Saranghae Korea

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Department of Education Approves Teaching Korean Language in Public High Schools in the Philippines

Signing of agreement to teach Koeran Language in Philippine Public High Schools
Photo credit to: Department of Education Facebook Page

The Department of Education of the Philippine Government has just signed an agreement with the Korean Embassy to make Korean Language available in public high school of Philippine Education. With the Presence of Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones and undersecretary Dina Ocampo, the Korean Ambassador to the Philippines together with First Secretary Lee Jincheol have favored the said agreement as it can greatly help Filipino who want to learn the Korean language for any purposes. The Korean language learning will be made available through the Special Program in Foreign Language (SPFL).

The availability of this program is an advantage to those who dream to work in South Korea. More and more Filipinos are dreaming of going to Korea for work, however, one of the most basic requirements to work in Korea is to learn their language first. There are several Korean Language Training Centers in the Philippines but due to the cost of training, some could not afford to enroll. With the availability of Korean Language learning in high school, aspirants may not need to enroll in private language training center because they can learn it already in their respective schools.

Kdrama fans can also benefit from this because they no longer need to rely on subtitles in watching their favorite Korean drama. Of course, the ability to speak the language of their oppa can make an ultimate fangirling experience.
The Philippines, aside from the dialects, can speak Filipino and English. I guess it’s high time to add one more language and learning Korean could be an interesting idea. What do you think?

This Giant Library is Inside a Mall! Find Out How Big is the Starfield Library and the Number of Books It Contains

Two of the three giant bookshelves in the library

Bookworms in South Korea, you will definitely love this Starfield Library located at the Starfield Coex Mall in Gangnam. It’s such a huge library you can invite the whole class to come with you and study in this library. Now, take this!

You should never underestimate this library because even if it’s inside a mall, it takes an area of up to 2,800 square meters. Good thing Starfield COEX is a giant mall that it can even accommodate a giant library such as this. I considered it giant because it consists of three 13 meters tall bookshelves that handle about 50,000 books and magazines.

Some of the 50 000 books in the library

There are also magazines available for everybody to read. There are about 600 different titles from different parts of the world. So don’t be surprised if you see not only English magazines but also Japanese and Chinese. However, most of the books are written in Korean. Although the book title is in English, when you open it, it is all written in Hangeul. So if you don’t understand Korean, reading these books maybe a little bit challenging for you.

Sporting the Harry Potter series in Korean version

Since we can’t fully understand the context of a Korean book, we just toured inside the library because for me, it can pass as a cultural attraction especially for the tourists. The moment I entered, I realized that a lot of Koreans are into book despite the advent of ebooks and kindle. It’s a library open for everybody for free, so everybody can read anything they want inside the library. There are study tables where you can sit, relax and enjoy reading the book of your choice. I tried to look around and I saw nothing but books and people reading the books. I felt like a fish in the water because it is definitely my world. I somehow associated it with that scene in Beauty and the Beast where the Beast showed Belle his magnificent collection in a dusty and lonely giant library. I felt like I was Belle, but realized that I’m a guy, so I just admired the place without channeling Belle as a book lover.

Playing with the books

Although the library was crowded when we went there, people were generally silent as they’re all busy in their readings. It’s shameful to admit but I guess our group was the bearer of noise in the area since we just went there to tour. Famous book collections like the Harry Potter Series and Narnia were also available for read and as much as we want to read them all, we just can’t because it’s been translated into Korean.

Study area

I like how they put style on the bookshelves and their reading tables and chairs. It’s not just an ordinary library because they invested in the amenities like the e-book system. They see to it that this giant library can offer a conducive place for everybody to not only read and study but also to relax absolutely free of charge!

Magazine collectiom

If you want to go there, you take Seoul Subway Line number 2 (the green line) and get off at Samsung Station. Go to Exit 6 and just follow the underground passageway which is connected to the Starfield COEX Mall at floor B1-1F within Central Plaza.

Monday, June 19, 2017

Will There Be An Increase for Minimum Wage in Korea This 2018?

The Minimum Wage Commission has began the talk about the minimum wage in Korea this coming 2018. In the past years, there’s a constant hike in the wages of the workers in Korea. In 2015, minimum wage has increased by 7.1 percent. In 2016, it has increased by 8.1 percent, the highest increase since 2008. Last year, it was further increased by 7.3 percent making an hourly rate of KRW 6,470.

According to the report of the Korea Herald, the commission comprises of 27 representatives from businesses, workers and the government has started the talk about adjusting the lower limit of wages for next year. There’s no final decision yet as of this moment as they are trying to weigh things and make sure that both workers and business owners will benefit from this decision.

The Korea Employers Federation said that there’s a need for stabilization for minimum wage increase as it has rapidly risen in the past years. The increase may affect workers as this may be the reason of job loss and at the same time this will also affect other factors such as production cost and businesses will suffer.

The nation’s trade union on the other hand has claimed that there’s a need for a minimum wage increase to improve the living conditions of low income workers. They also believe that wage hike can boost the economy of the country as this will improve consumer spending.

The decision will be finalized on June 29, 2017. The Moon Administration would like to achieve a 10,000 KRW per hour minimum wage by 2020 which is only possible if they increase the wage at the rate of 15.7 percent per year.

Thursday, June 15, 2017

The NAKED Truth About Korea’s Jjimjilbang(찜질방)

The common room in the Jjimjilbang
Scene from the TV series Twenty Again

I guess the bravest thing I ever did in South Korea is to participate in a public bath completely naked. The first time I heard about Jjimjilbang, I was told that everybody inside the room must go naked, and I deliberately decided right at that instant to never ever go to that room, like ever in my life. Why would I go naked in the public? No way!

However, when you live in South Korea, there’s no way you can escape the chance to try the Jjimjilbang. I was on my weekend trip somewhere down south when the train suddenly stopped and the voice prompt advised everyone to get off the train because it’s already 12 midnight and subway operation will be shut down. I was worried because I’m far from where I lived and I have no place to stay. I don’t want to spend extra money for a hotel or motel room, so the only option is to find a jjimjilbang where I can spend the night. That was the start of my Jjimjilbang shenanigans and it has opened my eyes to all the naked truth about it.

Koreans call it Jjimjilbang, but usually, the building where it is located has the word “SAUNA” written on their sign boards. If you go on a trip all over Korea, you will find hundreds or even thousands of Saunas. This is how important it is in South Korea. While it is awkward to go all out naked and share a bath tub with the naked strangers, Koreans find this thing normal.

Usually, this is how the set up inside a jjimjilbang. When you enter the building, you must go to the counter first to pay. The entrance fee ranges from 8000 won($8) up to 15000 won ($15), the price depends on the size of the sauna and the popularity. Some examples of expensive saunas in Seoul are Siloam and Dragon Hill Spa, these are the most popular ones but also expensive. After you paid, they will give you your uniform. Yes, there’s a uniform and it is usually a pair of short pants and a shirt. Don’t expect too much though because several people had worn them before, so sometimes you will get a jaded and loose shirt but they’re generally clean.

After you got your uniform, you should go to the shoe locker, this is where you should leave your shoes. And then proceed to the bigger lockers where you should leave all your belongings including the clothes you are wearing. You only have one key and one locker, so you must take care of it and make sure you locked your own locker.

This is how the locker room usually looks like
Scene from the TV series: Legen of the Blue Sea

After you get yourself all out naked, proceed to the bath room. Please note that the room for girls is different from boys (Of course!!!), so make sure you enter the right room, or else, it would be completely chaos! When you enter the bathing area, you will see naked men scrubbing each other’s naked body. I don’t know about the girls’ room because I’ve never been there, lol, but as for the guys, you should not freak out if you see a man touching and scrubbing another man’s body. Chances are, they could be father and son, or brothers or just friends. As awkward as it may sounds, for Koreans, it’s part of their culture. They believe that being naked in the same room with your friends or a family member will strengthen the bond between each other.

Friends, acquaintances, family members go all out naked in the sauna
Scene from TV series Perseverance Goo Hae Ra

Aside from that, you will also see a massage corner where a half naked ahjussi either massaging or scrubbing somebody’s naked body, and yes, including that thing down there. Ahjussi’s goal is to clean everything in your body. Some are on the shower, others are on the bath tub with different water temperatures ranging from 25 degrees celcius up to 50 degrees celcius. You just have to choose where you are comfortable depending on how hot your body can tolerate. Soaking your body into hot water is very beneficial to the health, so that’s one of the reasons why Koreans are into Jjimjilbang. Inside the bath room, you can freely use the soap, the toothpaste and the towel, but you must bring your own toothbrush and shampoo because oftentimes, they’re not provided.

This is how the sleeping area usually looks like
Scene from the TV series:Legend of the Blue Sea

After the public bathing, you can now wear the uniform provided when you entered. You can then proceed to the sleeping area. The sleeping room is common for both girls and boys. This is also an area where all family members or group of friends meet after taking a bath. This area is supposed to be quiet but most often than not, the common room tends to be so noisy. Good thing most of the jjimjilbang provide different kinds of room with different “healing powers”. Some rooms are too hot that it can take all the liquid out of your body. Some have pebbles where you can lie down and relax. Some have salts and there’s even a room with an ice. If you want to get just normal sleep, you can find some normal corner where you can spread the mat they provided and just sleep. Please note that amenities from one Jjimjilbang are different from another. As I’ve said, prices vary, so if you pay only around 8000 won, don’t expect that much. The expensive ones have a lot to offer though. Some Jjimjilbangs have canteen, gymnasium, arcade room and a little store where you can buy shampoo, shaves, drinks, and most of all, the ever famous boiled eggs. The boiled eggs in Jjimjilbang are different than the ordinary ones. You will know it when you eat it. Haha…… Note also that there are no beds, no blankets and no pillows in the sleeping area. There are sleeping mats provided and small cushions which you can use as a pillow.

The small store you can usually see in Jjimjilbang
Scene from the TV series: Legend of The Blue Sea

When you are inside the jjimjilbang, here are the DON’Ts that you must remember:

1. Don’t make an eye contact with other naked men inside the public bath.

2. Don’t leave your locker key anywhere, they usually put a band on every key, so wear it like a wrist band and make sure it never leaves your hands.

3. Don’t charge your phone at random outlets. There are designated outlets for charging, you must use it or else, it will be gone.

4. Don’t get too noisy in the sleeping area. People are trying to get some rest in the public place, so please respect.

After a one night stay, you can exit the jjimjilbang anytime you want the next day. Before going out, you must wear your regular clothes, make sure you pack all your belongings, then claim your shoes in the shoe locker, return the uniform at the counter and leave.

I can’t count now how many times I’ve been to Jjimjilbang but I’ve never been to a public bath with somebody I know. I am brave enough to go naked for as long as nobody knows me in the room. I guess I can’t do it with a friend or a family member or even just an acquaintance. I can’t! And I have no plans to put it on my bucket list.

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Free Training for Filipino Migrants in Korea on Balloon Twisting and Decoration

First Batch of Trainess proudly present their masterpieces (photo credit: Ms. Mila Pena- OWWA Director to South Korea)

Good news to all our Kababayan in South Korea. Our Overseas Workers Welfare Association (OWWA) in Korea will conduct a free training on Balloon Twisting and Decoration of June 25, 2017 from 9 am to 5 pm at Rizal Hall, Philippine Embassy in Seoul.

If you are thinking of a future business or you want to acquire new skill, then this training is perfect for you. You can use this skill in event organizing or a possible business when you go back to the Philippines. Learn from the expert trainer and take advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity to learn something new while working here in South Korea.

The finished products with Hon Raul Hernandez (photo credit: Ms. Mila-Nuval Pena)

If you wish to attend this free training session, you must be an active OWWA member or at least you intend to become a member of OWWA. Please email your complete name (first, middle, family), your birthday and phone number to owwaseoul@gmail.com. Only 50 slots are available, so you need to register as soon as possible.

Monday, June 12, 2017

The Showcase of Filipino Culture at the Bayanihan sa Korea 2017

The Bayanihan Sa Korea 2017 stage

With the theme “Pagkakaisa, Pag-aambagan, Pagsulong”, thousands of Filipino migrants in South Korea gathered at the Banpo Park in Seoul to commemorate the 119th Philippine Independence Day and the 22nd Migrant Day. Branded as Bayanihan sa Korea 2017, the event was organized by the Philippine Embassy in South Korea headed by Ambassador Raul Hernandez. The Kpop singer who first became famous in the Philippines Ms. Sandara Park also joined along with Filipino local artists Michael Pangilinan and Liezel Garcia who entertained the migrants in South Korea in the said event.

Liezel Garcia and Michael Pangilinan entertaining the Filipino audience

The gathering of Filipino communities today at Banpo Park was a perfect manifestation of how free we are today not only from the oppressors but also to express our being Filipino even in the foreign land. As the time goes by, our sense of “filipinism” has greatly evolved and we naturally show it off especially in the gatherings like this. Maybe we can blame the media, the technology perhaps or even the millenials for influencing us as a Filipino of the new generation. If you still didn’t get what I mean, here are some attributes of the Filipinos that manifested today at the celebration of 119th Philippine Independence Day in South Korea.

1. Celebrity Obsession

There were three celebrities present at the Bayanihan sa Korea 2017 today. There’s Sandara Park, Michael Pangilinan and Liezel Garcia. They were invited to entertain the attendees of the event, and because Filipinos are so into celebrities, most often than not, the presence of these celebrities is enough reason to attract Filipinos and persuade them to attend the event.

Sandara Park didn’t perform though because she was there as a guest. She spoke warm greetings to everyone who attended the event and she also showed a little dance move to the tune of a Filipino novelty song along with Ambassador Raul Hernandez. She also helped in the releasing of doves as a symbol of the Philippine Independence and she also received a plaque of appreciation as Friendship Ambassador for promoting good relationship between Philippines and Korea.

Liezel Garcia entertaining the crowd

To keep the attendees stay until the end of the program, celebrity guests Liezel Garcia and Michael Pangilinan entertained everyone singing some of our favorite latest hits and original Filipino music. As the singers performed, everyone in the audience showed their inner fanboy and fangirl as they sang and danced along with the performers.

2. Selfie King and Queen

Selfie moment with guest performer Michael Pangilinan

And of course, big events like this are not without taking pictures, or else, it didn’t happen. It’s not enough to just be there, see celebrities, enjoy and have fun, there should always be a selfie, on top of solo and group photo. In fact, selfie picture taking became part of Liezel and Michael’s performance. The goal for that day was, don’t go home unless you have a selfie with Sandara Park, or even the event stage, or whatever…..

3. Sense of Belongingness

Communities and participants

Communities came with their respective uniforms. Whether it’s a customized printed shirt, or some generic tribal costumes, the key is, you have to look the same with the community you are involved in. That right there is a sense of belongingness which is very apparent in the Filipino culture. We just can’t live alone; we have to be with a group who accepts us for who we are and what we have. There are hundreds of Filipino communities in Korea, all for the sake of making everybody feels that they have a family away from home.

4. Sharing is Fun

Sharing of food and place

Whether food, space or even laughter and memories, we love to share everything under the sun with our fellow Filipinos. You can see how everbody shared what they can share, after all, it’s the essence of the Bayanihan Sa Korea.

5. "Pinoy Food" Lovers

The best selling pinoy food

Wherever we go, we always crave for Filipino food, and in a Filipino gathering events like this, Filipino food will never be absent. Think of any major Filipino dish and you can definitely find it at the Bayanihan sa Korea 2017, and of course, Filipinos were buying.

6. Freebies Lovers

Aside from the fun and entertainment, freebies are also everywhere. There were booths for the sponsors installed at one side of the Banpo Park. Airplane company, remittance centers, tourism industry and a lot more sponsors were giving away freebies and raffle prizes for as long as you sign up to them and patronize the product and services they offer.

7. Love to Laugh

From the very shallow jokes of the hosts, to the little mishaps on the side, you’ll find everyone in the venue smiling and laughing. Because Filipinos are generally happy people, we can always find a way to laugh even at the small things.

8. Festive

Participants of a street dancing competition came with their colorful and attractive costumes not only to win the prize but also to bring festivity to the event, because we love that kind of ambiance. What better way to become festive is to bring out those ethnic attires and dance to the beat of our very own Filipino tribe.

True independence is not only being free from the oppressors but also showing our culture to the world without a hint of awkwardness. We don’t seek approval because we are what we are, we just show our culture naturally without even trying hard, and that for me is the most impressive part of being Filipino.

Thursday, June 8, 2017

A Tree of 30,000 Shoes at Seoullo 7017

a tree of 30000 shoes

Where do broken shoes go? Do you give them away? Throw them away? Or just keep it!

Well, in Seoul, environmental artist Hwang Ji-hae has created a place for all well-used, broken and over-used shoes in Korea. They call this a Shoes Tree and it is currently installed at the Seoullo 7017. Ever wonder what’s the significance of this tree made of 30,000 shoes for Seoullo 7017? There are two major reasons, not that I know any other reasons, but for all of you skeptical, here are the significant factors of this shoes tree at Seoullo 7017.

For a start, Seoullo 7017 means Seoul Road 7017. In Korean, the suffix lo(로) is a direction article which is primarily used for methods, transport, tools, places and destination. Since Seoul is a place, when you say a road in Seoul or By the Seoul, you can say Seoullo. Ok enough for Korean language class! The 7017 means the two significant years for Seoullo. It was built in 1970, but it was declared dangerous in 2006 due to its old age, it was reconstructed and finally turned into a skyway park in 2017, hence the numbers 7017. But what does the Shoes Tree mean for Seoullo 7017?

A skywalk park called Seoullo 7017

Firstly, Seoul 7017 is a skywalk, meaning, it’s a walking lane in the sky. And what do people usually do in a walking lane? They either walk or run. When you walk or run, the most essential thing you should wear is a pair of shoes! It’s a no brainer. So the shoes tree is a reminder to get people for walking.

Second, the shoes tree is a tribute to the history of the place. There’s a street behind the Seoullo 7017 called Yeomcheon-gyeo which is famous for suppliers of handmade shoes. The shoes is a reminder that somewhere in the neighborhood, skillful Korean shoemakers used to exist and maybe still existing even up to these days.

It also helps that the artist is an environmentalist. He did not just recycle the used shoes, he also planted some plants and flowers inside the shoes and make it look like a little garden at the bottom of the tree. I just think it’s a genius idea.

The shoes

Like any other parks, Seoullo 7017 has its own amenities to be considered as a skyway park. They planted different varieties of plants to add a forest-y feel in the area. There are fountains which children really enjoy. There are also food booths where you can try kimbap and food made of flowers.

The plants at the skywalk

At some point of the skywalk, there are small glass floors too where you can step on and look down to the bottom where fast cars are running on the road.

Glass floors

The view of the city from the top is also quite remarkable. You can see the busy street of Seoul full of people and cars and whatnot.

View from Seoullo 7017 skywalk park

Will I consider Seoullo7017 a tourist spot? A park, yes! But a tourist spot? Hmmm… I don’t think so. I guess Koreans really do enjoy walking in the skywalk with their family, so maybe we can just leave this place for them to enjoy. Although it wouldn’t hurt to include this area in your itinerary and go there as a tourist, just don’t expect that much.

To go to Seoullo 7017, just take Seoul Subway and get off at Seoul Station. There are several access to the skywalk, but if you want to visit the Shoes Tree first, you can go to Exit 2 and you will smell it, I mean see it the moment you go out of the exit area.

Monday, May 29, 2017

A Cool Journey to the Underworld at Gwangmyeong Cave

Fantasy Movie Festival inside the cave

If Bruce Wayne has a man cave that houses sophisticated items like the batmobile, batcomputer station, a vault of Batman’s costume and other unspecified machineries, South Korea has Gwangmyeong Cave to top it all. Well, maybe not in the aspect of sophistication, but at least it’s a real cave with real things in it. Do you want to know what these real things are? Let me virtually tour you inside the cave.

Unlike any other caves, you don’t need to trek on high mountains or go to wherever forest in the far-flung provinces to access Gwangmyeong cave because it can be found right within the city. Yes folks, it’s a cave in the city. It was used to be a coal mining site and it has witnessed the colonization of Japanese as well as the evolution of the modern industries in Korea. The Korea Tourism decided to transform the cave into a museum and historical site and it was reopened in 2011 for public visit.
In the outside, it looks like just any other ordinary cave. For me, it doesn’t even look like a cave, it looks like a tunnel. Here in Korea, if you travel from one city to another, you would definitely pass through a lot of tunnels. Essentially, these are passageways built through the mountains. But Gwangmyeong was not built for a tunnel but as a mining site in the early 20th century.

There are other elements outside the cave referencing to what it used to be. There’s a statue of a miner with a cart of gold. Of course, these are not real gold, they put this just to show that they used to excavate gold from these mining sites a long long time ago.

Statue of a miner with cart of gold outside the cave

Also, there’s a viewing cave on the other side. It’s some kind of an elevated area, so if you want to view city on the top view, you must climb up the wooden stair to reach the sky view. Well, there’s not much to see up there except for buildings and trees, but it’s worth a try and a climb.

Sky View

I was not prepared for the exotic experience I had inside the cave. It was cold inside, well lit and there were old photos displayed almost every 10 meters in the entrance area to show how the tunnel looked like during the era when it was still a mining site. For a second, I was confused if it’s a cave or a museum, but we can call it a cave-museum.

Museum inside the cave

I like how they made the lightings more interesting inside the cave. It’s so colorful and beautiful. There were LED of different colors, shapes and sizes adding mystery to the ambiance inside. I felt like I was transported into the future, where creatures are glowing and emitting bright and colorful lights.

LED lights everywhere

But what really amazed me was the fact that there’s a music and art hall inside. There’s this one area where you can see a stage, chairs for the audience, projectors and a lot more. Apparently, they hold performances in this area to entertain visitors of the cave. It looks like a theater house for me, better than the theater house I think. But wait, there’s more, we were actually treated for a show. It’s not just an ordinary show because the hall was suddenly converted into a magical room as the walls of the cave turned into a movie screen. It was some sort of a short movie with colors and shadows as actors telling a story about what the humanity has done to the environment as they aim for industrial development.

The walls inside the cave turned into a colorful show

And who would have thought you can install a giant aquarium inside the cave? I kid you not, fishes are no longer in the sea, they’re at Gwangmyeong cave too. It was a little bit a strange sight for me, but apparently, people were actually enjoying it. Fishes of different species and sizes and colors were there happily swimming in the aquarium.

one part of the giant aquarium inside the cave

There’s also a golden path, it’s a tunnel where all you see and touch are gold. I felt I was a King when I walked in that path. Everything in the golden path is shimmering and shining like gold.
At the end of the path runs a waterfall, a golden waterfall! And there are golden palaces too that make the place even more interesting.

The golden path

Other interesting elements in the cave were the wishing stations. Every now and then, there’s a statue, or some kind of lucky charms or even wishing well where people can touch and pray for whatever fortune they want in life, it could be money, prosperity, happiness, etc…. One example of these is this golden statue of Aisha. They said that if you touch the pieces of gold sitting in her hand, you will have a prosperous and happy future.

The statue of Aisha

One part of the cave is dedicated to Fantasy Movie Festival and they have coordinated with the Weta Workshop, the producer of “The Lord of the Rings”. So don’t be surprised if you’ll see the giant sculpture of Smaug and Gollum, I was surprised though.

Lord of The Ring

Not only that, there’s a garden inside!!! Plants of different varieties and species are displayed to give some lush green sight for the visitors. It’s quite refreshing to see the greeneries in the dark cold tunnel of the cave.

Garden inside the cave

I guess the highlight of our little trip at Gwangmyeong was a visit to the Winery or they call it a Wine Cave. We got to taste the wine of different types and it tastes so good. It’s like all the good wines in the world were gathered and……ok fine, I really don’t know anything about wine, haha… I was just impressed by the collections of wine available inside the cave.

The winery

I like how the staffs were so polite and they always make sure that everybody’s safe inside the cave. We were a little bit in a hurry because they will be closing the cave at 6 pm, but I can’t believe we were able to explore the whole area in just maybe about 3 hours.

So if you are looking for a daytrip, Gwangmyeong cave is the best place to visit because it is very accessible by public transportation. It is located at 142 Gahak-ro 85beon-gil, Gwangmyeong-si, Gyeonggi-do or you can take a subway and get off at Gwangmyeong Station on Line Number 1. Go to exit 6 and take a taxi to Gwangmyeong cave. It will take around 10 minutes to reach the cave from the subway station. The cave is open from 9 in the morning up to 6 in the evening during weekdays and 9pm during weekends. The cave is closed every Monday, Seollal and Chuseok.

Sunday, May 28, 2017

15 Signs na Nilamon Ka Na ng Sistema ng Kdrama

For me, if there are three best things that Korea contributed to the world, I think they are Samsung, Kpop and Kdrama. It’s good enough that despite the language barrier, their music and TV series were able to penetrate to Western audiences, other Asian countries and the whole world. That is why they have this thing called Hallyu Wave because they have markets in the global field especially the Korean TV series.

The Kdrama, as what people call it, have been well accepted by the viewers especially in the Philippines. I can’t count how many Korean dramas have been translated into Filipino and landed into Philippine TV networks. As much as we hate to think that they are better than our own locally produced TV shows, we can’t deny the fact that Filipinos are going gaga over Kdramas and we can’t blame them for that. In fact, Filipinos are so into it that ultimate fanboys and fangirls dream to go and live in South Korea.

So how to know if a fan already went overboard admiring Korean Dramas? Here’s a list of signs na nilamon ka na ng sistema ng Kdrama.

1. You’ve acquired those bulging eyebags not because of your thesis or assignment, nag binge watching ka lang ng Goblin all night long. Huwag ako besh, wag ako! LOL

2. You have ultimate collections of Kdramas merchandises that you can make a bed out of it. Pillows, posters, photos and more photos, name it, and you have them. Malay mo, yong picture ni Song joongki that you treasured so much, nabubuhay pag gabi. Baka lang naman.

Kdrama collections of Grace Kim

Kdrama collections of a fan Anny Martinez

3. Pupunta ka ng Korea hindi para puntahan ang mga tourist attractions, balak mo lang talagang puntahan yong mga Filming locations.

Kdrama fanatic Keith Gueib at Buk Chicken, shooting Location of Weightlifting fairy

4. And when you’ve found one of the many filming locations, you reenact the scenes. Todo screenshots ka ng mga gagayahing eksena, and you make sure na gayang gaya pati anggulo.

5. Mas malala, nagpunta ka ng Korea para manood ng shooting ng favorite Koreanovela mo!

At the shooting of Legend of the Blue Sea in front of Heo Joon Jae's house #LegendOfTheBlueSea #LOTBS

A post shared by Shirgie Scf (@malditongserjz) on Jan 7, 2017 at 11:58pm PST