K-dramas meet podcasts in Thailand

A scene from “Mr. Queen” / Courtesy of tvN

By Park Han-sol

Thanks to the global streaming platforms Netflix, YouTube and Viu ― a Hong Kong-based over-the-top (OTT) provider serviced in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa ― the popularity of Korean entertainment, especially K-dramas, continues to soar in Thailand.

K-dramas have become trendy, everyday conversation starters for many people in the Southeast Asian country. And recently, they have also begun to move in on the local podcast scene, according to a recent report by Bang Ji-hyun, a correspondent in Thailand for the Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE).

One such podcast is “Korseries Podcast” launched in December last year by Thailand's popular Korean entertainment news website Korseries.com.

By looking into the number of Korea's latest hits, including “True Beauty,” “My ID is Gangnam Beauty,” “Sweet Home” and “Start-Up,” the weekly program explores a range of topics from Korea's creative industry, culture, food and economy.

Led by the three hosts ― Soft, founder of the website Korseries, Lookwa and Air ― the podcast offers more than just a casual review of K-dramas as it aims to analyze each show from a larger sociocultural context.

As a result, “True Beauty” becomes a catalyst for a discussion on Korea's beauty standards and the development of cosmetic surgery, while “Start-Up” paves the way for a conversation on Korea's top startups, including Coupang and Woowa Brothers Corp. The program also investigates a series of webtoons adapted onto the small screen ― “The Uncanny Counter” and “Itaewon Class” among others ― to take a look at Korea's web comic industry.

The Standard, a local online news agency, has also rolled out a new podcast series called “Watch Series to be Serious” dedicated to Korean dramas on its YouTube channel with more than 100,000 subscribers.

Under the theme of “Introducing Korean Series Worth Watching for the First Half of the Year 2021,” two hosts ― The Standard reporter Jermsiri Lueangsupaporn, whose articles focus on analyzing the general Korean entertainment scene, and freelance editor Eddie Sophon ― examine the historical and social matters interwoven in dramatic narratives that may be unfamiliar to those outside of Korea.

Launched last month, the series currently consists of six episodes, each revolving around a particular show: “Mr. Queen,” “Reply 1988,” “The Penthouse” series, “18 Again,” “Sisyphus: The Myth,” and “Beyond Evil.”

As its speakers delve into the modern history of Korea in the 1980s through “Reply 1988” or broach the subject of quantum physics and time travel through “Sisyphus: The Myth” in an insightful yet entertaining way, the podcast has been slowly gaining ground, with its first episode on “Mr. Queen” attracting over 50,000 views.

But one issue that could arise from the birth of these podcasts is the difficulty of confirming and fact-checking the information being discussed by the speakers, who are often not Korean natives, correspondent Bang cautioned. Such concerns could become especially relevant during discussions on complex Korean historical backgrounds spurred by popular period dramas such as “Mr. Queen.”