KJCKorea
Journal Central

<Winter Sonata> was a television drama that led the ‘Korean Wave (Hallyu)’ craze in Japan in the 2000s. The popularity of this work in Japan surprised not only Japan but also Korea. Since then, research on the influence of this film has been intensively published. Most of the existing studies analyzed the causes and results of the popularity of ‘Korean Wave (Hallyu)’. However, many studies focused on external factors rather than the internal characteristics of the work. Even in Japanese studies, it was argued that Korean Wave (Hallyu) was not a Korean influence but a Japanese choice. This study attempted to reduce the perspective of these existing studies to the text, and focused on the characteristics of the grammar of <Winter Sonata> as a melodrama and the narrative of finding true self that are combined in multiple layers. <Winter Sonata> was a work that aimed for a narrative goal of attempting to regain oneself while faithfully implementing the characteristics and grammar of melodrama. Therefore, <Winter Sonata> was basically faithful to the grammar and characteristics of melodrama aiming for romantic emotions, while at the same time preparing for basic consultation and reflection on self-identity as the essence of the narrative. The success of Korean Wave (Hallyu) stems from the parallelization of these two internal tendencies.

<Winter Sonata>, Melodrama, Korean Wave(Hallyu), Love, Finding Self