Korean drama reentered the Chinese market after a lapse of 6 years and iQIYI will become the top choice for Korean dramas to be distributed in China

BEIJING, March 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On March 3, the Chinese video platform iQIYI began broadcasting the Korean drama Something in the Rain. Since its broadcast, the drama quickly hit the Top 5 Hot TV Series on iQIYI and the Top 5 Hot Searches on Weibo, a Chinese social media platform, setting off a national buzz. After a lapse of six years, Korean dramas are returning to the Chinese market, and iQIYI has become the top choice for Korean dramas to be broadcast in China.

Something in the Rain, starring Son Ye-jin and Jung Hae-in, is a romantic drama aired on JTBC in March 2018. It tells the story of a man and woman who originally only knew each other as siblings falling in love later. After broadcasting on iQIYI, the wonderfully sweet story once again caused everyone to discuss. "The successful introduction of a drama that aired a few years ago is an affirmation of its content. Cultural exchange knows no borders." Relying on iQIYI's strong operational resources, distribution capabilities and huge user base, the popularity of the drama has not diminished due to the 4-year delay in airing.

There are many Korean dramas on iQIYI that have exploded in China, such as the breakout hit You Who Came from the Stars in Asia-Pacific region, the Korean mini-drama Descendants of the Sun that premiered with the highest ratings, and the period drama Reply 1988 that has been repeatedly revisited by countless people. The audience of Korean dramas covers the whole age group of people in China. It is reported that Something in the Rain will be remade in China as The Way Love Should Be, starring Angelababy, and will be aired on iQIYI this year.

Recently, iQIYI's TV series A Lifelong Journey has been acquired by Disney for the global copyright. The ability to explore and innovate in open cultural exchange is believed to be the reason why iQIYI has become a highly popular video platform and the first choice for Chinese netizens to watch high-quality Korean dramas.

Jang Seong-hwan, director of the Beijing office of the Korean Copyright Commission, also told local media that he hopes to see more Korean content approved in China in the near future. It is expected that the possibility of Korean productions being released and broadcast in China will increase from this year onwards, and many films and TV productions starring Korean artists who failed to get broadcast will be broadcast in succession.