I’m sure there are some of you out there, okay A LOT of you that are disappointed that Lee Min Ho isn’t making a drama this year. But that’s because he’s decided to pursue the next level of his acting career: the movie industry. It’s a movie, so it probably has a higher paycheck. There’s [...]

It isn’t every day you get invited to try Grandma’s Spicuest Noodles in Seoul! Originally thought I’d just be tagging along to watch Jesse make his spicy Korean food show, and vlog a little bit of it. Little did I know I’d be invited to fully participate. Since moving to Korea, I’ve become accustomed to spicy [...]

There have been A BUNCH of serious issues recently surrounding the Kpop industry that seem to be calling the industry itself and the way they do business into question. There have been more controversies in the second half of 2014 than ever.. though that may be an exaggeration. So much has happened in just the [...]

We woke up in Gangnam today and that DOES NOT HAPPEN OFTEN! We spent the night at the bathhouse in Gangnam after missing the last bus back home to Suwon due to it being a holiday. Instead of taking an expensive taxi we opted for an experience in a Korean sauna and a few hours [...]

Friday was date night for Steph and I! With our crazy schedules, it’s ALWAYS nice to plan a day when we can kick back, relax a bit and enjoy each others company. We had such a good time we didn’t realize that it being a holiday in Korea the public transportation schedules change. And that [...]

This one actually came as a request! I got excited by this request when we were doing our Lee Min Ho/Jang Geun Suk postcard giveaway. (..which BY THE WAY Lee Min Ho postcards have not yet been claimed! I may have to give them away to a new person, what do you guyz think?. Click [...]

All sorts of fun things happened today! I could not have predicted in a million years a day like this if I had been asked about it at the beginning of the day, but it happened. Full day planned of tasks that needed to be completed started by dropping Steph off, and then driving around [...]

There’s a super wide variety of restaurants on the 6th floor of Suwon Station. Everything from typical fast food to sit down casual and even fine dining. Funny enough, I wasn’t planning to give your the grand tour of the food court in Suwon Station when I went there the other day, but I just [...]

I cannot wait for the new Korean drama Pinocchio to come out! Lee Jong Suk and Park Shin Hye star in a new drama that’s really catching our attention in the drama world. In honor of Lee Jong Suk’s new drama Pinocchio, I took a brief trip down memory lane and treated myself to some I [...]

On my very first shot of the day I caught the seafood truck rolling down the block, and then immediately ran into one of the nicest men I know in Korea: our downstairs neighbor. He’s always so kind and compassionate whenever I see him, and he’s exactly the type of guy you want as a [...]

I can’t believe I have to wait until that I have to wait an entire month for this Korean drama to come out. Until that fateful day in November, I’ll be checking out all the news, photos and trailers that come out for it. Because.. I’m a HUGE Lee Jong Suk and Park Shin Hye [...]

It’s not everyday that you see a Cadillac Escalde rolling down the street in Korea. Sure, there are all types of imports here for sale, and people do buy them, but there is much less incentive to purchase an imported car versus a Korean car, and it shows. The majority of vehicles on the streets [...]

People have been asking us ‘What’s it like for a vegetarian in Korea?’ or ‘What are vegetarian options in Korea’ ever since we started doing LIKE IT videos. No question about Korea is TOO DIFFICULT, but this was one we have avoided until now. And honestly, we have less direct experience with this topic mainly [...]

The day started off normal and ended by being one of the best Kpop experiences of our lives! Not only did we get to see Super Junior, Sistar, Bangtan Boys (BTS) and others, but we then got to go backstage, meet and take photos with Kara!! I think our reactions in the video speak for [...]

When I was initially making this list, the first thing I thought of was that some of you might probably be upset or annoyed that I didn’t include My Lovely Girl, the new Rain and Krystal drama. There’s no laughter on my part when it comes to that drama, even though I don’t think it’s [...]

Even on days when we expect little to happen, something interesting ALWAYS seems to happen in Korea. Take today for instance. I spent the better part of the afternoon home editing the Top 5 Fridday video. After all it was Friday and we upload a new video every week. On days like today, I work [...]

Today started off pretty darn good: The weather was near perfect and my bus to Seoul was waiting for me! I had a fun day planned hanging out with by buddy Jesse, and then returning to Suwon to spend the evening with Steph. It’s so nice to get out of the house on a day [...]

Do you need some good romance in your life? Some good tug at your heart strings cry your eyes out romance? Then this one could be the drama you need right now, though it’s not quite at the cry your eyes out phase yet. It is however an every emotionally plugged story. A while back [...]

It isn’t everyday that we get to hang out with fans mostly because our hectic schedules don’t allow it. Today was an exception. We were contacted several times by a man named Jeff who’s a big fan of Hallyu Back. Because his visit to Korea coincided with a day off that I had, I agreed [...]

Gotta be honest, this day started off just like any other, but how it ended up could have never been predicted. We were invited into Seoul by an old friend of ours who is now a Korean movie producer to visit and check out an American TV show that is being filmed in Seoul at [...]

Korea is remaking the Japanese manga turned anime turned Japanese drama Nodame Cantabile and I’m super excited about it!!! ..if you haven’t guessed already. ☺ I’ve talked about this already in Top 5 Fridays, but I wanted to make a video all about my thoughts on it coming out October 13th on KBS2. This drama [...]

We never realized until recently how fascinating some of the regular aspects of life in Korea could be for others. Take how people move in and out of their homes here. Where we are from, we call a moving van (usually), put everything in it and drive it to another location. They have moving vans [...]

You Who Came From The Stars is considered one of the most popular Korean dramas these days. I wish I could just go back and watch the whole thing all over again! But, as a busy girl I just don’t have the time. As it is I can barely keep up with watching new dramas. [...]

This question comes from a Mom who wants her son to become a Korean drama star. We actually get asked fairly often about how to come to Korea or how to work in Korea. Truthfully, it’s really tough to answer those questions properly! We both believe that everyone has to create their own journey and [...]

Today was the day we had to bring Maki to the vet to get some bloodwork done. We didn’t WANT to bring her there, but we have an obligation to make sure she is healthy and happy. We have two carriers for her: One that we originally got when we brought her home, and another [...]

First things first I want to thank Tanya for her AWESOME suggestion! This is perfect timing because I’m totally on a Noona drama romance kick. I’m actually currently watching the number 5 drama on this list ☺ Yet, another reason why I couldn’t rank it any higher on the list than number 5. So far, [...]

Date night! We headed to the south side of the Han River in the heart of Seoul where Eland Cruise has their famous riverboats! Eland River Cruise invited us as guests to experience their wonderful buffet cruise if we were willing to vlog our experience. Seemed like a more than reasonable exchange to us, so [...]

After dropping Steph off, I drove by the barber shop on my way home home. Nobody was in there so I knew it would be a great time to get my haircut and restyled. The camera caught almost the full process of getting a haircut in Korea, which in all honesty ain’t that much different [...]

Our normal day is pretty normal everyday.. at least we think so. For us, we seriously try to have fun whatever we are doing. We try not to take anything for granted, and in doing so we realize how weird some of the things we do might be to others who are not familiar with [...]

A very special day in the Hallyu Back household for two reasons: 1) Maki’s birthday is today! She was born exactly one year ago today. 2) Steph’s mom passed away on this day in 2008. September has always been the most difficult month for her. It was a very weird day last Nov. when we [...]

My Lovely Girl is the newest ‘it’ drama to grace the Korean drama scene. It’s also the return of Rain to the Kdrama world after 4 years of absence. I have to say, that one of my favorite aspects of this drama so far is just getting to see Rain interact on the screen and [...]

This had to be one of the coolest experiences I’ve had in the five plus years I’ve been living in Korea. First off, it’s not very often that I’m able to get all dressed up and go on a fancy date. We tend to do a lot more low key dinners and nights out since [...]

Got an EARLY start today. David heading to the airport for a flight to Beijing so I gave him a ride. It was great having him visit and I was sad to see him go. It’s always great to show people Korea from our perspective. I’m so thankful to have been able to hang out [...]

When we saw this question, we couldn’t resist answering.. if only that it’s such an unusual question that we’ve never been asked before. And, it’s a legitimately good question. I must say, from re-watching the final cut of the video, Richard and I have very different opinions on this matter. The thing we both agree [...]

The day started off by giving Steph a lift to Suwon Station so she wouldn’t have to walk a take a cab. She had been invited to a Kpop Concert/Fashion Show in Seoul, and our friend David who was visiting Korea from Costa Rica had a wedding to attend. Me? I was home catching up [...]

In case you hadn’t already heard some of the biggest remake news of the year, it’s official; the US broadcasting company ABC has bought the rights to the Korean drama You Who Came From the Stars and is going to remake it! This is just one of the many remakes that are coming to American [...]

Last weekend I was invited to see a Kpop concert/ fashion show. I was SUPER psyched to go since I had only been to one Kpop concert before. (Here’s a link if you wanna check it out. WARNING: I’d say we’ve improved since we made this video LOL)   The concert I went to was [...]

After seeing Steph and saying goodbye, David and I headed across Korea by car to the northeast portion of the country. We woke up by the beach, grabbed a quick lunch, and drove to Soraksan, the most famous national park in all of South Korea. We hiked all the way to the top for some [...]

ROAD TRIP!! We have a friend from Costa Rica visiting us in Korea. We spent the afternoon traveling across the country. In the process we learned a very valuable lesson about debit card usage in Korea ^^ yesterday’s video:

Talk about a murder mystery romance Korean drama all rolled into one! This drama stars Yoo In Ah who I most recently saw as a second lead actress in You Who Came From The Stars. Jin Yi Han also stars in it and who, after Ha Ji Won, was my favorite actor in Empress Ki. [...]

Recently we have been pleasantly graced by one of Richard’s good friends David from Costa Rica. He arrived to our home yesterday and this was his very first full day in Korea! Richard had the day off and decided to take him on the very best one day tour he could imagine. I’m jelly I [...]

When it comes to the internet, Korea uses almost all it’s own sites. But when it comes to cell phone use, there’s really only one main app they use to chat: Kakao Talk. When we got this question, it was a pretty straight forward answer for both of us. If you’re familiar with Korea and [...]

Chuseok is the biggest holiday in Korea. On the last day of Chuseok this year September 9th, 2014 a friend of ours David arrived to visit Korea from Costa Rica. This was his first visit to Korea EVER! We were pretty excited. We also got together with our friends Ye Seul and Taek and vlogged [...]

A new month is almost here, and Korea looks to be producing another group of good-looking dramas, including 2 that are Japanese remakes! Speaking of which, they have some tentative casting done for Liar Game, including Lee Sang Yoon, Kim So Eun, and Shin Sung Rok. Of course, that all may change with time. And, [...]

You know how they say try everything once before you pass judgment on it? I, for the most part hold onto that viewpoint. In Korea I’ve definitely had some experiences and tried things that I probably never would have otherwise. For example, Live Octopus (Sang-Nak-Ji). This video was supposed to be about which restaurant to [...]

Hey guyz! So last week over the Chuseok holiday I had some time to catch up on some Korean dramas I’ve really wanted to see, and one of the first of these that I just had to watch was Night Watchman’s Journal. I’d be watching it right now as I write this blog but I’m [...]

I’ve a big It’s Okay That’s Love fan! I love it when Korean drama actors and actresses have chemistry, and I almost cannot remember the last time two lead roles opposite each other had more of it together. Jo In Sung and Gong Hyo Jin together are the cherry on top of the deluxe primo [...]

One of those dramas that I knew wouldn’t be at the top but would definitely be on my must watch list is Discovery of Romance.  Truthfully more than anything, the reason for that is that it’s a Sung Joon drama, and I’m a huge Sung Joon fan.  While that’s not to discredit the other actors [...]

Hey everyone! Richard here. Way back in 2008 I started working at Kyung Hee University. In my first semester teaching I barely knew what was going on. It took me some time to get my footing being a lecturer, but I eventually caught on. Back during that very first semester, I wasn’t really focused on [...]

Death is never easy to deal with, and Korea has been through some tough times in 2014. It’s Chusok in Korea today, and I don’t like talking about death very much. The Kpop group Ladies Code was dealt a terrible blow when their car slid into a wall during a terrible rain storm not too [...]

Kim Hyun Joong recently made a statement with police that he did in fact admit to having a physical altercation with his girlfriend. This is the same Kim Hyun Joong that I have admire for years now! The same Kim Hyung Joong that’s a member of SS501. And yes, the same Kim Hyun Joong that [...]

Teenagers in Korea got it pretty good depending on how you look at it. They all are entitled to receive a public education, most all of them come from 2 parent homes, they are pretty much all fed well, most all of them have smart phones, and the list goes on and on. Of course, [...]

Fated to Love You is OVER!! I’m sad pandas. This is probably the most nerve-racking drama of the year to me, because I really really wanted it to be good. I was scared it wasn’t gonna be, and overall I was totally blown away and impressed.   To me, this is one of the best [...]

This week I’m rounding up my list of dramas I’d really like to see this fall out of all three countries. As a grad student who’s diligently working to try to finish my thesis this semester, I’m about to have a lot less time to peruse all of the dramas beyond an episode or two [...]

After 4 long years of not watching this drama I’ve finally done it.. I’ve watched Lee Min Ho’s controversial drama. And all in all, it’s not that controversial, nor really that amazing of a drama.  This isn’t to say that it’s bad.  It really has plenty of aspects to make it super impressive and swoon [...]

It’s been WAY TOOOOOOOOOO LONG since I’ve done a LIVE CHAT #dramatalk with you guyz!! I’ve been wanting to do them, but I’ve just been way to busy with school, and then I was home visiting family in the US. I’m back in Korea, settled for the most part, and I’m ready to chat with [...]

You guyz, I have a confession to make… I’m getting OLD!!!! Argh! It kills me to say it, but I can look back and see how as I get older my tastes are changing and this sadly affects my drama watching choices. I remember 8 years or so ago when I first started watching dramas, [...]

When people watch Korean dramas and Kpop videos, you may become immersed in a world of beauty and glamor. Much like Hollywood and Bollywood and, you know, entertainment around the world. The reality though, is that like everywhere else, when you have millions of people in a country, they don’t all look like celebrities. We’re [...]

Anyone interested in finding out how much fruits and vegetables cost at a local market in Korea? Well you’re in luck! The other day after looking into my refrigerator and seeing it was empty, we decided to go to the local market and bring the camera along. A little back story on this place. We’ve [...]

Well, the summer is officially over! Social media is filled with stories of kids going back to school and Korean universities across the peninsula start next week. September is almost here and so it’s my favorite time again – the time to tell you guys about some great new dramas coming out!   The funniest [...]

Can you say Jung Young Hwa!!!?! I’ve been waiting for this guy to come out with a new drama and blow it up to super-stardom! I’ve always been a fan of his music with his band CN Blue. He was in You’re Beautiful, Heartstrings, Playful Kiss, and……. that’s all I can think of off the [...]

Guess who’s getting ready to go back to Korea?!? With that in mind we thought is was VERY appropriate to try and answer this. Richard and I just sat together compiling a last minute list of some things we’ll be shopping for tomorrow to stuff in our suitcases before we fly back, but actually our [...]

This summer has been the summer of the Korean romantic comedy. And frankly they are pretty darn smexy! So I decided to pick this Top 5 and share them with you guyz.   Number 5 was Fated to Love You. I would have liked to put this one higher up on the list, but in [...]

I feel almost like this is turning into the week of the mermaid.  Okay maybe that’s a little bit over the top to say, but not only have I just started watching the Korean drama The Mermaid or Surplus Princess, but I also literally watched The Little Mermaid.. twice with my adorable little nephew.  In [...]

Have you ever eaten dog meat? Richard and I have not! In Korea, the practice of eating dog meat still does exist. But how popular is it really? In our estimate, most Koreans prefer NOT to eat dog at this point. Korea has become modern very quickly, and even in the last five years living [...]

There is nothing that suits the feel of summer quite like indulging in some romantic comedy stories.  And there are oh so many ways to indulge.  Just today I was talking with my sister and future mother in law about how they love to read and are currently indulged in Nicholas Sparks books.. I’ve read [...]

This very popular Korean drama of the summer has been getting a lot of attention. This is because, mainly, the original Taiwanese version was such a hit! Those of us who were fans of the original were worried admittedly a bit worried whether this version would live up to it or not. Well it has. [...]

So you want to become a Kpop Star? We hate to say it.. but good luck! We think you’d have just as good of a chance if not a better chance of becoming a pop star in your own home country. The list of qualities that you have to have are extensive. You need to [...]

With as many great dramas that I watch on a regular basis, I occasionally miss one or forget about it until after it is done airing. Such is the case with this drama. It stars Lee Hong Ki and Yang Jin Sung. Personally, I’ve never seen any of Yang Jin Sung’s past work, and I [...]

For those of you who may be new to Korean dramas, or at least the Korean pop culture that’s been popular since, say, pre 2011 you may not be as familiar with the artist known as ‘Rain’ or ‘Bi’ which is the Korean word from Rain.   Actually what am I saying? He just came [...]

One of the dramas that has totally thrown my drama radar for a loop this summer is Marriage Not Dating. In all seriousness, I never really thought it would be a very good drama particularly because the preview was kinda cheesy and I didn’t know the actors all that well. But OH HOW I WAS [...]

Prior to moving to South Korea, suicide wasn’t something that I knew a lot about. Certainly I had known of people who did it; a friend of a friend’s father, a former classmate who decided that he couldn’t imagine life after high school. Personally, I’ve experienced my fair share of depression and many of the [...]

It feels like forever since I’ve gotten to really talk about Taiwanese dramas. A big part of that is because while there are some utterly fantastic Taiwanese dramas they also tend to be really long. Like a ridiculous, I’m probably never going to watch it 70+ episodes. Not only is that a lot of drama [...]

I’m really excited about this drama and I’ve only seen the first two episodes! There are a good number of reasons for this, but simply put, I think that this is going to be a great example of how good actors and writers can tackle a difficult subject and not only make it entertaining but [...]

Initially when we set out to talk about this, I didn’t feel awkward. But not that I’m sitting here writing this blog, not sure exactly why but I feel awkward. I mean think about it: this is NOT a blog I wish to be sharing with my father. Let’s just put it that way. The [...]

It’s the last Friday in July and if you’ve been following our videos for awhile now it should be no surprise what this week’s countdown topic is.. NEW August Kdramas!!   In looking at all of the new ones coming out, I noted a few interesting commonalities. First, most of them are KBS2 or TvN [...]

This summer I had the opportunity of visiting with a long time friend that I originally met in Korea. Tonita is one of those rare souls you meet when you live abroad who comes into your life, makes a huge impact, and disappears all too quickly. In her case, she left because of what she [...]

Marriage Not Dating is one of the new weekend dramas that’s being aired on TvN. It’s a total contractual relationship story about a guy who’s a plastic surgeon who’s family wants him to get married but he doesn’t want to and a woman who wants to retaliate against her flaky ex….. who just so happens [...]

Cars are EVERYWHERE in America. And, cars are pretty much everywhere in Korea too at this point. One thing we’re constantly confronted by being in the U.S. right now is car culture. As I write this, I am in Florida, possibly one of the most necessary areas in the country to own one. I’ve been [...]

OMGOSH YOU GUYZ our trip around the US started off with a bang in New York City! First and foremost I got to meet some of you at the meetup!! YAYAY!!!!!! For those of you who were able to make it and say hi, HUGE SHOUT OUT!!!!!!!!!!!! You have my utmost love, respect and appreciation. [...]

One of the things pretty much ALL us drama lovers look forward to in just about any drama we watch are the smexy kissing scenes.   Whether their subtle and surprising or hot and heavy, or themed, they usually occur at a pivotal point in the drama. Unless of course the drama is Witch’s Romance [...]

This summer I had the privilege of going to New York City and hanging out with one of my best friends Jess. If you saw my Draw My Life video, the whole part where I talk about the 3 Muskateers who I grew up with, she’s ‘Portos’. Literally you guyz, she grew up right down [...]

This new Korean drama is Lee Jun KI’s baby, and I’m a big fan of his! He’s been doing one drama every year since he got out of the military, his first being Arang and the Magistrate in 2012 followed by Two Weeks in 2013. Personally I’m excited for this one, because it’s Lee Jun [...]

We already made a video about men’s fashion in Korea and just how feminine Korean men are, but we had never made one about women, so naturally we had to answer this. What if women dressed in more masculine fashion? I really wanted to talk about this because in dramas for example, if a girl [...]

One thing I find to be pretty standard across the board for Asian drama lovers is that we’re a unique breed. A lot of times, our friends and family don’t watch them and don’t understand how we can watch them.   So, I decided to make this video as a kind of tongue in cheek [...]

Lee Jung Suk is still a relatively new face in Kdrama land, and one of my picks for most smexy hot young actors that may very well take the drama world by storm when many of the others head into the military. You could say you heard it here first! As one of the best [...]

This drama looks intriguing! From when this was first introduced until now, I feel like the popularlity of it has grown. I feel like I’m watching two really good, young actors transition to adult. Ji Hyun Woo just got back from the military, and so this role is pretty important. In the eyes of Korea, [...]

Blind dating is definitely a thing in Korea! We’ve heard of several variations of going on a date, and blind dating seems to be more or less just as popular. One of the main dating methods traditionally in Korea was the parental setup. It’s true, we’ve both heard plenty of times from friends and others [...]

2014 IS TURNING OUT TO BE AN EPIC YEAR FOR KOREAN DRAMAS!!! Most of us were looking forward to 2013 being a great year for dramas. But, while some of the dramas people were looking forward turned out to be not so great, 2014 began with some OUT OF THIS WORLD drama action!!!! Particularly You [...]

A new drama that came out this June, it already has a couple of episodes out! Honestly you guyz, I saw like the first 3. My first impression? Although it fits a certain genre and age group quite well, and I’m sure some of you will DEFINITELY like it, I’m personally not really that impressed. [...]

This question became more intense for us to answer as the video went on. We don’t often consider how different it might be from an American’s perspective living in Korea but apparently it’s quite possible. Our experience can be starkly distinct when you take having a military station in South Korea and protecting the country [...]

This drama took me years to come around to watching.. literally. This is a 2010 drama so technically I’ve wanted to watch this one for the past 4 years!! That’s a long time to wait for a drama, but as I’d heard it was the Joseon F4, I knew that it would be worth a [...]

It does indeed look like it’s gonna be a really good month in dramaland! It’s a high-powered summer drama lineup of new Korean dramas including a first ever psychological romance drama as well a classic Taiwanese drama remake.   There are three dramas from this list that I am definitely going to watch, at least [...]

Growing up in the USA, service meant a company or individual that you were paying to help provide you with some necessary thing that you couldn’t exactly do on your own. Examples of this might be internet/wireless service, telephone service, customer service and restaurant service. This sort of thing also exists in Korea, don’t get [...]

If you’ve been following HallyuBack and our videos for a while, you probably know by now that I not only like Korean dramas but I also adore Taiwanese dramas. The only problem is that it’s almost as if the best ones come out few and far in between. ☹ But when they do, they’re epic! [...]

Hey everyone! Richard here. The other day I became overwhelmed while hanging out with my buddy Hyunwoo. He’s a brand new daddy, and invited me to his home to see and visit with his newborn son. Joon was exactly 21 days old when I was there. Whether it sounds like it or not, this was [...]

I love tattoos!!! Even though I grew up with my mom telling me that they were bad and that I should never get one, I still think they’re really cool. I even respected her opinions. I didn’t get my first tattoo until well after she passed away. And then, when I showed it to my [...]

There are not many Taiwanese dramas that I love MORE that Fated To Love You. So, when I heard that it was being remade into a Korean drama not too far back, that got me pretty excited!! I’m feeling a tad bit OVERLY optimistic that this remake is gonna be a good one. However, as [...]

You guyz know I try to keep up to date on the most current, happenin’ dramas in Korea and other parts of Asia. But, if you’re anything like me, sometimes you want to marathon a drama instead of just waiting week to week for episodes to be subbed.   So, I thought I would change [...]