Korean soap operas are called drama (드라마). Unlike the soaps in the U.S., Korean dramas (드라마) run about three months to six months long. Here is a list of Korean dramas (드라마) that have been well received by the international public:
Full House (풀하우스): It’s been especially popular in Taiwan and stars the female lead Song Hye Kyo (송혜교) and male lead Rain (비). It’s a love story with the theme being opposites attract.
Winter Sonata (겨울 연가): It caused a huge phenomena back in Japan for Korean dramas (드라마). The male lead is Bae Young Jun (배용준) and the female lead is Choi Jiwoo (최지우). It’s another love story with the theme being that some couples are just meant to be together no matter what.
Jewel in the Palace (대장금): Was a hit in China. The story highlights the ups and downs of a woman trying to survive the harsh world of palace life. The protagonist of the story is played by the real life Lee Youngae (이영애). The theme of the story is that persistence will pay off and that people who do good will prevail.
Of course this isn’t a full compilation of all the dramas (드라마) that have been popular with audiences, but it’s a start.
The tension and strife between North and South Korea is a popular theme for many Korean movies. Take the movie Shiri (시리). Shiri (시리) is a movie about North Korean spies infiltrating South Korea. You’ll have to see what happens, but it’s a action/thriller movie. It contains a lot of technical/science jargon and is perfect for advanced Korean students. Then there’s the movie JSA which stands for Joint Security Area (공동경비구역). JSA (공동경비구역) is a mystery thriller dealing with the South/North Korean border. Lastly, my favorite is Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War (태국기 휘날리며). It’s based on a true story of two brothers torn apart by war, and finally tragically reuniting when they face each other in battle.
The next two movies are philosophical or what I call “thinking” movies. The messages in these movies are not always black and white and a lot is left to the viewer’s interpretation. For example the movie, Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring (봄여름가을겨울그리고봄) by the director Kim Kiduk (김기덕) is about a man who wrestles with his past through the various seasons. There is a lot of metaphor in this movie, so if you’re looking for a light, funny, comedy, you’ll probably want to steer away from this one. The movie Old Boy (올드보이) by director Bak Chanuk (박찬욱) is also one of those deep thinking movies. If you feel uncomfortable with gore, blood and pure, raw emotion, this may not be the movie for you.
Interestingly enough, Hollywood has recreated some Korean classics. The movie My Sassy Girl starring Elisha Cuthbert, is based on the Korean version of My Sassy Girl (엽기적인 그녀). Trust me, the Korean version is better. The Korean version has the right amount of humor and heartfelt emotions. It’s a great love story. The movie The Lake House starring Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves is based on the Korean movie II Mare (時越愛). It’s another love story as well.
July 4th is the day the American colonists declared their independece from England. Well, Koreans also have their own Independence Day called samiljul (삼일절). The name samiljul (삼일절) was named after the March protest demonstrations. The demonstrations were called manseundong (만세운동). Coincidentally, Korea was subjugated by the Japanese the same number of years the American colonists were under British rule. So here’s a trivia question: what is that number? The answer: 36. Both the Americans and Koreans were under colonial rule for 36 years.
The typical drink on samjilnal (삼질날) is hwache (화채). Hwache (화채) is a Korean fruit punch made from azalea petals, mung bean starch, honey and water. (Notice a pattern here…azaleas). There’s no alcohol in hwache (화채). It’s simply a cold refreshing drink. Some people have allergies to azaleas and flowers in general, so they don’t drink hwache (화채). Instead, they’ll drink omijacha (오미자차), which is a tea made from wild berries. 
Did you know that last month was Kim Jong Il’s sengil (생일) or birthday? His birthday is a national holiday. Kim Jong Il’s birthday was accompanied by a ceremony much like the mass games for the Olympics. There were synchronized swimmers, acrobatic dancers, and muscians. Strangely enough, Kim Jong Il (생일) was not present at the games and there is some speculation that he might have suffered a stroke. He has yet to name a successor, and it’s understandable as to why Hilary Clinton made one of her first trips to South Korea. The future of North Korea and the future of the nuclear weapons program may lie in the hands of one of Kim Jong Il’s (김정일) sons.
What are the mass games? The mass games consist of traditional Korean dances and music with lavish displays of acrobatic acts. It’s a rare chance for Western media to take a glimpse into North Korea, because it’s really the only time in the year that the North Korean government is this open to foreigners. There is still a huge security clearance that Western journalists need to go through to get to the North, but hey, it’s a rare chance, so you could say it’s almost worth it. My guess is that the North Korean government is using the mass games as a way to display their power. One of the highlights of the mass games is a military parade consisting of very disciplined soldiers all marching in a single, neat order. The North Korean military is called the Korean People’s Army (저선인민군) and the games are a means to publicize the army. 
Let me tell you more about Kim Jong Il (김정일). He is not addressed by his name- at least not by his own people. He is addressed as “Dear Leader” (친애아는 지도자). Of course there were many well wishers who congratulated Kim Jong Il’s (김정일) sixty-seventh birthday. He’s certaintly lived a long life, considering the average age of mortality for men in North Korea is 40 years. Ironically he was born in Russia under the name Yuri. Of course this fact is hidden from his people but anyway, he has three sons, by three different women. I guess you could say he’s been very “busy” in that sense.