Korean dramas have taken center stage in Southeast Asian countries, earning high television ratings in previously uncharted broadcast territory.

Korean cinema has also played its part in the Korean pop culture craze, with Korean films winning many awards at international film festivals.

What's next? Try adding musicals to the hallyu experience. Musicals of top Korean dramas such as "Winter Sonata" and "Dae Jang Geum" (Jewel in the Palace) are getting a lot of publicity nowadays.

KBS network's "Winter Sonata," the series that launched Bae Yong Joon's career, was a huge pan-Asian hit, especially in Japan. "Winter Sonata" — the musical — was performed in Sapporo, Tokyo and Osaka, Japan, last year. The venues had a seating capacity of 1,100 to 2,000 and had an average attendance of 70 percent. With the success in Japan, the musical is looking into other markets.

I was fortunate to have viewed the "Winter Sonata" musical, and I enjoyed it very much. It doesn't have any of the stars from the 20-episode TV series, but the story line is easy to follow and the singing is great!

If you are lucky enough to be in Seoul between May 26 and June 16, you can catch the musicl version of "Jewel in the Palace" at the Seoul Arts Center Opera House. "Jewel in the Palace," about Seo Jang Geum, a woman famous for becoming the physician to the king despite her low social status, was a hit TV series on MBC four years ago. It was broadcast in more than 50 countries and also was popular in Hawai'i. The series spurred interest in Korean food in other Asian countries, especially China — the character is a royal cook before learning about medicine. The drama presented many traditional Korean dishes and their health benefits. "The Jewel in the Palace" is also considering performances in other countries.

Jeff Chung is general manager of KBFD, which televises Korean dramas. If you have a K-drama question or comment, reach him at 521-8066 or jeffchung@kbfd.com.

THIS WEEK’S K-DRAMA SYNOPSES

'Infamous Chill Sisters'



Pre-empted by special programming. The series will resume next Sunday with episodes 61 and 62.



'Lover'



Episodes 19 and 20



Tomorrow at 7:50 p.m.: Sae-yeon meets his father for lunch and a heart-to-heart talk. Yujin, Chairman Kang and Chang-bae head for Kang-jae's hotel. Kang-jae and Miju are on a date when they hear the tragic news.



Tuesday at 7:50 p.m.: Final episode. Synopsis not available.



'Queen of the Game'



Episodes 9 and 10



Wednesday at 7:50 p.m.: Eun-seol cries and pleads with Sin-jeon, and he's swayed for a minute, only to renew his vow of revenge. Jae-ho seeks forgiveness from his daughter.



Thursday at 7:50 p.m.: Eun-seol pleads with Sin-jeon to spare her father, Kang Jae-ho. Sin-jeon forgives her father and burns the evidence incriminating him. However, Kang Jae-ho forms an alliance with Chairman Chung. Eun-seol discovers that she is pregnant — but who's the father?



'Snow Flower'



Episodes 5 and 6



Friday at 7:50 p.m.: Dami wants to back out of the movie deal, and In-chan calls her an irresponsible brat. Dami takes the role when her father says she'll make a great actress but is shocked when she sees who wrote the script.



Saturday at 7:50 p.m.: Ji-sup and Kang-ae have a wonderful time at the opera. Dong-woo tells Kang-ae to think about marriage while he's on a trip to New York. Dami's feelings are hurt when she's introduced as Kang-ae's daughter at a company Christmas party.