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Does Popularity of Korean TV Shows Boost Sales Abroad?

Image Courtesy: The Korea Times

Personally, I love watching Korean dramas. I'm an especially big fan of historical dramas because they give me an easy way to learn about Korean history (though they're not always 100% accurate). That is why I loved watching Daejanggeum, one of the most popular Korean historical TV dramas, which tells the story of an orphaned kitchen cook who becomes the first female physician to the king.

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While I was a giant fan of this TV series, I honestly didn't expect it to become so popular in other countries as well. Apparently this drama became the number one show in Iran and gained popularity in other Middle Eastern countries as well.

This is an impressive record but who would expect that Korean drama fever would lead to increased sales of products from Korean brands? According to an article in the The Korea Times, it is a natural phenomenon as people who watch Korean dramas would want to buy the clothes that actors wore on shows and also use the same electronic appliances as well.

I understand the argument about the clothes but appliances too? In Iran after the success of a Korean drama in 2007, exports for Korean TVs, refrigerators and cosmetics goods increased more than 50 percent year-on-year!

Perhaps these shows helped to cast Korean in a new light for people who live thousands of kilometers away. TV dramas provided a glimpse inside of this technology-savvy culture, showing not only the level of technological sophistication but also deeper cultural traits like attention to detail and a high-level of customer service.

While Daejanggeum might have started this trend, it seems that this is not going to slow down anytime soon. Now. K-pop is gaining popularity and is expected to help fuel this phenomenon.

About the author by Sophie Choi

Born in Korea and raised on three different continents, I have always been enthusiastic to share the uniqueness of Korean culture and design. On top of that, the advanced level of Korean technology makes me proud to call myself Korean and motivates me to spread technology related news to more people around the world. The list of things I like (and like to do) is endless: Facebooking, Cooking, Gummy jellies, Lilies... and it goes on.

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