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아시아가 한국 드라마와 배우들에 주목하고 있다는 사실은 어제 오늘 일이 아니다. 하지만 “별에서 온 그대”(이하, 별그대) 김수현의 인기가 심상치 않다. 1월 14일 중국 최대 포털 사이트 바이두의 “오늘의 스타” 1위에 오르는 기염을 토하며 인기 고공 행진을 이어가고 있다.
한국 드라마 팬이라는 중국인 코니 팡씨는 “김수현은 잘생겼다. 수 많은 여성들이 그에게 접근하고 싶어 한다”고 했다.
하지만 그는 외모로만 승부를 보진 않는다. “별에서 온 그대” 장태유 PD는 “김수현은 20대 배우들 중 연기 정말 잘 하는 몇 안 되는 배우다”라고 한 바 있다.
“꽃보다 남자”와 “상속자들”로 먼저 얼굴을 알린 이민호도 중국 팬들의 인기를 한 몸에 받고 있다. 조선일보 중국어판과 인민망 한국지사가 지난 해 12월 27일부터 공동으로 개최한 “2013년 중국에서 가장 영향력 있는 한류스타 순위” 행사에서 배우 이민호가 현재 1위를 달리고 있다.
팡씨는 한국 남자 배우들이 인기 있는 이유는 주로 그들의 외모 때문일 것이라며, “일반적으로, 중국인들은 한국 스타들이 잘생기고, 몸매가 좋다고 생각한다”고 밝혔다.
남서울종합예술학교 이호규 교수는 한국과 중국 시청자들은 빠르게 변화하는 트렌드에 민감하다는 것을 지적했다. “일본 팬들은 드라마 캐릭터에 빠지지만, 중국과 한국 팬들은 스타들의 외모와 스타일에 열광한다”고 덧붙였다.
배우 김수현은 SBS 드라마 “별 그대”의 인기에 힘입어 중국에서 입지를 넓혀가고 있다.
드라마에서 김수현은 시간여행을 통해 조선에서 온 외계인으로 당대 최고의 인기 여배우(전지현)와 사랑에 빠지는 역할을 맡았다. 지난 18일 첫 방송 이후 4회만에 시청률 20%를 돌파하며 화제를 모았다.
“별 그대”의 인기는 중국에서도 뜨겁다. 제작사인 HB 엔터테이먼트는 코리아헤럴드와의 인터뷰에서 “캐스팅이 공개되었을 때, 중국 팬들과 회사들에서 큰 관심을 보였다”고 밝혔다.
“별 그대” 제작팀은 이어 드라마가 한국에서 방영되기도 전에 판권을 사들이고 싶어하는 중국 업체들의 연락이 빗발쳤으며, 현재 “PPS, IQIYI 및 KanKan과 같은 중국 내 온라인 드라마 다운로드 사이트와 파일공유 사이트에서 드라마 다운이 가능하고, 이는 중국 시청자들이 최근 에피소드를 실시간으로 접할 수 있게 한다”고 말했다.
“별 그대”가 한국에서 방영이 되면 몇 시간 이내에 중국 웹사이트에 개제되어 유료 콘텐츠로 중국 시청자들에게 제공된다. 제작팀은 온라인 다운로드 건수가 총 1.7억뷰를 돌파했다고 밝혔다.
한국 드라마 제작팀들은 아시아 시청자들에게 어필할 수 있는 드라마를 만들기 위해 제작 초기 단계부터 줄거리와 스토리를 구성하는 데 고심한다. 작가들은 방대한 자료조사를 통해 국내외 시청자들이 좋아할만한 콘텐츠를 생각해낸다. 예를 들어, 대본을 만들기 전에 중국 전문가들로부터 자문을 구하기도 한다.
이러한 드라마 제작팀들의 노력과 인터넷을 통한 실시간 콘텐츠 제공이 가능한 인프라 덕에 한국 드라마들은 승승장구 중이다. 이러한 드라마의 인기는 한류 스타들의 인기로 고스란히 이어진다고 이 교수는 지적했다.
인터넷과 SNS은 아시아 한류 붐을 일으킨 촉매제였다. 한류 스타들은 페이스북이나 트위터를 이용하여 먼 거리를 사이에 두고도 지속적으로 팬들과 교류하고, 팬들의 반응을 즉각적으로 확인할 수 있다. 이는 더 많은 해외 팬들을 확보를 가능케 했다. “인터넷이 없다면 한류가 불가능했을거다”라고 이 교수는 밝혔다.
김수현 소속사 키이스트에 따르면 실제로 그의 경우, 중국판 트위터라고 불리는 웨이보에 74만 팔로워를 두고 있으며, 온라인 팬사이트 가입 회원들은 총 100만명에 달한다고 한다. 온라인을 통한 팬덤 확장이 빠른 속도로 이루어지고 있는 것이다.
그러나 지금 막 인기의 전성기를 누리고 있는 그가 언제까지 중국 팬들의 사랑을 받을 수 있을지 예단하기는 힘들다. 빠르게 변화하는 미디어 환경 속에서 이미 많은 신예 스타들이 인터넷을 통해 소개되고 있다. 넘쳐나는 콘텐츠와 스타들의 등장으로 팬들의 ‘갈아타기’도 가속도가 붙었다는 게 이 교수의 지적이다.
“중국 팬들은 금방 다른 스타들에게 관심을 가지게 될지도 모른다. 요즘 같은 시대에 스타 한 명은 금방 대체될 수 있다”고 이 교수는 말했다.
(코리아 헤럴드 옥현주 인턴기자 laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)
<관련 영문 기사>
What makes Kim Soo-hyun so popular in China?
Asian viewers have their eyes on South Korean dramas and actors. Kim Soo-hyun, in particular, hero of the hit drama “Man from the Stars,” is gaining explosive popularity in China, topping the “Today’s Actor” chart on China’s largest search engine Baidu on Jan. 14.
“Kim Soo-hyun is handsome, and many girls would want to approach him,” said Connie Pang, 33, a big fan of Korean dramas who lives in Hong Kong.
The 27-year-old heartthrob has been well-regarded for his acting, too. “Kim Soo-hyun is one of the rare 20-something actors who retain outstanding acting skills,” Jang Tae-yoo, the producer of “Man From the Stars” was quoted as saying.
Kim is not the only star who dazzles China, however. Lee Min-ho from the popular drama “The Heirs” has also enjoyed soaring popularity, outshining rivals so far in the poll for the “2013 most influential Korean star in China,” being conducted by Chinese People’s Daily.
Pang said the Korean male stars’ popularity is mainly due to their appearance: “In general, Chinese people think that Korean stars have a handsome face and good body shape.”
Lee Ho-gyu, a professor at Nam Seoul Art College, pointed out that Chinese and Korean drama-watchers are more sensitive to fast-changing trends. “Japanese fans fall for stars’ characters in dramas while Chinese and Korean fans fall for stars’ appearance and style.”
Kim has continued to boost his standing in China with the soaring popularity of the SBS drama “Man from the Stars.”
In the drama, he plays an alien who has arrived in Korea by travelling through time from the Joseon Era and ends up falling in love with a modern-day actress, played by Jun Ji-hyun (Giana Jun). The romantic comedy series has already cleared the 20-percent mark in terms of viewership at home in just four episodes.
The popular drama has become a sensation in China as well. “When the cast of the drama was announced, it drew attention from Chinese fans and a number of Chinese content providers,” said an official of HB entertainment in charge of producing the drama “Man From the Stars”
Even before the drama aired in Korea, the production team received a flood of requests for broadcasting rights from Chinese companies. “The three main content providers in China -- PPS, IQIYI and KanKan -- are helping the Chinese viewers to catch up with the latest episodes in real time,” she told the Korea Herald.
The latest episode of “Man From the Stars” is available on Chinese websites providing downloadable content to those who pay within a few hours after an episode airs in Korea. So far, there have been more than 1.7 billion downloads of the 10 episodes available online, according to HB entertainment.
To lure viewers, drama plots are carefully designed and structured in the early stage of production. Writers and the producer carry out extensive research together to create storylines that will appeal to the drama’s fans at home and abroad. In some cases, they seek advice from professionals with in-depth knowledge about China to take into account Chinese interests before writing a plot.
The easy access to Korean dramas through the Internet, coupled with the production teams’ efforts to create high-quality content, has paved the way for the stars to boost their profiles in China, Professor Lee pointed out.
The Internet and social networking services have served as catalysts for the Korean culture boom in Asia. Korean stars can now instantly and continuously communicate with overseas fans through SNS, which has helped them expand their fandom abroad. “Without the Internet, the Korean wave would have been impossible,” Professor Lee said.
In fact, as many as 740,000 fans are following Kim on Weibo, known as the Chinese Twitter, and the number of members of online fan sites surpassed 1 million as of Sunday, according to his agency, KeyEast.
However, nobody can foresee how long the star will remain popular in China. In the fast-changing media environment, a number of budding stars are introduced to TV fans every day.
Chinese fans’ attention might quickly move on to other stars. “These days, a star can be easily replaced,” the professor noted.
For Korean stars to secure their status and enjoy long-lasting popularity in China, Professor Lee advised them to engage in local activities by collaborating with Chinese celebrities in concerts, dramas and films. “The stars should sympathize and communicate more with Chinese fans in various ways.”
By Ock Hyun-ju, Intern reporter (laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)
What makes Kim Soo-hyun so popular in China?
Asian viewers have their eyes on South Korean dramas and actors. Kim Soo-hyun, in particular, hero of the hit drama “Man from the Stars,” is gaining explosive popularity in China, topping the “Today’s Actor” chart on China’s largest search engine Baidu on Jan. 14.
“Kim Soo-hyun is handsome, and many girls would want to approach him,” said Connie Pang, 33, a big fan of Korean dramas who lives in Hong Kong.
The 27-year-old heartthrob has been well-regarded for his acting, too. “Kim Soo-hyun is one of the rare 20-something actors who retain outstanding acting skills,” Jang Tae-yoo, the producer of “Man From the Stars” was quoted as saying.
Kim is not the only star who dazzles China, however. Lee Min-ho from the popular drama “The Heirs” has also enjoyed soaring popularity, outshining rivals so far in the poll for the “2013 most influential Korean star in China,” being conducted by Chinese People’s Daily.
Pang said the Korean male stars’ popularity is mainly due to their appearance: “In general, Chinese people think that Korean stars have a handsome face and good body shape.”
Lee Ho-gyu, a professor at Nam Seoul Art College, pointed out that Chinese and Korean drama-watchers are more sensitive to fast-changing trends. “Japanese fans fall for stars’ characters in dramas while Chinese and Korean fans fall for stars’ appearance and style.”
Kim has continued to boost his standing in China with the soaring popularity of the SBS drama “Man from the Stars.”
In the drama, he plays an alien who has arrived in Korea by travelling through time from the Joseon Era and ends up falling in love with a modern-day actress, played by Jun Ji-hyun (Giana Jun). The romantic comedy series has already cleared the 20-percent mark in terms of viewership at home in just four episodes.
The popular drama has become a sensation in China as well. “When the cast of the drama was announced, it drew attention from Chinese fans and a number of Chinese content providers,” said an official of HB entertainment in charge of producing the drama “Man From the Stars”
Even before the drama aired in Korea, the production team received a flood of requests for broadcasting rights from Chinese companies. “The three main content providers in China -- PPS, IQIYI and KanKan -- are helping the Chinese viewers to catch up with the latest episodes in real time,” she told the Korea Herald.
The latest episode of “Man From the Stars” is available on Chinese websites providing downloadable content to those who pay within a few hours after an episode airs in Korea. So far, there have been more than 1.7 billion downloads of the 10 episodes available online, according to HB entertainment.
To lure viewers, drama plots are carefully designed and structured in the early stage of production. Writers and the producer carry out extensive research together to create storylines that will appeal to the drama’s fans at home and abroad. In some cases, they seek advice from professionals with in-depth knowledge about China to take into account Chinese interests before writing a plot.
The easy access to Korean dramas through the Internet, coupled with the production teams’ efforts to create high-quality content, has paved the way for the stars to boost their profiles in China, Professor Lee pointed out.
The Internet and social networking services have served as catalysts for the Korean culture boom in Asia. Korean stars can now instantly and continuously communicate with overseas fans through SNS, which has helped them expand their fandom abroad. “Without the Internet, the Korean wave would have been impossible,” Professor Lee said.
In fact, as many as 740,000 fans are following Kim on Weibo, known as the Chinese Twitter, and the number of members of online fan sites surpassed 1 million as of Sunday, according to his agency, KeyEast.
However, nobody can foresee how long the star will remain popular in China. In the fast-changing media environment, a number of budding stars are introduced to TV fans every day.
Chinese fans’ attention might quickly move on to other stars. “These days, a star can be easily replaced,” the professor noted.
For Korean stars to secure their status and enjoy long-lasting popularity in China, Professor Lee advised them to engage in local activities by collaborating with Chinese celebrities in concerts, dramas and films. “The stars should sympathize and communicate more with Chinese fans in various ways.”
By Ock Hyun-ju, Intern reporter (laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)
