Riding The K-Wave: The Korean Embassy Hosted A Two-Day K-Drama Webinar That Shouldn't Have Been Missed
K-Dramas have become an integral part of most Filipinos' lockdown routine. The often-hopeful storylines, the gorgeous Korean scenery, and the talented actors and actresses all make for a fantastic showtime. In line with this and the continuous growth of its popularity, The Embassy of the Republic of Korea and the Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines (KCC) had organised a two-day webinar held last 5-6 November 2020.
Titled "The Role of K-Dramas in Sharing and Shaping Culture Beyond Borders", the webinar had been attended by 1,600 fans on both Facebook and Youtube channels. All the fans had actively participated in the discussion through the chat box, voicing their comments, questions, and thoughts on the entertainment production in both Korea and the Philippines. The event had even led to the creation of a group chat where friendly fans and strangers could discuss their knowledge of current K-Drama situations.
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The webinar, which was conducted in two parts, featured five interesting speakers. The first day saw Lee Young-hoon (from the Korea Creative Content Agency) and Kim Hee-yeol (from Pan Entertainment), joined by the President of the Cinemalaya Foundation, Laurice Guillen, to discuss K-Drama production.
The second day of the webinar — wherein scriptwriting was discussed — welcomed the Executive Director of Korea TV & Radio Writers Association, Kim Yoon-young, as well as Chairman of the Digital Film Program at the school of design and arts at De La Salle College of St. Benilde, Jose Javier "Joey" Reyes.
There was plenty of insight to be gained from these renowned speakers. Kim Yoon-young and Kim Hee-yeol both noted that the plot was at the forefront of most K-Dramas. This investment towards creative effort — be it in crafting original stories or adapting ones from famous webtoons (online graphic novels) — is what makes K-Drama storylines so absorbing. As Kim Hee-yeol puts it, these shows also reflect familiar situations that people can relate to. "[It gives us a chance to look back on our behaviours and the current situation," she said.
The overlapping themes of various K-Dramas were also discussed. Lee Young-hoon, Laurice Guillen, and Joey Reyes all pointed out that themes present in the shows have an overlap in most Asian cultures. Filial piety, love, and the triumph of good over evil are often discussed or portrayed in multiple episodes. These, along with well-crated storylines and the strong support of the Korean government, is what the panellists attribute the K-Drama success to.
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The event has offered it's 1,600 viewers a perceptive window into what goes behind the scenes at most K-Drama productions. While stark contrasts have been made between the entertainment industries of both countries, it's only inspired more people to work on more collaborative projects that aim to showcase both cultures' creativity.
Don't worry if you missed out on the webinar. The KCC has promised to create more exciting events that will help develop the local talent industry. To stay updated with these, you may visit:
Website: phil.korean-culture.org
Facebook: facebook.com/KoreanCulturalCenterPH
Twitter: twitter.com/kccphil
Instagram: instagram.com/kccphil
Youtube: youtube.com/kccphil