Q&A on Korean dramas with president of YA Entertainment

Photo from The King & I

Tom Larsen is a 35-year-old entrepreneur who knows an opportunity when he sees one. After living in Korea for a few years and taking Korean language courses in college, Larsen decided that he wanted to make Korean dramas readily available for Americans.

He is the founder and president of YA Entertainment, a company that publishes and distributes popular Korean dramas with English subtitles. All dramas are translated by YA’s in-house team of bilingual speakers, and can be found in mainstream stores nationwide.

Larsen himself is a Korean drama fan, and he says his family followed suit. In our interview I asked him why Korean dramas stir such devotion among viewers.

On your Web site you mention the “Korean Wave” in North America. What appeal do Korean dramas hold for non-Korean viewers?
What I’ve found is that people who are Korean drama addicts don’t go looking for Korean content, they’re looking for a new entertainment concept, and then they find Korean dramas. They’re just so turned off by what American standard programming has.

It’s real people in real situations. That’s the reason why Korean dramas can be so popular globally. It’s real human themes. Love. What is love? It’s tragedy and how you deal with tragedy. It’s family, the role of family, respect for elders, for the opposite sex, for teachers, friendship and loyalty.

They transcend any cultural barriers. Even my mother, who grew up in middle America, she’s crying and she’s laughing watching Korean dramas.

In addition to those themes, the technical aspects are done very well. The camera, the lighting, the cast, the acting is really good. In Korea, you have the top-notch actors go back and forth between TV and movies. Dramas have strong story lines and the writing is pretty solid.

What trends have you noticed in the plots, structures and themes of the Korean drama?
Our bestsellers for the most part are dramas from 1998 to 2004 or 2005. That’s the sweet spot. That was when the classics came out. Back then, the stories were truly less influenced by American or western types of things.

Starting in 2005 and 2006, there was a lot of focus on extramarital stuff and more sleaze, whereas from 1998 to 2004 it was the love triangle or maybe a disease for two people who are in love and have all these barriers.

Can different generations enjoy Korean dramas?

Just yesterday I got an e-mail from a lady who said she and her mom were in Hawaii and they watched a Korean drama together in the hotel room. I hear that a lot.

These mainstream Korean drama fans tend to skew a little bit older. Close to 60 percent of our customers are 40 years old or older. But these older people who are excited about dramas tend not to watch them alone. They’ll watch it with their spouse, they’ll watch it with their children. It doesn’t really matter how old you are, there are aspects everyone can enjoy.