Yes, MediaCorp should have plenty to learn from the Koreans as
an article from littlespeck reveals:
A jewel of an idea
Captivating millions, promoting Korean culture, food and tourism at
one go; MediaCorp can't have a better teacher. By Seah Chiang
Nee.
Sept 22, 2005
At 7pm, Mondays-to-Fridays, instead of watching prime news or
Channel 8, tens of thousands of Singaporeans are enthralled by a
Korean TV blockbuster "Jewel in the Palace" (channel 55).
This has breached a new realm of modern TV. Dae Jang Guem (The
Korean title pronounced Ta Jang Jing) is based on 16th century
Korea and the plots and intrigue in the Royal Palace.
It is a big winner for South Korea, beyond just measuring
audience.
The 70-part series (over three and a half months) is preceded
nightly by brief explanations of Korean palace traditions, food
(helped by the country's top cuisine expert) and its traditional
medicine.
The plots are very engaging. For Seoul, the rewards lie in the
promotion of Korean traditions and tourism globally. The CDs are
already out.
It took Korean (viewership: a whooping 57.8%) and Taiwan TV by
storm before coming here.
It is based on the story of a real historical figure, the first and
only woman to serve as head physician to the King in the rigidly
hierarchical and male-dominated Joseon Dynasty.
In spring 2004, it made its debut in America (Chicago).
The main filming locations - Jeju-do Island, Korean Folk Village,
Naganeupseong, Suwon Hwaseong Haenggung Palace, and Changdeokgung
Palace - have tourism attractions, attracting large crowds of fans,
especially from Taiwan.
Benefiting from the popularity are many Korean restaurants
everywhere. It introduced traditional dishes, in particular the
imperial cuisine consisting of steamed food, soup, kimchi,
etc.
There's quite a bit of demonstration of cooking imperial food, all
part of the plots and therefore escaped being boring.
It's something MediaCorp and our tourism authorities would love to
have produced here.
Singapore's tourism (8.5m a year) needs the boost; so does its
home- grown food. It takes some imagination to put them together,
and the Koreans have done it.
It shows how the power of a simple idea, well executed by a few
talented stars, not necessarily high-powered, high-tech, can be
turned into a entertainment winner.
Seoul had been behind Tokyo or Hong Kong in movies and television
for a long time - until now. The gap is fast disappearing.
The TV people in Hong Kong may be fighting back, though.
At 8 pm after the Korean show, the same channel has started running
"War and Beauty", an absorbing Hong Kong serial that also deals
with palace plots and intrigues, but in old China.
It's like a season for royal thrillers, a battle royal. In economic
spin-offs, however, the Koreans are winning hands down.