Of handsome oppas and heart-warming tales: How Korean dramas exploded on the international scene

From beating boredom, to providing mental escape to another world, there are reasons galore that got fans hooked on to Korean dramas during the lockdown. Speaking about her tryst with Korean dramas, Tejashrri Tripati, ground staff at Indigo Airlines, says, “During the lockdown I started watching Korean dramas…before that I wasn’t actually aware about them. One day, I randomly saw a trailer of What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim and found the plot unique, so I watched it, liked it, and then watched some more dramas… I found their concepts way better than our Indian dramas. They have dramas from all genres (romance, action, historical, etc.). One reason I feel Korean dramas have a larger audience is because they have limited episodes (mostly 16-20). They don’t drag their shows just for the sake of it.”

Echoing similar sentiments, culinary expert and chef consultant, Chef Reetu Uday Kugaji, says, “I started watching web series in 2017 when we subscribed to Netflix. That time, it was mostly English dramas. But one day, while scrolling through the streaming platform’s home page, I came across the Korean drama section, and started watching them with English subtitles. I found them so interesting and addictive that till date I am a big fan of K-dramas. The length of the dramas is not so big, so that positively captivates me. I will not deny that during the coronavirus-induced lockdown, these K-dramas helped me beat boredom. I can connect with many K-dramas on an emotional level. One more thing I like about them is their food that is shown in many shows. As a chef, I find their traditional fare quite interesting.”