Decades-old Korean titles find fresh global audiences through streaming platforms
At 57, Shin Hyun-joon is making headlines for his K-pop idol-like following in South America, drawing huge crowds at airports while touring the region for meet-and-greets.
Nowhere has the excitement been more intense than in Peru. When Shin arrived at Jorge Chavez Airport Saturday, scores of fans carrying gifts and letters rushed to greet him. With the crowd swelling around the actor, security personnel were deployed to keep the scene under control, according to local news reports Tuesday.
"Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who came all the way to the airport to welcome me. I’m truly sorry that I couldn’t shake hands and take photos with each and every one of you," Shin wrote in Spanish on social media after his arrival.
Behind Shin's unlikely stardom in Peru is a Korean drama that first aired 23 years ago.
In SBS' "Stairway to Heaven," Shin played Han Tae-hwa, a man devoted to Han Jung-suh, portrayed by Choi Ji-woo. The 2003 series made its way to Latin America in 2006, dubbed into Spanish as "Escalera al cielo," and quickly became a hit.
Nearly two decades after its Latin American debut, the drama returned to local television and streaming platforms earlier this year, finding a new audience among younger viewers while rekindling nostalgia among those who grew up watching it.
Shin's latest trip to Peru was for a fan meeting titled "Memories to Heaven," held at Auditorio Colegio Meliton Carvajal in Lima. During the event, he revisited the drama with fans through its soundtrack and shared stories from the series. It marked the second such gathering, following one in November last year.
After Peru, Shin is set to take his fan tour to Ecuador and Argentina.
Shin made his acting debut in the 1990 film "The General's Son" and has since built a decadeslong career spanning films and television. Notable works include "Stairway to Heaven," "Guns & Talks," "Barefoot Ki-bong" and the "Marrying the Mafia" film series. He married cellist Kim Kyung-mi in 2013, and the couple has two sons and a daughter.
Shin's renewed popularity shows how Korean content can find new life as new platforms and fandoms introduce older titles to new generations.
Another recent example is "D-War," a 2007 sci-fi fantasy film directed and co-written by comedian-turned-filmmaker Shim Hyung-rae, which has drawn unexpected attention overseas since landing on Netflix.
According to streaming analytics site FlixPatrol, "D-War" reached No. 6 on Netflix's global movie chart on Sept. 10 and stayed in the top 10 the next day. Across Europe, it ranked as high as second in major markets including France, Germany and Italy.
Drawing on the imugi, a serpent-like creature from Korean folklore, the sci-fi fantasy unfolds in Los Angeles, pitting humans against giant creatures. Its original theatrical run drew about 8 million moviegoers in Korea, making it one of the year's biggest domestic box-office hits.
cjh@heraldcorp.com
