Korean TV Dramas Surprisingly Embraced by U.S. Audiences

San Bruno, Calif. – YA Entertainment LLC, a home entertainment company and exclusive licensee, publisher, and distributor of popular Korean TV drama programming on DVD with English subtitles in North America, today released a survey revealing the rising mainstream appeal of Korean dramas. The survey conducted by YA Entertainment, and in association with BYJ’s Ohana, a Korean entertainment fan club, showed that 91% of Korean TV drama viewers in the U.S. are not of Korean descent.

The online survey polled over 500 Korean drama viewers. Major survey findings include:

• Majority of U.S.-based Korean drama viewers are not of Korean descent. 91.1% of respondents are non-Koreans. About 29% of respondents identified themselves as ethnically Japanese, while over 20% described themselves as Caucasian.

• Most Korean drama fans are located in the Western United States.

Close to 64% of Korean drama fans are based on the West Coast. The rest of respondents were dispersed throughout the Midwest and the East Coast.

• Korean dramas garner a loyal following among America’s ‘baby boomers.’

More than 60% of respondents are over the age of 40, while 26% of respondents are in their teens and twenties.

Currently, over 25 million American households have access to popular Korean TV dramas through cable and local TV channels. Americans are increasingly drawn to Korean dramas’ emotionally engaging storylines and intriguing characters. This is part of the growing awareness of the ‘Korean Wave,’ referring to the popular trend of South Korean movies and TV dramas embraced by audiences worldwide, including those in China, Japan, Egypt, and Iraq.

“Korean TV dramas have successfully engaged viewers all over North America,” said Tom Larsen, President, YA Entertainment. “The ‘Korean Wave’ and high quality K-dramas have captivated US audiences, including a growing viewership turned off by the sex, gore, and violence that drives today’s American entertainment industry.”

As evidence of the growing mainstream appeal of Korean TV dramas, the Cerritos Borders store in Southern California hosts a Korean Drama Preview Party every last Wednesday of the month. The Borders event is an opportunity for fans to catch a sneak peek and discuss the latest Korean drama.

"Borders is excited to partner with YA Entertainment to host high quality entertainment offerings such as Korean dramas,” said Sandra Carpenter, District Marketing Manager, Borders Group Inc. “The dramas have gained a following and the turnout for our monthly viewing party has been phenomenal. This event, together with our better-than-average selection of K-drama DVDs, gives Borders a very global cache and makes us a great destination for K-drama fans."

The next Korean Drama Preview Party is set for August 30 at the Cerritos Borders store. The event will showcase the highly-anticipated “Glass Slipper,” a tale of two orphaned sisters separated as children and their eventual reunion as adults. The “Glass Slipper” DVD boxset is available on August 22.

About YA Entertainment
YA Entertainment LLC, a home entertainment company, is the exclusive licensee, publisher, and distributor of popular Korean TV drama programming on DVD with English subtitles in North America. The company also provides such value-added services as the creation of packaging, subtitling, DVD authoring, design, and warehousing. The San Bruno, Calif.-based company’s DVD collection is available at selected national retail chain stores as well as Amazon.com, YesAsia.com, over 400 independent video stores and 150 specialized bookstores. To become a reseller, contact sales@yaentertainment.com. For more information, visit www.yaentertainment.com.

Media Contacts

Tom Larsen / Katie Flanagan

YA Entertainment, LLC

Tel: 650.517.5113

Fax: 650.517.5111

www.yaentertainment.com

tom@yaentertainment.com/ Katie.Flanagan@yaentertainment.com