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How Obsession with Korean Dramas Makes US Students Learn Korean?

Asian dramas became popular in the USA more than 5 years ago. Did you know that some 20 years ago TV novels from Latin America made people obsessed? They gathered families around a screen reliving extremely dramatized events with their favorite characters. Now it’s the era of switching off from any real-world responsibilities to watch Korean drama

What is fascinating about K-drama, is that major networks are not interested in translation and voicing these series. Their popularity hit off as K-pop fans were dedicated and did translations on their own. Thanks to their efforts, the estimated number of Korean series is at 18 million viewers in the USA only. 

Korean TV drama offers something utterly different from typical US broadcast. Since entertainment moved from TV to mobile devices, some networks were fast enough to create apps and issue completed seasons of shows like Netflix did. Others, we fine with moving their shows to YouTube. 

While TV catches up on these shifting trends, Korean series pose another threat stealing audience. Students are so addicted to binge-watching in college dorms going as far as putting their scholarship at stake. At least some of them remember to have PapersOwl cover outstanding assignments. You should too if you simply cannot stop watching, which we totally understand. 

K-Pop Successfully Takes Over West

For centuries, Western culture had a strong impact on Asia. And it’s only natural that countries like South Korea and Japan had to accept US influence. This was a matter of survival.

They have processed it and came back strong with their authentic product. Now the Western world seems to pay off with a growing interest in K-pop. 

Korea’s media product first tried to take over air time in China. One of the first K-show launched in 1997 had some 150 million viewers follow any developing event on screen. 15 years later global communities had fun dancing to an ever-present Gangnam style together. 

Now, there’s a large platform, DramaFever, streams Korean TV series to increasing English audience. Rena Liu, platform’s general manager, says that K-pop’s popularity is connected to presented storylines rather than its cultural aspect. 

Increased Demand for the Korean Language and Culture Studies among the US Students 

She also points out that the content simply resonates with any person regardless of their background. Having combined love drama, polished visuals and respectful Asian attitude, K media win viewers among young women aged 17-25. 

Since this age gap is associated with a period when people go to college, essay writing services gained popularity too. Korean series claim to be irresistible, so students prefer reading Papers Owl reviews and hiring a writer to help them finish their writing tasks instead of putting a show on pause and doing everything themselves.

Straight-forward expansion of Korean media products increased demand for studying the Korean language. The US universities reported an increase in the uptake of Korean language courses by 14%.

Duolingo, launched a Korean course back in 2017 attracting some 200,000 students interested in studies. 

Watching those short series already creates an introductory into a mystery of Korean culture. So, signing up for courses seems like a logical step.

It’s fair to say that Asian food and comics were primary in introducing East culture to the Western world. They also are driven by technological innovation, but their ways are very subtle. It is an effective contrast with bold and self-centered characters in the US and Europe. 

It’s a natural curiosity to learning. Besides, we have stimuli targeted at us from every corner. The downside of this trend is that it is hard for us to be surprised by anything. 

Fascinating Culture and a Lash Back of Obsession

East culture shifts perspectives from an egocentric outlook and introduces a society-centered community. Asian cultures are old, rich and nothing short of fascination for someone who has never been interested in anything outside their own country. 

The Canadian students have also joined a growing fandom of K-pop representing an increased interest in learning a new language. 

Despite the fact that fans claim that music, visuals, and refined content make them dedicate time to binge-watching shows, some people say that the Koreans are very effective with their marketing moves. Also, this country’s plastic surgery sphere has been booming for years now. As a result, we see polished appearances, a sort of real-life Snapchat filtered faces. We all have noticed the obsession with filters and Photoshop-twitched unrealistic looks on Instagram. Imagine these characters coming to life on their TV screens. 

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