The major German daily Suddeutsche Zeitung (SZ) on Feb. 22 said in the article titled "Japan's hidden desire" that hit Korean dramas in Japan are helping improve strained ties between both countries. (Screenshot from SZ homepage)

By Elena Kubitzki and Peter Kim

The major German daily Suddeutsche Zeitung (SZ) says the huge popularity of Korean dramas in Japan is helping improve Korean-Japanese relations.

The SZ on Feb. 22 said, "The love of the Japanese for Korean entertainment is completely different from the political reality," adding, "Korea and Japan are fighting over history, territory and economy, but the love of Korean dramas by the Japanese shows the latter's hidden desire."

"The characteristics of Koreans as seen in dramas might be what Japanese long for."

The daily said, "Koreans, who honestly express their feelings, and Japanese, who hide their feelings, are very different," adding, "Korean dramas are products showing the personalities that Japanese want."

"In Japan, people forget the politics of reality by watching Korean dramas," it said. "Japan's younger generation is not involved in its older generation's disputes over history."

The SZ said viewers just want both countries to have good relations and that Korean dramas "are helping in serving as the best form of cultural exchange."

The newspaper mentioned the hit K-drama "Crash Landing on You," which ran from December 2019 to February last year on TVN. Starring top Hallyu stars Hyun Bin, Son Ye-jin, Kim Jung-hyun and Seo Ji-hye, the drama topped Netflix Japan's list of the "top 10 most talked about works of 2020."

elenakubi@korea.kr