Lately my family has been watching a South Korean TV drama series called Dae Jang Geum, aka Jewel of the Palace. The main character is based on a real person, Seo Jang-Geum, who is the only female doctor for the king in Korea’s history. But so little is known about her real life that the producers made up most of the plot.
When it first aired, more than half of South Korea watched it, and now it’s sweeping across Asia like wildfire. Tourists from all over Asia are going to South Korea just to see Dae Jang Geum-related stuff. Now there’s a theme park based on Dae Jang Geum, which is the restored set where the series was taped. It’s somewhat like the lots at Universal Studios, but this park is based around one TV series. I can’t think of anything quite like it in the U.S.