BENGALURU: With the rising surge in the popularity of Korean dramas, many Bengalureans are learning the language to enjoy their favourite shows. Christina M Babu is such a K-drama fan, who after watching a lot of Asian shows, feels Korean was an easy-to-learn language.
Especially compared to European languages. “I had a very basic understanding of the language and its culture. The major challenge was Korean reality shows which wouldn’t subtitle everything, and I felt that I couldn’t enjoy my favourite shows to the fullest,” says Babu.
To bridge the linguistic gap, Babu, who is a fan of shows like Vincenzo and Descendants Of The Sun, enrolled herself in the COP course in Korean at the English and Foreign Languages University. Fellow K-drama fan Pooja Anbu, however, feels learning Korean is not a prerequisite to watching Kdramas.
“Once you get into the genre, you start developing a liking for the language. Understanding sentences and phrases feel rewarding,” she says. Meanwhile, others have resorted to learning Korean simply because it is hard to find the right subtitles for their favourite shows. Maanya Sogali says, “It was actually easier to learn the language than download the subtitles. In 2017, I learnt Korean from Coursera and have also been working as a part-time translator. It helps me understand the cultural nuances better.”