When actor Yoon Sang Hyun traveled to Cuba in November he was met at the airport by thousands of fans shouting "Seo, Seo, Seo."
Why did he get such a warm reception from Cuban fans and why did they call him Seo? These enthusiastic fans knew him as Butler Seo from "My Fair Lady."
The fans that met him at the airport not only loved his drama "My Fair Lady." They also knew him from the kdrama "Queen of Housewives" and were eagerly awaiting the arrival of "Secret Garden" in which he played Oska, the Hallyu star. And they had not even seen him in his latest hit, "I Hear Your Voice."
He is said to be so popular there that Cubans schedule their days around his dramas.
"I'll try my best to leave a good impression of Korea and induce more interest in Korean culture," he said when he left Incheon airport. No need. His fans already had such a good impression of Korea's stars and culture that he was surprised by the enthusiasm.
Fans showed up at the airport with their whole families just trying to touch the actor and the police were caught off guard by the need for security.
It turned out to be one of his favorite trips.
"Cubans and Koreans have a lot in common," Yoon Sang Hyun said after his trip.
But Yoon Sang Hyun is not the only reason that Cubans like dramas. They are responding warmly to kdramas in general. And kdramas are not as easy to see there as they are elsewhere.
Since Internet access is not widespread in Cuba the dramas are passed around on flash drives.
As to why they like the dramas, the actor and singer had a theory.
"They offer bit of comedy, a bit of drama, some romance but never anything very serious," he said.
Another reason kdramas may appeal to viewers in Spanish speaking countries is the long tradition of watching telenovelas. And yet another may be the fact that the dramas are so chaste. Very little kissing takes place compared to shows from other countries.
But Cuba is not the only Spanish speaking country to respond warmly to kdramas.
According to a recent article on NPR, content provider Dramafever expanded its content in Latin America this summer and the region now counts for 12 percent of its business. Even in the U.S. about 35 percent of kdrama viewers are Latino.
Dramafever CEO Suk Park told NPR that the numbers for Latin American viewers caught Korea's entertainment industry by surprise. The focus has been on the U.S. market, not realizing there was so much interest in Latin America, but the interest has become obvious.
Viewers in Chile also love kdramas. The most popular dramas there, according to the Korean Embassy in Chile, are "Princess Hours" and "The Greatest Love." In Central America, "Princess Hours" and "Coffee Prince" are also popular. The two dramas were also popular in Paraguay and the "Coffee Prince" soundtrack became a hit.
According to Park, the polished entertainment that kdramas provide will make its mark around the world. For now kdramas are certainly making their mark in Latin America.
