️
February 26, 2024 at 7:42 PM
I wonder if opening more opportunities for international students that closed up during pandemic border closures would help?
I know classes in my city for all levels of education are combusting at the seams— some middle schools have had to transfer students to other schools, too, because not only are the class sizes too big— which means less accountability, less care, and a lesser quality in the education given— the school buildings themselves are not fit to house such a big student body, and that’s not even including the teaching staff
Kodra aka PPP
February 26, 2024 at 8:50 PM
1 million decline? That is huge, 20% of future workforce. Not to mention the future implications that will have on paying retairement benefits to exactly the population that worked their a$$ off in the economic boom that the country went through. That is a sacrifice generation, indeed.
Hopefully they will keep the standards high and not allow unqualified people in the critical professions.
If you take into account when the MeeToo movement started and how it was and is maintained through agressive and extremist feminist propaganda all these years through social media, books and dramas/movies, it all makes sense. I bet they are celebrating every time this news are shared. This is not a SK issue only, it is happening everywhere. I am meeting more and more young adult women that are convinced not to have children here and in my native country. SK is a win for them because of their succes in such a family and traditional country. In my native one there was a shortage initially due to many leaving to work in the western european countries. Now there is a shortage of qualified workers, cannot find good electricians, plumbers, maintenance workers, etc. Not to mention the more unqualified ones because everyone goes to college due to low standards in education. There is an influx of immigrants all the way from Asia, business are seeking international workers to survive. So there is a movement of population everywhere. It is sad what is happening and everyone is passively accepting it. Manufactured consent to surender entire nations that will ultimatelly enslave people more.
One better solution instead of imigration is seeing more marriages and babies in dramas endings. But that is not happening, 90% of new dramas have these endings that promote separations of the main leads through various ending scenarios. More unity between genders and less divide. More incentives to newly weds and parents and more child support. But that will not happen because they don’t want this. The saddest thing is that women will continue to suffer and be underpaid but will not say anything against the immigrant men that were brought up to get the job and to lower the salary of the korean man.
Forgive my rant on your fan wall.
Jezz
February 25, 2024 at 11:38 PM
https://m.koreatimes.co.kr/pages/article.asp?newsIdx=369427
Interview: Viu spearheads growth in Asian streaming market with Korean content, local adaptations
By Kwak Yeon-soo
Hong Kong — In 2015, Viu emerged on the Asian streaming scene, a time when international platforms had yet to embrace the mandate of investing in local content in the Asia-Pacific region. However, the multi-territory Viu distinguished itself early by capitalizing on the appeal of Korean entertainment beyond its borders.
“There was a lot of illegal consumption [of Korean content], but without proper subtitling and localization,” Janice Lee, Viu CEO and PCCW Media managing director, said during a recent interview with The Korea Times.
“So we started offering a quick turnaround for subtitling. We wanted to shorten the time between the on-air schedule and Viu release so it could be fast as four hours. That’s really important in Asia because if you’re late, people won’t value it.”
The CEO noted that about 80 percent of Viu’s new users choose Korean content as their first title to watch on the platform.
“Obviously over the years, we’ve seen an explosion of Korean content — both music and video content — and the popularity is beyond Asia. It’s almost quite mainstream now. As a category, we definitely saw it expand,” she said.
Lee credits this surge in interest due to Viu’s impressive growth in subscribers and revenue. Viu’s revenue grew by 27 percent year-on-year to $261 million in 2023, propelled by subscription and advertising sales growth. The platform also saw its paid subscribers increase by 10 percent to 13.4 million with 62.4 million monthly active users at the end of 2023.
“We have maintained high revenue growth over the years as an Asian player,” she said. “Some are refocusing or maybe pulling back a bit on the Asian content slate, but Viu has always stayed true to being a homegrown Asian player made here for Asia.”
What contributed to Viu’s expansion in the highly competitive video streaming industry?
“I would say the continuous creativity and development of talent. Korean content is important for us, but Chinese content really took off last year. So we want to keep the balance,” she said.
“We want to continue to engage with more content creators, producers and studios. K-pop stars making crossover to K-drama is definitely a plus. K-pop idols and actors are very versatile and talented. They can act and sing, and this has contributed to cross-feeding the category between music and TV series.”
Lee also pointed out the evolving preferences of Southeast Asian audiences and identified the genres of Korean content that resonate with the platform’s extensive user base of over 60 million active users.
“Historically Korea is very well-known for romantic comedy, but I think we have moved way beyond that,” she said.
According to Lee, the first Viu Korean Original “Reborn Rich” (2022) was a huge success because of its high production quality and because it weaves dramatic acting and historical events. In the first quarter of 2023, Viu launched another Viu Korean Original “Taxi Driver 2,” which attracted both male and female viewers alike due to its fast-paced plot. A webtoon-turned-drama “A Good Day to Be a Dog” had a big fan base to begin with.
“Adapting a webtoon into a TV series is our sweet spot,” she said.
Lee stressed that Viu’s strategy does not necessarily go after dramas that are popular in Korea.
“I think each platform has its own audience space. So we have done less of the Korean horror zombie series, but more slash action series. We serve our viewers, so we constantly monitor what they like on our platform,” the CEO said.
In addition to Korean content, Viu more recently has made significant strides in localizing content, creating adaptations of popular global intellectual properties (IPs) with a local twist and developing original IPs tailored for the region.
“We learn from the user behavior of our audience and we also select certain titles that we believe will work if we adapt them locally with local actors — not just reprising exactly the same stories but adapting them to be more locally relevant,” she explained.
Early adaptations include the Malaysian version of the Nordic crime series “The Bridge” and the Indonesian version of U.S. teen thriller “Pretty Little Liars.” Then the focus shifted towards creating remakes of popular Korean dramas.
“In the beginning, we asked ourselves, ‘If a title in its original Korean form was already successful on Viu, would people watch it again if we produced it in a local language?’ The results have shown that we have done quite well,” she said.
This approach has proven successful, with adaptations such as the Malaysian version of “W” and the Indonesian “The World of the Married” achieving high viewership. The Hong Kong version of “A Business Proposal” also performed exceptionally well. “Reborn Rich” is set for a Thai remake and “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim” is being remade in the Philippines.
Future of Viu
Through strategic content curation, rapid localization and a keen eye on audience preferences, Viu leverages Korean content’s global appeal and innovative local adaptations to cement its position in the competitive streaming landscape.
Looking to the future, Viu’s strategy extends to developing its own original content with the aim of increasing its portfolio of Viu Originals. With the establishment of Viu Original Studio in 2021, the platform is on track to introduce about 23-25 original productions in 2024.
“Developing original IPs takes much longer because it’s seeding of an idea and writing the script for the first time,” Lee said.
Viu’s efforts to broaden its content spectrum and foster deeper connections with its audience are evident in its push towards unscripted content and interactive experiences.
Lee highlighted the potential of unscripted content, noting, “Unscripted shows are still big. ‘Running Man’ is still one of our top titles and people love it, but newer formats like ‘EXchange,’ a dating reality show, did very well,” she said.
In the post-pandemic era, the streaming service has been keen on expanding viewer engagements, notably through meet-and-greet events such as Viu Scream Dates.
“We launched it last year because at the back of the pandemic, viewers were very keen to go out and during the last three years of the pandemic, they watched a lot more content. They want to meet the cast and connect further,” she explained.
This initiative allows fans to meet and connect with the cast of popular shows, with Cha Eun-woo, the star of “A Good Day to Be a Dog,” to kick start Viu Scream Dates in Malaysia on Feb. 24, Singapore on April 13 and Indonesia on April 20.
Lee revealed that Viu will continue to invest big in the Southeast Asian market. Viu is currently available in 16 countries across Southeast Asia, the Middle East and South Africa.
“Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines are fastest growing markets in terms of growth and market size potential,” she said.
With a focus on expanding markets, particularly in the rapidly growing Southeast Asian countries, Viu aims to reach beyond urban centers to tap into a larger audience base.
“Even though we have over 60 million active users and over 13 million paid subscribers, we’re still scratching the surface because just Indonesia alone has over 250 million population. So we’re quite focused on increasing the penetration in the markets and bringing our content to the non-metro cities.”
Lee emphasized the importance of understanding local nuances, with country managers playing a key role in tailoring content to cater to local audiences.
“I think getting to know things like ‘what is a good hook for a particular market’ is really important. In Southeast Asia, markets are not the same. Pricing has to be tailored to each market,” she said.
Viu currently does not plan to enter the saturated Korean market.
“I would say there are enough players in Korea. So that is not something in our cart right now,” Lee said.
However, the platform is keen on strengthening partnerships with Korean production companies for local adaptations, supporting the long-tail success of Korean IP internationally.
“I think the success of the IP not just lies in its first creation, but also in its derivative creation to popularize it in other languages. I think that would help the industry as a whole. We hope we can have access to bigger projects in Korea,” she said.
Picture no. 1: Janice Lee (Viu)
Picture no. 2: HK version of A Business Proposal
Picture no. 3: Malaysian version of W
bbstl 🧹
February 26, 2024 at 9:02 AM
Thanks, super-interesting!
🌸 Cera (@Seeker) 🌸
February 28, 2024 at 1:24 AM
Thanks for sharing. It is really informative.
Jezz
February 21, 2024 at 11:45 PM
https://www.soompi.com/article/1643970wpp/timothee-chalamet-and-zendaya-confirmed-to-make-appearance-on-you-quiz-on-the-block
OMG, two of my fave non-Korean celebs, Zendaya and Timothee Chalamet will be two of the You Quiz on the Block foreign guests as they will appear in this famous TvN variety show. I knew they promoting in South Korea for their upcoming American film Dune: Part 2.
🌸 Cera (@Seeker) 🌸
February 26, 2024 at 1:35 PM
They seem to be having a fun time. 👏
Jezz
January 21, 2024 at 2:26 AM
https://www.koreaboo.com/news/alienoid-actor-ji-gun-woo-passed-away-in-car-accident/
Alienoid actor Ji Gun-woo passed away due to a car accident last year.
According to an exclusive report from Herald Pop, he passed away in a car accident back in August 2023. It was belatedly made known to the public recently, with a small tribute to his legacy in the ending credits of Alienoid 2. He was 45 years old. He played the role of the suited killer in Alienoid and he was seen as the man in the ancient Goryeo dynasty who somehow had a modern, western style suit and sought to kill Mureuk (played by Ryu Jun Yeol). Ji Gun Woo also played roles in movies The Thieves, Berlin, and Asura.
RIP, Ji Gun-woo.
Blue (@mayhemf)
January 21, 2024 at 6:44 AM
Haven’t see his movies. But too young to go. RIP.
Jezz
December 30, 2023 at 5:56 PM
#2023Roundup
Day 31 – Best foreign star on Kdrama
Nico Antonio (Big Bet)
Jezz
December 30, 2023 at 5:52 PM
#2023Roundup
Day 27 – Best sageuk
The Matchmakers and My Dearest
Day 28 – Best makjang Kdrama
Perfect Marriage Revenge
Day 29 – Best daily Kdrama
Unpredictable Family (KBS1)
Day 30 – Best weekender from KBS2
The Real Has Come!
Jezz
December 25, 2023 at 9:35 AM
#2023Roundup
Day 26 – Best Han
Han Hyo-joo (Moving)
Elinor is trapped in the timeslip
December 25, 2023 at 9:58 AM
EXCELLENT choice. She was marvelous.
Jezz
December 24, 2023 at 9:14 AM
#2023Roundup
Day 25 – Best Lee
Lee Han-byeol (Mask Girl)
Jezz
December 23, 2023 at 12:50 PM
#2023Roundup
Day 24 – Best Kim
Kim Young-kwang (Call It Love)
Jezz
December 22, 2023 at 11:41 AM
#2023Roundup
Day 23 – Best Park
Park Sung-hoon (The Kidnapping Day)
🌸 Cera (@Seeker) 🌸
December 22, 2023 at 12:05 PM
I like your freestyle! And your park!! 🅿️
zindigo
December 22, 2023 at 12:11 PM
He was everywhere this year and I was all for it!
Midnight
December 22, 2023 at 1:23 PM
Ha! I was just thinking that I don’t know how to do freestyle!
🌸 Cera (@Seeker) 🌸
December 23, 2023 at 12:30 AM
Just anything you want to talk about and share.
Jezz
December 21, 2023 at 12:11 PM
#2023Roundup
Day 22 – Best cameo
Park Bo-young and Park Hyung-sik (Strong Girl Nam-soon)
🌸 Cera (@Seeker) 🌸
December 21, 2023 at 12:15 PM
There is literally no one else in this category. The are the sole and uncontested winners! 🏆 🏆 🥳 👏👏👏
lapislazulii
December 21, 2023 at 1:07 PM
Seconded!! My pick as well!! 👏
Midnight
December 21, 2023 at 1:40 PM
I beg to differ.
🌸 Cera (@Seeker) 🌸
December 21, 2023 at 7:09 PM
We will await your pick – Junho in Celebrity. 🤭 😉
Midnight
December 22, 2023 at 12:33 AM
I haven’t watched Celebrity, didn’t even know he has a cameo there 🤔
🌸 Cera (@Seeker) 🌸
December 22, 2023 at 9:40 AM
😯
Midnight
December 22, 2023 at 10:17 AM
I have to apologize. I thought Shooting Stars which was my pick was from the beginning of 2023, that was why I disagreed with you. It is from 2022, so I had no business to disagree with picks from 2023!
🌸 Cera (@Seeker) 🌸
December 22, 2023 at 10:35 AM
Aye hey … chill, no worries. You are absolutely right to disagree, if that is what you really feel. It’s all good. As you would have seen / experienced in the posts for this year – the first rule of Round Up is that – there are no rules! 😉
Beanies mention dramas from any year which they may have seen this year or just as “best ever”. 🤷♀️
zindigo
December 21, 2023 at 1:23 PM
I can’t believe I actually forgot about this cameo when I was thinking about what to post for this one. And I even watched the entire series LOL
🌸 Cera (@Seeker) 🌸
December 21, 2023 at 7:10 PM
🤣 👍
Jezz
December 20, 2023 at 9:30 AM
#2023Roundup
Day 21 – The OST you are obsessed with
Paul Kim – You Remember
The Glory
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oR5Ztkvr-U
zindigo
December 20, 2023 at 1:40 PM
I didn’t see this drama but I clicked right away on the video because Paul Kim’s OST contributions are always wonderful. This was no exception. Loved it!
Jezz
December 19, 2023 at 10:05 AM
#2023Roundup
Day 20 – Favorite kiss
Junho and Yoon-ah (King the Land episode 10)
Midnight
December 19, 2023 at 10:09 AM
We can post the 20th post already?? Hurray!