jumong

I became aware of the relatively recent Korean pop culture wave (Hallyu) in Asia when I first visited Japan 6 years ago. Idols from K-pop and the Korean dramas had already been growing in popularity. I found it interesting considering the history between the two countries. But I was more amused when my uncles recently began professing their love for Koreanovellas. They bring portable DVD players on their travels to keep up with the plots. And now there is a wave of excitement in the Philippines for a historical Korean drama "Jumong" that recently premiered on the GMA network. I'm sure I'll hear all about it from my relatives in our next get together. Will Hallyu make an impact with other Americans? That was up for discussion at Harvard last winter.