The SBS Open successfully finished its fourth year in Hawai'i yesterday at Turtle Bay Resort. Seoul Broadcasting System, one of the leading networks in South Korea, is known for making strides in improving the drama experience. It has taken an initiative to think outside the box and start a production trend that could really improve the quality of the overall TV series.

In the past, Korean networks have produced dramas that have played an integral part in promoting hallyu (Korean wave) internationally. But there have been many series that left fans complaining about vague endings and last episodes that appeared to be rushed.

In the U.S. television market, production companies typically finish an entire series before attempting to sell it or even thinking about broadcast. In South Korea, some networks schedule airing of a TV drama series after a few episodes have been produced. With scheduling backlog in production and other factors, a delay in getting the episode done before the airdate was a challenge. It's common not to have a script done before actual filming and thus a script is being produced concurrently. The stars then have little time to practice and prep before filming. In some cases, the editing is still under way on the day an episode is set to air. In one incident, a prime-time news broadcast was extended to cover the delay of production of one episode of "The Four Gods." The show did get on the air with a slight delay.

One of the benefits of producing a TV series without much lead time allows for the script writer to keep the material very current. Another useful advantage is flexibility in allowing for quick changes in production and editing. When fans in Korea don't like the way the series is going, they say so in e-mail notes and post many complaints online. If the networks do not listen or cater to the fans, the ratings drop.

The obvious downside of the tight production schedule is that short planning time can result in poorly thought-out series endings. There have been series with great starts but poor ratings toward the end because of lack of planning and time in production.

SBS is now producing series completely then airing them. An upcoming series, "Bichunmoo," was completed long before the scheduling of its airdate. The main male character is none other than Ju Jin Mo, who was here in October for the Louis Vuitton Hawaii International Film Festival to debut his latest film, "A Love" in the United States.

THIS WEEK'S K-DRAMA SYNOPSES

'BRIDE FROM VIETNAM'

Episodes 51 and 52

Tonight at 7 p.m.: Jun-wu confronts Sung-il and asks him to acknowledge who Jin-ju is and to meet Jin-ju and her mother. But Sung-il tells him it's impossible for him to admit that Jin-ju's his daughter because he fears losing everything.

Tonight at 8 p.m.: While Jin-ju and Jun-wu are at a ski resort, Jun-wu tells Jin-ju the partial truth. He tells her that Jin-ju's father called him and said he's thinking of her.

'KING & I'

Episodes 35 and 36

Tomorrow at 7:50 p.m.: The king asks Uh Woo Dong if the rumors are true, and is shocked by her answer. At the same time, the palace is turned upside down by the king's disappearance.

Tuesday at 7:50 p.m.: The news of king's disappearance reaches the Queen Mother, but Chi-gyeom tells her the king spent a night at his house.

'BAD GUY'

Episodes 3 and 4

Wednesday at 7:50 p.m.: Oh-joon's attempt to get close to Yun-ha is fruitless, as he discovers she has no money. Although Oh-joon swears to not go after Dal-lae because of her odd personality, he changes his mind.

Thursday at 7:50 p.m.: Dal-lae takes Oh-joon on what he thinks will be a date, but it instead turns into an awkwardly romantic rendezvous.

'SCARY GIRL'

Episodes 25, 26 and 27, 28

Friday at 7:50 p.m.: Chairman Baek stops Young-rim as she's leaving and introduces himself.

Saturday at 7:50 p.m.: Young-rim and Joon-chul stop by Seung-mi's and Seung-mi asks them if they're getting married. Seung-mi asks Joon-chul to escort Young-rim to and from work.