“I might appear to be distant from K-dramas. The fact is, I’m a huge fan.”
As Korean entertainment continues to thrill audiences around the world, K-dramas and movies are experiencing swelling popularity like never before. Oscar-winning movie Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite” received the Golden Globe Awards in 2020, and Park Chan-wook’s “Decision to Leave” has been nominated for the 2023 Golden Globe. While K-dramas have been cherished by huge communities of fans in Asia for years, with their exciting plot lines, heart-stirring romances and unique show concepts, they are now a sought-after, popular content genre that enthralls global audiences from all sorts of backgrounds regardless of age or ethnicity.
To shine a spotlight on the diversity of the fandom, CJ Newsroom sat down with a huge K-drama fan from the U.S. with a rather ‘unique’ background to learn what in particular makes the genre so appealing. Meet Elbert Leon Meyer Junior: a 69-year-old American and a self-proclaimed K-drama fan whose background may not immediately suggest so.
CJ Newsroom: You have a very interesting background. Could you tell us a little about yourself and your background?
Leon: My name is Elbert Leon Meyer Junior, but I go by Leon. I am a huge fan of K-dramas, but my background might appear to be quite distant from such an interest. Born and raised in Midwestern United States -Kansas, I am a former Air Force veteran, and I also worked for major energy companies like Shell as a computer programmer for around 30 years.
CJ Newsroom: Wow! During that time, it seems you didn’t have any connection to K-dramas or Korean culture. When was the first moment you encountered and fell in love with a K-drama?
Leon: My prior experiences in the Air Force and working at the energy companies definitely didn’t have any connection with romance dramas. The first K-drama I watched was a romantic comedy recommended by my wife, who is Korean. What attracted me to K-dramas was my fascination with the differences between Korean and American culture and the Korean mindset.
CJ Newsroom: Perhaps your past experiences, including your time in the military, have given you a unique perspective on K-dramas and brought you to like them. What makes K-dramas special to you?
Leon: K-dramas are not merely entertaining, but they are relatable. When I was young, I was shy when girls were around. Similar to this, it was interesting to see how K-dramas often portray Koreans as cautious and preserved when it comes to expressing their romantic feelings.
This could explain why my favorite show is “Mr. Sunshine.” While watching, I could relate to the main character, who is an officer in the American military, as he acts awkward when his sweetheart is around. The drama gives a plethora of historical information and involves misunderstandings arising from the characters not fully expressing their romantic feelings. Overall, the show is very enjoyable and in fact, I frequently recommend this show to my friends and family.
CJ Newsroom: That’s great that you were able to connect with the show while watching it. While watching K-dramas, what aspects of Korean culture have you learned about? Did watching K-dramas help you develop an interest in Korean food, the language or lifestyle?
Leon: I’ve learned about the value of their family structure and respect for their elders, which is prominent in Asian cultures. I also love Korean food – before watching K-dramas, I already liked the foods and Korean food brands, like bibigo Mandu, thanks to my wife. I would love to learn the Korean language one day so I could understand what is actually being said instead of relying on subtitles.
CJ Newsroom: That’s wonderful and sounds like a great plan. Could you tell us some of your other favorite K-dramas?
Leon: There are many. I have watched almost a hundred Korean shows and I’m still adding to my list, so I cannot just pick one. But if I may share a few, here are some of the ones I have enjoyed the most:
“It’s Okay To Not Be Okay”
This is a wonderfully emotional drama about the blossoming relationship between a warm-hearted psych ward employee and an ill-tempered children’s book author.
“Hotel Del Luna”
While I’m generally not a fan of horror stories, this show about a hotel for ghosts was both playful and enjoyable.
“Romance Is A Bonus Book”
The work culture themes that this drama explored were very interesting to learn about. The main concept is focused on an older woman getting an entry-level job at a publishing company and navigating the corporate world.
“Search WWW”
This drama seemed to be a take on modern romance and work culture. The main protagonist of this drama is a very competitive woman in her 30s who works at a large web portal company. She meets a younger man, who works at the same company, and he ends up falling in love with her.
“Vincenzo”
This drama was fast-paced and thrilling to watch, I couldn’t keep my eyes off of it. The story showcases a Korean-Italian man who works for the Mafia, something that I wasn’t very familiar with, so it was fascinating to learn about through this drama.
“Reply 1988”
Shows that give the audience a glimpse of history are always fun to watch, and I was able to get a sense of what life in Korea was like in 1988 through this show.
“Memories Of The Alhambra”
The blending of reality and fantasy in this show was quite captivating. This K-drama also takes place in Spain so that added another interesting part to the show.
By sitting down with Leon, CJ Newsroom was able to learn about how the global K-drama fan community is diversifying at a remarkably fast pace. At the heart of this cultural boom is CJ ENM, a powerhouse in the entertainment industry and a leader in spearheading globally successful content.
In an effort to continue bringing K-content to all audiences around the world, CJ ENM acquired U.S based content producer Endeavor Content earlier in 2022,which was later rebranded as Fifth Season.
Besides partnering with Netflix and Apple TV+, CJ ENM recently launched their branded channel ‘About K-Content by CJ ENM’ on The Roku Channel, ‘K-Contents by CJ ENM’ on Pluto TV, ‘CJ ENM Picks’ on Peacock and ‘CJ ENM Selects’ on Apple TV. Through the partnerships, Korean content will further spread throughout the globe, helping to win the hearts of diverse audiences.
As it continues to captivate audiences with its wide range of entertainment, CJ aims to create content that will enthrall viewers around the world from a variety of backgrounds and from all walks of life.
