Mark Your Calendars for Rakuten Viki’s First International K-Drama Day

K-dramas (and really Korean pop culture in a multitude of forms) has surged in popularity for the past few years. That’s why Rakuten Viki plans to host the first ever worldwide celebration of K-dramas with International K-Drama Day on November 29.

The idea behind the holiday is to recognize the fandom and acknowledge the “exponentially rising mass appeal” of K-dramas. 

“With the phenomenal popularity of Korean entertainment and culture, we are thrilled to introduce the first-ever International K-Drama Day to celebrate our love for Korean dramas and films with fans all over the world,” said Sam Wu, chief executive officer at Rakuten Viki. “As the first streaming platform to bring Asian content to viewers in the U.S., we are so proud to be at the forefront of establishing this unprecedented celebration with the leading voices in the industry.”

Viki has also partnered up with sites like WEBTOON and Duolingo to spread the love and give fans even more.

“Korean is one of our most popular courses and Korean culture is quickly becoming more and more popular across the U.S.  To better connect with Korean culture enthusiasts, we chose to partner with Rakuten Viki, the leader in Asian entertainment and a popular destination for K-dramas. Watching TV shows and films in the language you’re studying is a fun way to learn and engage with the language,” said George Audi, Senior Director of Business Development at Duolingo.

“We’re excited to participate in International K-Drama Day and offer fans an exciting way to enjoy their favorite series and characters across different formats,” said Jini Cho, Director of Digital and Partnerships at WEBTOON. “It’s been a joy to see stories from WEBTOON come to life as beloved series on streaming platforms like Rakuten Viki, and what better way to celebrate the richness of these stories with our global fans than a commemorative holiday like International K-Drama Day.”

To commemorate the inaugural celebration, there will be an exciting lineup of special giveaways, prizes, and promotions, including:

• Grand Prize and Fun Giveaways:

• • Grand Prize K-Drama Travel Experience of a Lifetime: One lucky fan will win the opportunity of a lifetime to fully immerse themselves in Korean entertainment and culture through an all-expense paid trip to Korea. The guided K-drama-themed tour will include destinations depicted in popular K-dramas like Guardian: The Lonely and Great God(aka Goblin), Boys Over Flowers, Reborn Rich, Twinkling Watermelon, Perfect Marriage Revenge, Hotel del Luna and more. The grand prize winner will also receive a prize package that includes a free, one-year Viki Pass subscription, a one-year subscription to Super Duolingo, and Viki swag. For more information, visit www.kdramaday.com. 
  • Other prizes will include: Roku Ultra or Roku Express 4K streaming devices, K-drama inspired snack boxes and ramen from Weee! (while supplies last), Glass Skin refining serums from Peach & Lily, one-year Viki Pass subscriptions and giant boba plushies.

• Limited-Time Discount on Viki Pass Subscriptions:

• • For one day only, on November 29, K-drama fans can enjoy 29% off any Viki Pass subscription plan. This never-before offer will provide access to thousands of Asian television shows, movies and dramas, including Viki Originals, all in HD quality with no ads. 

• Exclusive Content for the Ultimate K-Drama Fan: 

• • For a limited time, Rakuten Viki is making a selection of popular K-dramas available for fans to watch for free. Titles include hits like Twinkling Watermelon, The Deal, Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, and What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim. Other exciting content will include celebrity shout-outs, behind-the-scenes footage, cast interviews and more!
  • Rakuten Viki will host a special quiz in partnership with Duolingo where fans can test their knowledge of the Korean language for a chance to win fun prizes, including subscriptions for Super Duolingo and Rakuten Viki.
  • CJ ENM will release a special segment of the popular “Ketchup!,” an interview with the producer of My Lovely Liar and Our Blooming Youth, behind-the-scenes footage of what it’s like to create a Korean drama and more on their social channels. 
  • Weee!, America’s largest online Asian supermarket, will curate a specially themed shopping list on their platform for fans to purchase delicious snacks featured in popular K-dramas. Weee! will also share tips and tricks for how to recreate yummy Korean dishes at home. 
  • WEBTOON, the world’s largest digital comics platform, will host an exciting in-app reading event where fans can read episodes of the original digital comics that have been adapted into popular K-dramas, like A Good Day to Be a Dog, Perfect Marriage Revenge, True Beauty, The Girl Downstairs (Doona!), Sweet Home and Vigilante to unlock a month of Viki Pass Plus ($9.99 value) to watch these beloved series in live action.
  • Gold House, an organization that ensures representation among Asian and Pacific Islanders on and off screen, will share exclusive content about Viki’s celebration. 
  • The Black Label, home to globally renowned artists like Taeyang of BigBang, Jeon Somi from Produce 101 and Park Bogum from hit K-Dramas like Encounter, will have its artist Vince join in with a musical homage to K-dramas.
  • From November 29 to December 2, fans in the Los Angeles area can stop by Bopomofo Cafe to enjoy a limited-edition Viki Blue Boba lychee-flavored tea along with a one month free trial of a Viki Pass subscription while supplies last.

Rakuten Viki is the leading destination for Asian content. It’s not just K-dramas that you can find on the streamer; there are series and movies from China, Japan, Thailand, and Taiwan, among others. Some of the series that I have recommended in the past can be streamed on Viki, including True Beauty, Word of Honor, and A Tale of Thousand Stars (which was previously hosted on YouTube).

I can’t speak for everyone, but I started getting into Asian dramas – including K-dramas – during the height of lockdown. I actually got a subscription to Viki to be able to watch True Beauty, but I was happy to see that a lot of the other series I wanted to watch (remember, I was working my way through Wang Yibo and Xiao Zhan’s filmographies) were available as well. It’s really exciting to see all of the fun activities and opportunities that Viki is providing.

And I have to give a huge shoutout to Viki’s tireless, wonderful captioners, who do their best to provide captions that not only translate the dialogue but also give context! For example, if there is something that is a joke or a pun that doesn’t make sense in English, they will put the context in the captions. 

Fans of K-dramas can look forward to all the fun of International K-Drama Day. And if you’ve been wanting to get into K-dramas and you’ve been putting it off, November 29 will be a great day to start.

Drop your K-drama recs in the comments!

Author: Jamie Sugah

Jamie has a BA in English with a focus in creative writing from The Ohio State University. She self-published her first novel, The Perils of Long Hair on a Windy Day, which is available through Amazon. She is currently an archivist and lives in New York City with her demon ninja vampire cat. She covers television, books, movies, anime, and conventions in the NYC area.

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