Sweet Korean romance dramas are gaining popularity as they enter the world's top 10 one after another.

According to "FlixPatrol", an online content service ranking site on March 4, SBS drama "A Business Proposal" ranked 9th in the world in the Netflix TV program category as of the previous day.

Starring Kim Se Jeong and Ahn Hyo Seop, "A Business Proposal" is a drama based on popular web novels and webtoons, and is a romance that unfolds when ordinary office worker Shin Ha Ri (played by Kim Se Jeong) faces the company's representative Kang Tae Moo (Ahn Hyo Seop).

In terms of country rankings, it is gaining popularity mainly in Asia, ranking 1st in Indonesia and the Philippines and second in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. It was 3rd place in Korea.

If genres such as Netflix's original series "Squid Game" and "All of Us Are Dead" received explosive attention around the world, romance dramas released simultaneously on Korean broadcasters and Netflix are steadily loved in Asia.

JTBC drama "Thirty Nine" starring Son Ye Jin, which recently started, ranked 8th in the world on the 25th of last month, while tvN drama "Twenty Five Twenty One", starring Kim Tae Ri and Nam Joo Hyuk, also ranked 10th on the 1st of March.

Prior to this, romance dramas such as "Hometown Cha Cha Cha", "The King's Affection", and "Our Beloved Summer" were consistently ranked in the top 10, revealing the potential of Korean romance dramas.

Meanwhile, as of the previous day, "All of Us Are Dead" ranked 6th, and "Juvenile Justice" starring Kim Hye Soo ranked 7th.

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Actor Song Kang Ho shocked fans by revealing the surprising reason he initially turned down the iconic role in Joint Security Area (JSA).

On February 4, the movie JSA was celebrated as a "Visionary" work at a special GV (Guest Visit) event for CJ ENM’s 30th anniversary at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Seoul. The event was attended by director Park Chan-wook and stars like Song Kang Ho, Lee Byung Hun, Lee Young Ae, Kim Tae Woo, and Ko Kyung Beom, who shared stories from the making of the film.

Joint Security Area, a groundbreaking film by director Park Chan-wook, tells the story of North and South Korean soldiers caught in a tragic incident at the border, highlighting the human side of the divided nations. The film has been widely praised for changing the perception of inter-Korean relations and is seen as a key moment in Korean cinema.

During the event, Song Kang Ho admitted that he turned down the JSA script at first, saying, "The script was just too perfect. It was so well-written and tightly woven that I couldn’t believe it. I thought, ‘Is this really Korean cinema at this level?’ I felt it was too good, and I figured the movie wouldn’t live up to the script."

He also mentioned that at the time, Park Chan-wook’s previous films hadn’t done well, which made him even more doubtful. "But after meeting the director, I started to trust him," Song Kang Ho added.

Reflecting on the film 20 years later, Song Kang Ho joked, "I was flipping through channels and watched JSA again. I thought, ‘There was a time when I wasn’t envious of Lee Byung Hun,’ but he looked so handsome and cool back then." He continued, laughing, "One thing about Park Chan-wook's films is that they have a depth and elegance that you just can’t forget. It’s probably why his new movie is called I Can’t Help It."

Song Kang Ho also spoke fondly of reuniting with his JSA co-stars after 25 years. He shared, "We didn’t watch the film together, but we had a cozy two-hour dinner. After all this time, it felt nostalgic. It was heartwarming to sit together again and reminisce about the past. It really made me realize how meaningful these moments are."

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