I recently read an article about Hallyu fandom in the Philippines which says that Filipino fans tend to be either of these three: an active fan, a stagnant fan, or a retired fan.

According to the researcher Gilbert Que, these three types of fans have developed in the Philippines since Hallyu started in our country in 2003. Simply put, different types of Filipino fans have grown in and out of Hallyu since this Korean phenomenon has taken the country by storm more than a decade ago. These are, according to Que, active fans, stagnant fans, and retired fans.

Active fans continue to stream in, to spazz around their favorite K-dramas and K-pop idols, and to savor each and every information they get about their favorite Hallyu stars (or “bias” if it’s a K-pop idol group) and subject matters of interest (some go geeky over saguek or historical Korean dramas, rom-com films, etc.) on the internet. Active fans devote themselves to buying authentic K-pop merch, DVD boxed sets of their favorite Korean TV dramas, saving up for concert tickets, and building their schedule around their idol’s own schedule. They deftly defend their idols against criticism and they also dream of going to Korea—if they aren’t living there yet either as an international student or worker.

Stagnant fans behave like active fans who spazz over their idols and devote a good part of their waking lives to making sure their idols are happy, except for one key difference. That is, stagnant fans tend to stick to their original “bias” (or “biases”, as the case may be). They either don’t venture out anymore to finding and discovering other new idol groups or they don’t actively wait for the next episode of a new K-drama on the internet anymore. Rather, they just wait for it to be shown on Philippine TV many months later, dubbed in our native language.

And finally, there are the retired fans who simply quit the ritual of discovering new Korean music groups or dramas and spazzing daily. Either they grow out of the fandom and choose more “grown-up” stuff like careers or grad school or find another entirely different and new fandom to devote their energies to.

Reading about these different types of fans made me think of my own fandom. Who am I now as a Hallyu fan? What is my fandom? Where is my fandom?

Active K-drama fan, I am

I started my Hallyu fandom with Korean TV dramas in the early 2000s when they started airing on Philippine television. And then I got impatient with the slow-ish pace of airing these dramas in my country many months later. I wanted to see these dramas close to the same time as they are aired in Korea, so I resorted to seeking fansubbed versions of these K-dramas on internet streaming sites.

The easy and speedy access I have on various K-dramas, both old and new, exposed me to the wealth of K-dramas available for viewing. And for free! There’s always something new to watch. Even old K-dramas, seem “new” to a foreign Korean Studies geek like me. Plus, these dramas help me learn the Korean language, especially in familiarizing me with the sound of the language as well as the slang words and expressions.

Many complain about the various tropes and clichés embedded in these dramas. But for me, these tropes are an interesting way to learn about and examine Korean culture and society. From old dramas to new dramas, you definitely see a clear reflection of Korea. I like!

Stagnant K-pop fan, I am

There are some K-pop groups that I still like. For example, Big Bang and 2NE1. I really got into the duo of GD & Top years ago. I used to “stalk” Kim HeeChul (of Super Junior fame) on his Twitter account and I actively sought out fan translations in English of whatever he said online, back when I had zero knowledge of Korean.

But with the sheer number of K-pop groups coming out, like most stagnant fans, I find it hard to keep up. It’s also becoming hard for me to differentiate these new groups from each other. So I stick to the ones I like.

Recently, I began liking the young duo Akdong Musician because they seem like a breath of fresh air. Their music is fun and light, but you can definitely hear so much talent in their voices. It’s a group that sets itself apart from idol groups. I like.

Active K-Film fan, I am

Korean films, like Korean dramas, are a constant source of fun for me. Like K-dramas, there’s always something new Korean film to watch. And like K-dramas, even old Korean films seem “new” to a foreign Korean Studies geek like me.

From blockbuster movies to well-made films, I love seeing various aspects of Korean culture and society reflected in these films.

I love seeing Joseon society in director Im Kwon Taek’s classic films, as well as the highly stylized way Kim Jee Woon and Park Chan Wook show contemporary Korean society. And then there are the various indie films that bravely explore little-talked-about problems and issues in Korea like O Muel’s “Jiseul”and Lee Ji Seung’s “Azooma”, which further provide insight into this foreign country that we love.

Active fan of moving pictures, I am

Taking all of these into account, it seems like I am an active fan of moving pictures. I don’t get tired of watching K-dramas and K-films simply because there’s always something new to watch, enjoy, and learn from. Old becomes new to my foreign eyes, and the new shed a bright ray of light to my understanding of Korea. This is why I am still, after all these years, an active fan of Korean TV dramas and Korean films.

By Mitzie Correa
Worldwide Korea Blogger for the Korea Blog

About the Author
Michelle Camille Correa is a Filipino graduate student, majoring in Korean Studies in a university in Thailand and a university in Korea. When people ask her why this roundabout way of learning about Korea, her reply often would be, "Because it sounded like a good idea at the time." When she's not buried in books, she watches Korean TV dramas and movies on the internet. She is deeply indebted to fan subbers whose extreme dedication allows language dummies like her to enjoy K-dramas with ease.