European students fascinated by K-drama

By John Redmond

Rianne van Buren poses at the Hakata Backpackers Hostel in Fukuoka, Japan, during her K-drama experience tour. / Courtesy of John Redmond

The spread of Korean pop culture in Europe is well documented in the number of fans flocking to concerts and meetups throughout the continent.

What is less known is some fans seek out the real side of Korean TV shows and chart hits.

Inspired by a love of period K-dramas, Dutch interior designer Rianne van Buren and a group of friends set out to explore Korea, Japan and China in a search for the origins of these dramas.

First taking an interest in Korean popular culture through her older brother’s love of Japanese anime and comic books, van Buren happened upon K-dramas and K-pop about five years ago, which were big in Belgium at that time.

Not a big fan of local music, the Dutch national took an interest in K-pop, leading to the discovery of K-dramas.

“I’m a real drum and bass music lover, but I was fascinated by the power of the performances. This led to me finding out about the TV shows some of the stars are in,” van Buren said while in Japan.

“This in turn sparked my interest in the culture. I wanted to get beyond the TV shows and see it for myself.”

There are many events and Facebook groups dotted around Europe where participants enjoy participating in Korean cultural events. Though not large by Korean standards, members have formed a network of thousands of members.

“Last year we had Hallyu.con where we did everything from learning to speak Korean, to playing games of go-stop,” van Buren said.

Getting from Europe to Asia was not a problem, but what proved more difficult was coordinating with her friends.

“I’m here on my own (Japan) for a few more days. I will head back to Seoul next week and base myself in Hongdae. My friends will join me there and we will continue to explore Korean culture firsthand,” she said.

“The period pieces worked for me. They gave me a sense of history. I’m not a fan of soap operas. That’s what inspired me to check out Korea and Asia.”

Following her Asian sojourn, van Buren has her sights set on Russia.