By Honorary Reporter Volga Serin Suleymanoglu from Turkiye(Turkey)

While working for a company's team that makes Turkish adaptations of Korean dramas, I met screenwriter Melis Veziroglu Yilmaz. A 2003 graduate of Bilgi University with a double major in cinema TV and public relations, she has worked as a screenwriter since 2013. 

In an interview conducted via email in October, Yilmaz discussed her interest in Korean culture and her job of adapting K-dramas into Turkish TV series.

When did you first get interested in Korean culture?
As a university student, I got a job in 2002 at the airport during the FIFA World Cup soccer finals co-hosted by Korea. Once I met Koreans, whom I consider the most respectful and appreciative people in the world, I fell in love with their country. I find Korea an extremely beautiful country to live in because of the people and their love for order, technology, and existence of the greens and blue of nature. But not until 2015 did I discover Korean dramas.

What about Korea surprised you?
I was moved by an old janitor at Incheon International Airport singing the Turkish folk song "While Going to Uskudar." He told me with tears in his eyes about Turkish soldiers who fought in the Korean War.

Why do you think Turkish adaptations of Korean dramas do well?
The two cultures have many similarities such as customs, traditions and family dynamics like relations between the older and younger generations. This provides a lot of material for screenwriters to tell stories.

Length of episode is one of the differences between dramas of both countries. K-dramas are usually 40-60 minutes per episode while a Turkish drama tends to run longer at 120-150 minutes. 

And I find Korean love stories much more romantic and pure than Turkish ones. When writing adaptation scripts, I try to keep the characters as similar as possible but localize them to the maximum extent.

What are your thoughts on Korean literature and K-pop as a screenwriter?
They are the rising stars of the times.

What advice would you give to people in both countries seeking jobs in creative fields?
Everyone plays soccer in their neighborhoods but those who put their minds to it play for pro teams. If your work is something you truly love, you will never get tired of life.

kalhong617@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.