The Korean connection

Sandara Park need not coach ABS-CBN Vice President for Program Acquisitions Leng Raymundo on how to speak Korean. The seasoned media practitioner has viewed enough Koreanovelas and gone to Seoul many times to buy canned imports she can grasp Korean words and speak them as well.

She describes the rise of the Koreanovela in more concrete terms. "The Philippines is the fourth largest Koreanovela buyer in Asia, next to Japan, China and Taiwan."

And since competition is tough, Leng knows developing rapport between her and Koreanovela producers is just as important as having money to buy their products. Months before she hies off to Seoul, Cannes, Japan or elsewhere to look for these canned shows, Leng gets a thick pile of fliers, info sheets, video trailers and other materials describing shows she is about to see.

These make it easier for her to narrow down her choices of what to buy for ABS-CBN viewers once she gets to the festival.

The arrangement is one of give and take, Leng states. Producers know they can’t price themselves out of the market. The Philippines needs new Koreanovelas in the prized primetime slots. So both parties find a happy middle ground.

That’s how the network was able to get Princess Lulu, Lovers in Paris, etc., shows that appeal to the Filipino’s penchant for young love, true and oh-so-pure.

"We’re like Koreans when it comes to love," concludes Leng. "We swoon when the girl fights for her man and he stands by her."

So she looks for the all-important kilig factor and touches of humor when she’s at the Mip TV and/or Mipcam festivals in Cannes, showcases of TV programs from all over the globe.

Once she’s made her choice, Leng negotiates and pays for acquisition rights (exact figures confidential). Then, the localization of the Koreanovela begins. Leng gets its English translation (the original script is in Korean), arranges the dubbing in the ABS studio and scouts for Filipino music to enhance the program.

She even makes sure voice talents they hire back home match the character whose lines they are dubbing. A timid character, for instance, calls for a shy, self-effacing person in real life. An aggressive one needs a dubber who radiates control, power even.

The pay-offs can be heartwarming. Koreanovelas have eclipsed Latinovelas like the all-time chart-topper Rosalinda in the ratings game. The fire and passion of those brown-haired Latina bombshells have long given way to the demure smiles and stolen glances of Korean lovers.

The Koreanovela boom offers not only a lesson on winning Pinoy audiences over. It also shows us a thing of two about helping the TV industry.

"The Korean government supports the TV industry. The homes there, for instance, are wired," observes Leng.

No wonder the Koreanovela is fast becoming one of the top exports on their side of the globe, with Asian networks trying to outdo each other in getting the canned shows.

About time we take the cue from our lucky Korean counterparts and hope – even by a long shot – that our government will follow suit.