Korean Language Content Gaining Momentum in Saudi Arabia

Jeddah –

Korean music and TV, better known as K-pop and K-drama, have savored a significant upsurge in acceptance all over the world and specifically in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. As Koreans increased their entertainment aspects, they succeeded to captivate the local audiences and Korean has become an appealing language to learn in Saudi Arabia. There are a several reasons why students and Saudis want to learn Korean such as being able to enjoy their favorite Korean shows in the original language, rather than dubbed in Arabic.

“Most of my students loved K-pop and Korean dramas, and they wanted to expand their knowledge by learning the language”, said Myung Hee Park from the Korean International School in Jeddah. (Source: https://www.arabnews.com/node/1529466/saudi-arabia)

With this in hand, Viu, PCCW’s leading pan-regional OTT video streaming service, is seeking to present to the Saudi audience who are indulged in the Korean language and culture, its exciting Korean content lineupfor February and March, featuring 11 drama series for Viu-ers to enjoy. New titles include River Where the Moon Rises, The Penthouse 2, Times, Mouse, L.U.C.A.: The Beginning, Dear. M, Great Real Estate, Summer Guys, Love Scene Number, Breakup Probation, A Week, and Beyond Evil.

Viu recently announced it hit 45 million MAU (monthly active users) and 5.3 million paid subscribers^*.

Set to premiere exclusively on Viu, the highly anticipated Viu Original River Where the Moon Rises is adapted from a Korean folktale recorded in The History of the Three Kingdoms and based on Princess Pyeonggang and her General, On Dal. Starring popular Hallyu artistes Kim So Hyun (A Tale of Nokdu) and Ji Soo (Strong Woman Do Bong Soon), the story follows Pyeonggang’s quest to uncover dark and dangerous conspiracies in the kingdom.

First-on-Viu and back for a second season, Korean melodrama The Penthouse 2  follows the journey of three moms, fueled by greed and desire, to elevate their lives. Su Ryeon will do anything to exact revenge on the adults that wrecked her child’s life. Seo Jin cultivated a successful career as a classical singer but her daughter seems to lack her talent. Yoon Hee refuses to live a life of poverty and tries everything she can to move into the Penthouse with her daughter. Due to the immense popularity of the first season, the series was renewed for a second and a third season. The Penthouse 2 stars Lee Ji Ah, Kim So Yeon, Eugene, Uhm Ki Joon, Shim Eun Kyung and Bong Tae Gyu.

Mouse, tells the story of a justice-seeking rookie detective whose life changes after meeting a psychopathic serial killer. In this drama, humans can identify psychopaths through a DNA test of the fetus from the mother’s womb – posing the question, “would you give birth to the child knowing they will be a psychopath?” This drama features drama actor Lee Seung Gi, also known as a regular in variety shows including All the Butlers. Mouse also features rising star Park Joo Hyun (A Piece of Your Mind) and veteran actor Lee Hee Jun, marking his first leading drama role in six years.

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Also new to the platform is the sci-fi, action thriller L.U.C.A.: The Beginning. Penned by Chun Sung II who wrote the hit film The Pirates (2014) and won the best screenplay for The Slave Hunters, the series tells the story of a biological experimental subject named Z-O. Made by a corrupt priest and scientist, Z-O looks like an ordinary human but possesses special powers. Tired of living a life in hiding, Z-O returns to the lab where he was created to face reality and find a way to live as a human. L.U.C.A.: The Beginning features lead actor Kim Rae Won, who is known for playing an antagonistic, power hungry politician in Punch and a sweet and caring mentor in Doctors. Lead actress Lee Da Hee is known for her work in Mrs. Cop, The Beauty Inside, Search: WWW and Queendom.

In Dear. M, an anonymous post in a university’s community board leads to a widespread commotion and curiosity about “M”, the author of the post. A spin-off of the popular web series Love Playlist, the drama revolves around college students and their budding romance on campus. Ma Joo Ah, a business student attends the same university as her childhood friend, Cha Min Ho, a computer science student. While she is not keen about pursuing a relationship, things do not always go as planned. The series marks the acting debut of K-pop idol Jung Jaehyun from NCT and also stars Park Hye Soo, Roh Jeong Eui and Bae Hyun Sung.

Another first-on-Viu, supernatural drama Great Real Estate follows Hong Ji Ah, the owner of a real estate agency who has a special ability. Not only does she have beauty and brains but she can see spirits and exorcise them. Hence, her agency focuses on acquiring troubled properties to flip a profit from them. She meets Oh In Bum, a quick-witted con-artist who does not believe in the existence of ghosts, but uses them to scam others out of their wealth. Jang Na Ra, known for An Empress’ Dignity and V.I.P. plays Hong Ji Ah. The series, directed by PD Park Jin Suk (School 2017), also stars lead singer of K-pop boy band CN Blue, Jung Yong Hwa.

Additional titles in February and March include romance dramas Love Scene Number and Breakup Probation, A Week, time travel thriller drama Times, musical drama Summer Guys, and crime thriller Beyond Evil. Be sure to catch these and many more thrilling shows coming up on Viu!