Classic Kdrama 101: “Winter Sonata”

Although the term Hallyu or Korean Wave had already been used in China in 1999 to name the surging popularity of Korean pop music and dramas, the Hallyu did not reach Japan until 2003.

 "Winter Sonata" was the first kdrama shown in Japan and it triggered a craze for all things Korean that has not subsided. The drama warmed up relations between the two countries and inspired Japanese tourists to visit Korean drama filming locations. It sparked fashion trends and changed social behavior. Japan's obsession with the story was so all consuming it was nicknamed "Winter Sonata fever."

"Winter Sonata" is the second part of the season-themed "Endless Love" series directed by Yoon Seok Ho. It's a story of lost memories, lost love and second chances.

In "Winter Sonata," Kang Joon Sang, played by Bae Yong Joon, is the introverted son of a famous musician who moves to the country. His mother claims that his father is dead, but Joon Sang does not believe her. He thinks his mother has separated them and hates her for it. As a result, he believes that no one loves him. One day on the bus, his classmate Jeong Yoo Jin, played by Choi Ji Woo, falls asleep on his shoulder and he realizes that he loves her. But their love cannot progress much further as he has an accident and cannot remember anything from before it happened.

Joon Sang's mother sees his amnesia as an opportunity. She takes Joon Sang to a psychologist whom she hopes can help him erase his unhappy childhood. Since he blames his unhappiness on her, his mother is sure that erasing these memories will make him love her. He and his mother start a new life in America, under new identities. Everyone thinks he died and he can't remember any of his life in Korea. Ten years later, he returns as an award-winning architect. When he sees Yoo Jin on the street, she breaks her engagement.

Bae Yong Joon and Choi Ji Woo became international stars because of their performance in this classic drama, which has since been adapted into an anime story and a stage musical.

The show was so popular that Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said "Bae Yong Joon is more popular than I am in Japan."

So, what was so powerful about this story? It's a good kdrama story, definitely worth seeing, with plenty of plot twists and tears shed over romantic love, but it was also Japan's first.