The Korean wave or Hallyu refers to the popularity of Korean culture globally, which started in the 1990s. The Philippines, of course, was not spared from this trend, and has now fully embraced all forms of Hallyu—K-pop, K-drama, K-beauty, K-fashion, and even K-food.
But while Korean culture spread like wildfire in the whole country, we never really understood how it began, how it grew, and how big is its impact now in our own culture.
In response to the rise of the popularity and growth of Korean culture in the Philippines, ABS-CBN Books launched Hello Hallyu, a fan book on the Korean wave that explores the history and growth of K-pop, K-drama, and K-beauty in the country. The book looks back at how it all started, how instrumental were other Asian series like Meteor Garden and Korean films like Sassy Girl in the general interest in Asianovelas, what paved the way for K-pop to blossom, and what makes Korean beauty products tick.
To celebrate the bigness of K-drama, K-pop, and K-beauty in the Philippine scene now, Hello Hallyu featured four Korean artists who represent the pinnacle of the Korean Wave in the country. These artists are also available as covers of the book for fans to collect.
Park Bo Gum became a household name when Love in the Moonlight aired on Channel 2, and recently visited Manila for a fan meet and concert. Momoland and Noir showcase the genuine warmth and passion of K-pop fans, paving the way for collaborations between local agencies and Korean organizations. EXO is one of the biggest K-pop groups in the world now, but they show how the different facets of the Korean wave like music, films, drama, and even beauty products all collide.
Hello Hallyu aims to shine a light on all of these things, and celebrate the passion of every fangirl and fanboy who has embraced the Korean culture as part of their own. The book also showcases the crucial role of the fan clubs in the growth of the Korean wave through the years. The book was made possible through the support and collaboration of many groups such as Nature Republic, ABS-CBN Events, Ovation Productions, MLD Entertainment, KPOPCON, PKCI, and FanLive. The author, Aya Villareal, has been a long-time K-pop and K-drama fan who has made Korean culture her life’s work. Her company, FanLive, is now instrumental in bringing Korean acts in the country.
Hello Hallyu is now available through ABS-CBN Books’ online stores: ABS-CBN Books Facebook page, Lazada, and Shopee.
ABS-CBN Books is a leading publisher of trade paperbacks in the Philippines with over 2 million books sold since 2014, with a portfolio of bestselling writers and celebrity authors. The group believes that despite the challenge to the print industry, there remains a healthy market for books and print collectibles, which has enabled them to reach and create new readers locally and internationally.
