“Our people’s endless efforts to change and take on new challenges affect cultural contents.”
Song Kang Ho, the first Korean actor in history to win the Best Actor Award at the 75th Cannes International Film Festival, explained why audiences around the world are passionate about Korean content. He said, “That’s why we (filmmakers) can’t be idle even for a moment. It’s a positive environment in which we have to work hard.”
What viewers around the world appreciate the most about Korean movies is the story. According to the ‘2022 Overseas Hallyu Wave Survey‘ conducted by the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange on an online panel survey of 5048 men and women aged 15 to 59 in 18 countries from November 5 to December 8 last year about the factors that contribute to Korean movies’ popularity, most of the respondents answered ‘structured story’ (17.3%), followed by ‘actor’s attractive appearance’ (13.9%), ‘indirect experience of Korean culture’ (13.5%), and ‘actor’s excellent acting’ (12%).
Jeon Hye Jung, executive director of the London Asian Film Festival, who has been introducing Asian films, including Korean films, to London, England every year, pointed out that, “Korean movies deal with various topics such as Korean politics and social history, and develop stories that cannot be easily predicted until the end.”
She added, “Taking heroic stories as an example, main characters in American movies consistently show a righteous appearance even when they are tested by external factors and end up saving the world. But in Korean movies, it is ambiguous whether the main character is a good or bad person, and it is difficult to guess the story because the genre can be twisted.”
Yoon Sung mentioned that a critically-acclaimed movie is, above all, a story that anyone, in reality, can relate to. “Even though “Parasite” and OTT series “Squid Game” were not created for global consumption, many people around the world were enthusiastic because they sympathized with the message of these works, which revealed the prevalent economic inequality and the cons of capitalism,” he explained.
He also added, “There are educational institutions such as the Korean Film Academy, and the webtoon and web novel markets have grown, laying the foundation for anyone to be a creator. It is this environment that helps make storytelling excellent.”
Actors are another reason why foreigners like Korean series and movies, as Korean actors look attractive to international fans. According to these fans, Korean actors maintain a well-managed appearance and physique, making it difficult to determine their age.
Choi Jin Sil, a team leader at actor Lee Jung Jae‘s agency Artist Company, said: “Foreign fans who like Lee Jung Jae in ‘Squid Game’ were surprised by Lee Jung Jae’s appearances in his previous works, including the 2021 film ‘Deliver Us From Evil’. They also paid attention to his appearance.”
Korean movies are also attractive in that they create a window for foreign fans to access Korean culture. “Europe does not change much because society is stable, while Korea is sensitive to trends and quickly adapts to changes, so young people in Europe seem to be particularly interested in Korean films that show these shifts,” the leader explained.
Source: Daum
