by CASSANDRA KWOK
The hottest Korean drama, My Love from the Stars, has taken Asia by storm, particularly in China. From sold-out fan meetings to a boom in sales for food merely mentioned on the recently-concluded SBS drama, Chinese fans just can’t seem to get enough.
China has fallen head-over-heels for Kim Soo-hyun, who plays the title character, a gorgeous, yet mysterious 400-year-old alien who falls in love with a Hallyu actress, played by My Sassy Girl star Jun Ji-hyun.
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China’s Jiangsu Satellite TV invited Kim to appear as a special guest judge on game show Super Brain on March 8. The show reportedly paid Kim approximately $500,000 for his eight-hour appearance and spent an additional $500,000 to charter a private jet and hire 600 security guards to control the massive crowds.
Chinese fans shrieked with excitement chanting “Do Min Joon,” the name of his drama character, as he made his appearance in a dapper black tuxedo very similar to his character’s style.
And the mania is not just reserved for Kim. On one episode, Jun’s character mentions that she loves chowing down on fried chicken and beer when it snows. Since then, Korean fried chicken restaurants in China have done a booming business, with accounts of three-hour lines and chicken shortages. News reports said a pregnant woman almost had a miscarriage due to binge-watching the show while eating just chicken with beer.
What exactly about this series has got China obsessed? The Chinese government is wondering the same thing. The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) members have been questioning why they can’t produce such addicting and impactful dramas much like Korea, according to the Washington Post. Some politicians have said that the rise of K-dramas in China has punctured the pride of Chinese culture.
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Kim is escorted off the private charter jet.
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Fans cheer as Kim makes an appearance on Chinese TV.
