Down the ‘K’ rabbit hole

These days, most people would probably know someone who recently got baptized into the world of K-pop, K-drama, K-beauty, and just about anything Korean. Thanks to the 3S — social media, streaming, and subtitles — access to non-English content has become much easier to obtain now more than ever, slowly pulling people into the “K” (Korean) rabbit hole.

The usual first step is to get hooked on a South Korean drama. Someone out of the K-loop would probably chance upon highlights of a show shared on social media, see recommended Korean titles on streaming sites, or hear about a specific series from their circle. Soon, most of these “I-was-only-forced-to-watch-this-show” viewers would casually scout the internet for behind-the-scenes videos and interviews. The fixation on the show and its cast would just keep growing as the show nears its finale. As part of the withdrawal process from finishing a drama, these viewers would probably play songs from the show’s soundtrack on repeat. Once content from the show starts to run dry, new K-drama converts would go on to watch other titles featuring the same cast or start on other K-dramas in the same genre. For many Filipinos before and during the lockdown, “Crash Landing on You” became their breakthrough K-drama. The show became intensely famous in the country, with its leads Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin even landing local endorsement deals.