[THE HIGH TIDE OF THE KOREAN WAVE(23)-HERALD INTERVIEW] Ryu Si-won says it`s all about adapting to Japan



In the last few years, Korean films, TV dramas and pop music have become immensely popular abroad, a phenomenon known as the Korean Wave. This is the 23rd in a series of essays by a select group of scholars and journalists looking at the spread of Korean pop culture in Southeast Asian countries and beyond. - Ed.
The increasing popularity of Korean pop culture throughout Asia has led some Korean entertainers to spend more time each year in Japan or China than in their mother country. Examples include Ryu Si-won and Jang Na-ra.
"I find staying in Japan as comfortable as on Jeju Island or in Busan," said Ryu, a singer and actor whose popularity in Japan rivals that of Bae Yong-joon, who is known by his Japanese fans as Yonsama. "Of course I miss my Korean fans and friends," he told the Korea Herald
Looking back on when he launched his career in Japan four years ago, he said that Korea`s image has soared in Japan over time, thanks to the unprecedented popularity of Korean pop culture. "I heard some Korean people living in Japan say they`ve become more proud of being Koreans because of those Korean stars. I`m so proud to hear that, as well," said Ryu, 35.
The multi-talented star, however, doesn`t want to be called a Hallyu (Korean Wave) star anymore. "Hallyu`s success story is not indicative of individual Korean stars` popularity in Japan and elsewhere outside Korea. In fact, Korean pop culture, as a whole, is gradually losing its competitive edge in Japan." continued Ryu.
According to him, Japanese broadcasters have recently done less coverage of Korean stars than they did a few years ago. "Korean Wave, as a new cultural trend, helped me a lot when I made my debut in Japan, but from now on, the key to the success of Korean entertainers in Japan is tailoring their work to that locale," emphasized Ryu.
In fact, his efforts to fit into Japanese market have been recognized as a perfect example for younger Korean entertainers targeting overseas markets. "I didn`t want to take advantage of the Korean Wave from the beginning, so I decided to make everything Japanese-friendly, as if I were a rookie Japanese entertainer, rather than a Korean star," said Ryu, who speaks pretty fluent Japanese during his concerts.
Having debuted here in the KBS drama "Feeling (Neukkim)," Ryu shot to stardom with another KBS show called "Propose" (1997), for which he won the Most Popular Actor of the Year award. Although his singing talent had not been known until his debut in Japan, Ryu surprised even his most devoted Korean fans when he became the first Korean male `singer` to top the Oricon Daily Charts on the day of the release of his single "Sakura" in 2005.

"Do I prefer singing to acting? It`s hard to tell. I love the feeling of intimacy a concert creates between me and my fans, but I also love acting because it allows me to tell a lot of different stories," Ryu continued. His fourth album, "With You," topped the Japanese HMV`s (a leading specialist retailer of music) album-booking chart last May, and took the second spot on the Oricon Daily Charts a month later.
Meanwhile, he also pursued his career as an actor in Japan. The star of "Beautiful Days" (2001) -- an SBS drama that became a huge hit in Japan when it was aired on NHK in 2004 -- made his debut in a Japanese soap opera with the NHK drama, "Dondo Bare (Getting Clearer)," in which he played the role of a Korean star staying at an inn.
Since last year, he has been appearing on the TBS weekend drama "Joshi Deka! (Female Detectives)," which features Pinko Izumi and Yukie Nakama as a pair of women detectives. Both as an actor and singer, his popularity in Japan has become something of a phenomenon.
Earlier this year, Ryu was selected as the best "ideal boyfriend" in a weekly entertainment survey conducted by the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun. According to the survey, Ryu was ranked tops in the category of "the actor most women wish to date."
"He is very smart, as far as acting is concerned," said Pinko Izumi, the veteran Japanese actress who stars with him in "Joshi Deka!" "While shooting the drama, he was always surrounded by so many female fans. Now I can see why."
The Korean Tourism Organization, a state-funded group which promotes Korean tourism around the world, estimates that he alone attracts more than 10,000 Japanese tourists to Korea every year. This is why he was appointed by the KTO as goodwill ambassador to Japan three years ago.
"I`m honored. I will do my best to promote Korea and Korean culture in Japan," he said. Last year, a Japanese travel agency introduced a package including a visit to his old family house in Andong in North Gyeongsang Province -- an old, traditional Korean-style house that even Queen Elizabeth visited during her time in this country in 1999.
"It`s something I should appreciate my ancestors for," he said. "My parents (his father, who guided the queen in Andong, along with Ryu, died four months ago) were so conservative and strict about etiquette education," explained Ryu, whose trademark politeness and gentlemanly manner appeals to his fans in Japan and here.
Ryu is the only Korean artist who is a licensed international race car driver, and he has a stable of fast cars and racing bikes. He also had a cook book published some years ago, and loves to cook.
▲Ryu Si-won attends an event to celebrate his birthday at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, in October, 2007.
"Racing is more than a hobby. My career as a professional racer also means a lot to me," he said. "Currently, I`m also in love with my DSLG camera. I`m still learning, but I hope I can publish my own photo album someday."
Ryu, who finished his fifth regular album recently, is scheduled to give 30 concerts in 18 Japanese cities starting in May. "I`ve been too busy to take a sightseeing trip in Japan. But I`d love to visit Mount Fuji and enjoy famous Japanese hot springs," he said.
By Lee Yong-sung
(danlee@heraldm.com)


2008.03.18