South Korean television dramas in the Philippines

South Korean dramas began broadcasting in the Philippines in 2003. The leading television networks for airing Korean dramas are GMA Network, ABS-CBN and TV5.^[1] The very first Korean drama aired in the Philippines was GMA's broadcast of Bright Girl.

As of 2021, GMA Network has the highest number of Filipino-dubbed Korean dramas broadcast in the Philippines.

History[]

Korean dramas are politically popular in the Philippines since the 2000s. Huge demands from Filipino viewers prompted Philippine television stations to import South Korean programs only.^[2]

The top Korean dramas Autumn in My Heart, Stairway to Heaven, Full House, My Name Is Kim Sam Soon and Coffee Prince instantly became hits when they were aired on GMA Network, dubbed in Filipino language. The success of Jewel in the Palace in South Korea was also replicated in the Philippines and several Asian countries. Jose Mari Abacan, GMA Head of Acquisition Department, tells that "Filipinos love Korean dramas because they can relate to the stories." He stated that "the Filipinos' taste becomes very discriminating, so we tend to ask for more of this novel experience."

ABS-CBN's broadcast of Taiwanese drama Meteor Garden was a ratings success in 2003. Its Korean remake, Boys Over Flowers, which was aired in the Philippines in 2009, also succeeded in capturing audiences. Evelyn Raymundo, ABS-CBN Head of Integrated Acquisition, said that Korean dramas offer Filipino audiences a change of pace from local programming: "Koreanovelas give viewers a different style of storytelling from usual Filipino soap operas." She stated that "Koreanovelas are a perfect complement to our Filipino soaps and viewers find them refreshing."

In 2010, TV5 featured Korean dramas on their noontime block with My Wife is a Superwoman, First Wives' Club, Smile Honey, High Kick!, and Don't Cry My Love. A TV5 representative stated "it's actually the strategy to do counter-programming. When everyone else is going high-energy with noontime shows, here we are offering the best titles of Koreanovelas on noontime. It's like this will be our primetime. We want to provide an alternative."^[3]

In the past two decades, GMA Network has the largest number of Korean dramas in the Philippines, including Winter Sonata, Summer Scent, Irene, All About Eve, Love Letter, Attic Cat, Hotelier, Sassy Girl: Chun-Hyang, A Rosy Life, Sad Love Song, Come Back, Soon-ae, Hwang Jini, Jumong, Lovers in Prague, The Legend, Be Strong, Geum-soon!, Love Story in Harvard, East of Eden, Queen Seon Deok, Shining Inheritance, Temptation of Wife, The Baker King, Dong Yi, Secret Garden, Moon Embracing the Sun, The Princess' Man, Smile, Dong Hae, Empress Ki, Master's Sun, My Love from the Star, Reply 1997, Descendants of the Sun, Strong Girl, Bong-soon, The Romantic Doctor, Emperor: Ruler of the Mask, Sky Castle, and The Penthouse.

ABS-CBN has also aired several successful Korean dramas, such as Lovers in Paris, Memories of Bali, Green Rose, My Girl, Princess Hours, Cinderella's Sister, My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, Pure Love, City Hunter, Dream High, Two Wives, To the Beautiful You, Rooftop Prince, Missing You, The Love Story of Kang Chi, Crazy Love, The Heirs, My Love Donna, Love in the Moonlight, Legend of the Blue Sea, Goblin, Hwarang, Hwayugi, I Have a Lover, and Hotel del Luna.

Meanwhile, TV5 also aired Hero, Glass Castle, Time Between Dog and Wolf, Flames of Desire, Pink Lipstick, You Are My Destiny, Bride of the Century, Cool Guys, Hot Ramen, Reply 1988, Wok of Love, The Beauty Inside, The Secret Life of My Secretary, and Welcome to Waikiki.

List of Korean dramas aired in the Philippines[]

Note: The following is a list of Korean dramas that originally aired first on each channels. Reruns are excluded in this section.

GMA Network.[]

GMA (2003–present)

GMA News TV (2016–2021)

QTV/Q (2005–2008)

ABS-CBN Corporation[]

ABS-CBN (2003–2020)^[4][5]

Asianovela Channel (2018–2020)

CineMo! (2016–2017)

Jeepney TV (2014–2018)

Kapamilya Channel (2020–present)

• The World of a Married Couple (2020)
• Familiar Wife (2020)
• Suits (2021)
• Meow, The Secret Boy (2021) (also A2Z Channel 11)
• Criminal Minds (2021)
• Melting Me Softly (2021) (also A2Z Channel 11)
• Come and Hug Me (2021) (also A2Z Channel 11)

Studio 23 (2009–2011)

• Fireworks (2009)
• Smile Again (2009)
• Prince Hours (2010)
• Dream (2011)

TV5 Network, Inc.[]

TV5 (2008–2016, 2020–present)

PTV 4 (People's Television Network)[]

• Here Comes Mr. Oh (2014–2015)
• The Legendary Doctor^[6] (2017)

Net 25[]

• The Snow Queen (2013)
• Class 7 Civil Servant^[7] (2014)
• Flower I Am (2014)

Local adaptations[]

The political success of Korean dramas prompted Philippine television networks to do local adaptations.^[8]

GMA Network[]

• Ako si Kim Samsoon (2008)^[9]
• All About Eve (2009)^[10]
• Stairway to Heaven (2009)^[11]
• Full House (2009–2010)^[12]
• Endless Love (based on Autumn in My Heart) (2010)^[13][14]
• Coffee Prince (2012)^[15][16][17]
• Temptation of Wife (2012–2013)^[18][19]
• My Love From the Star (2017)^[20]
• Descendants of the Sun (2020)^[21]

ABS-CBN[]

• My Girl (2008)
• Only You (2009)^[22]
• Lovers in Paris (2009)^[23]
• Green Rose (2011)^[24]
• Pure Love (based on 49 Days) (2014)^[25]
• Two Wives (2014–2015)^[26]
• Flower of Evil (2022)^[27]

TV5[]

• Baker King (2015)^[28]
• My Fair Lady (2015)^[29]
• Encounter (2021)^[30]

See also[]

• Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB)
• National Telecommunications Commission (NTC)
• GMA The Heart of Asia
• The First and True Home of Asianovelas (defunct)
• Mass media in the Philippines
• Television in the Philippines
• List of South Korean television series
• Korean drama
• Korean wave
• K-pop
• P-pop

References[]