For many, becoming an international university student in Korea is an exciting venture!! Every year it seems more and more international students are choosing to attend Korean universities. More and more people from around the world are beginning to consider a Korean university for their post high school education.. and why not? At least from [...]

I’m keeping this short. I’m Richard. I teach at Kyung Hee University in South Korea. I’ve been teaching here for five years. I ran into a student the other day Sang Chul and recorded a short conversation. Then, the battery ran out on the camera. And that was it.

Going to the DMZ to look at North Korea is a MUST DO day trip for all visitors to South Korea.. in our humble opinions. There are several tour companies that provide this service to and from the DMZ area, and from Seoul by bus it take only about an hour to get there. For [...]

I’m a huge Jang Geun Seok fan. Anyone who’s been following my videos for any length of time knows this fact. Out of all of the younger 20-something Korean actors he’s one of my favorites if not my number one.   I think part of this is because he’s just not your typical Korean actor. [...]

After a week in Seoul where we literally had the time of our lives, we got to attend the first ever YouTube Music Awards concert! From our hotel the YouTube crew we had been with all week left on a bus with purple shwag velvet interior for the concert. We knew that Sistar, Miss A, [...]

Oh my gosh guys it’s YTMA week! I feel like we’ve been anticipating it for months and not weeks, but it’s finally here and things are going and have been going non-stop since we got here. That’s not to say that we haven’t been also having a blast. There’s something to meeting like-minded driven people [...]

The Heirs is the most highly anticipated drama of the year. As early as spring, we were already talking about this drama and there was a lot of speculation as to whether it would actually be able to live up to all of the hype around it. With the YouTube YTMAs and last week being [...]

YTMAs in Seoul Korea are happening this week, and are we ever excited to be here!! We arrived on our first night to check into the hotel here and Seoul, and immediately ran into Callum of the YouTube Channel Callux. The guy is class and is so much fun to hang around and film. Peep [...]

We did it! It’s in the books!! We finally broke down and did the ‘How We Met’ video. ^^ We have been avoiding this topic mainly because we think it’s less interesting to talk about ourselves instead of talking about Korea. But, now that it’s said and done it seems to have been less painful [...]

In Korea, autumn is in full swing and everyone wants to stay inside and watch Asian dramas! Ok, maybe just me. Not really, I’ve been having a lot of conversations with friends of all ages about their favorite recent dramas: Heirs, Master’s Sun, Reply 1994 and Suspicious Housekeeper. And now that midterms are over, I [...]

So lately, Richard has really gotten into Kpop! The other week he came up to me with a shocker: ‘You know’ he said, ‘I think I’d like to have my makeup done like some of the best Kpop stars.’ I wasn’t shocked, because not a lot shocks me with him anymore. But as somebody who [...]

We tackle one of our toughest subjects yet for this week’s LIKE IT! We are NOT trying to shy away from difficult subjects when people make requests. So, when we received this question we knew it would have to be one that we faced head on. However, speaking about religion can sometimes be difficult and [...]

You guys know that I love Korean Dramas, but one area of Korean culture that I haven’t always been on the bandwagon for is K-pop. Mind you, I always knew way more about it than my hubby Richard, or I did until recently. When I first came to Korea, it was all about Big Bang, [...]

In honor of being selected by YouTube to attend the first ever YouTube music awards being held in New York, London and Seoul on November 3rd, 2013, I’ve put together my first ever comprehensive list of what I consider the best Kpop songs and videos of 2013. I’m beginning to take knowing about Kpop and [...]

What traditional liquor do you know that smells like rubbing alcohol, can be used to clean a table, is as cheap as water, comes in a lovely green bottle, is drunk in copious amounts and is the world’s best selling liquor? SOJU!! Korea has historically always been a rice producing country, so naturally like they [...]

YouTube is holding its first ever video music awards ceremony (the ‘YTMAs’) this coming November 3rd, 2013. YouTubers are being flown to New York City, London and Seoul to participate in the ceremony. We were selected to represent YouTube in Seoul and.. we are psyched! ^^ We were contacted by YouTube earlier this month, and asked [...]

I’m in drama limbo. Anyone there with me? It all started when I recently finished watching a Master’s Sun – great drama btw! I knew that Heirs would start airing shortly after since it was taking over the time slot. Now it is out and I can watch it – but I have to wait [...]

Block B and Tiny G – What a combination! ^^ These recommendations were so good this week! I wasn’t expecting to like both groups so much. I most definitely think I still need to hear more of their music, but what I saw from these two videos is enough to make me a fan now. [...]

We love Busan!!! We have always stayed in Haeundae when we visit Busan because the Love Motels are really nice and relatively inexpensive, and who doesn’t want to wake up and be able to walk to the beach? Haeundae is a fun place for us to go in Korea because it has one of the [...]

Have you ever been asked the same questions over and over again? After a week off so we could travel to Busan (we know you were wondering what happened), LIKE IT is back and man do we have a topic in store for you! ^^ Foreigners in Korea get asked a lot of questions. A [...]

HallyuBack is now on tumblr! It’s been an eventful week or so.. Busan, Painting, filming a music video, doing a radio interview, and I started taking the 30 Day Asian Drama Challenge. The HallyuBack house is fairly buzzing with everything. It was so busy that I actually got behind on the whole 30 day challenge [...]

HOLY SMOKES!!!!! I’ve made a Kpop music video!!! Well….. not exactly, but only 3 weeks into the Kpop vlogs, and I’m already making music videos, pretending to be a Kpop star.. What has gotten into me?!?!! First can I say how much of a G-Dragon fan I have already become in just a couple of [...]

Today on TOAD – Two Weeks with Jesse Day! Ok, so you guys have been requesting that I review Two Weeks, and as I thought about reviewing it, I saw on my Facebook feed that our friend Jesse Day was on the set of Two Weeks with Lee Jun Ki. Wait, WHAT?!?!?! I honestly was [...]

OMG guys, so ‘Heirs’ is coming out soon! Hello Lee Min Ho! Actually, I’m not going to be watching just for him, but that’s beside the point. This man is like the biggest thing to hit the international Kdrama community since… Rain? Ok, maybe not, but he was pretty dang popular before he decided to [...]

I wanna dance dance dance da dance Boom-sha-ka-la-ka, Boom-sha-ka-la-ka – FANTASTIC BABY!!! I freaking love it! I have mad respect not only for G-Dragon and Tae-yang but for Big Bang as a whole. As far as I’m concerned (and I’m positive others will feel differently), they carry the Kpop hallyu wave to a whole ‘nother [...]

As we all know, there are pros and cons to everything in this world. So, when we saw this question posed amongst the YouTube comments, we knew it would be a fun one to tackle. Richard and I both agree that there are definitely more pros to living in Korea than cons. We named a [...]

OMG OMG OMGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!! It’s my first EVER yellow umbrella you guys! I’ve always wanted one, and have intended on getting one since I started reviewing dramas. Heck, I even painted one into one of my paintings not too far back. It has been a dream of mine that I have never fulfilled.. mainly because our [...]

Hey everyone! Richard here. ☺ I’m sure by now that any of you reading this know me as Stephanie’s husband. I edit the majority of what you see on Hallyu Back. (But not everything! Steph does know how to edit, and has edited a some of the TOADS you’ve might have seen.) I love making [...]

Guess who’s back? TOAD is back! After a week off for a crazy week of homework and video making other bitz and pieces, I FINALLY got around to making another TOAD! And this week’s drama that I’m reviewing is my current favorite “IT” drama, The Master’s Sun. Let’s just say I’m completely addicted to this [...]

Dating is just as fun in exciting for you people in Korea as it is anywhere! Twenty-somethings looking for love in South Korea turn to the dating world like most people their age all over the world. Although tradition still tends to play a part, discovering love (or at the very least attempting to) is [...]

It’s October Kdrama Time!!! I seriously couldn’t wait to make this video. While the actual video itself hasn’t been months in production, it was months ago that I first started anticipating these October dramas – it was March in fact when we all heard that Lee Min Ho was going to be making a drama [...]

My first EVER collaboration with another YouTuber in Korea! Yippeeee!!! I’m really excited about this video you guys! First off, I’m really happy to be doing more Korea-related videos other than just drama reviews. I love reading fashion columns and, more than anything I made this video with the one and only ChoNunMigookSaram! If you [...]

Being Gay in South Korea in 2013 still seems to be a very difficult prospect indeed. When we first received this question, we knew we wanted to eventually cover this topic, but at the time didn’t quite know how difficult it would be. Turns out it was a very tough for us to cover, especially [...]

You know those dramas that are really great but never become all that popular? I think we all have our favorites dramas or TV shows that stand out in our memory for one reason or another that for some reason the rest of humanity just hasn’t caught on to it’s amazingness. Now it would be [...]

What girl doesn’t like to pamper herself? Don’t we all? One of my favorite stores to head to for its’ enormous amount of variety of beauty and body products is Olive Young. This store is pretty popular and while it doesn’t really have much along the line of pharmaceuticals it reminds me of a Walgreens [...]

Korea made a drama about Autism. I can’t say that I didn’t go into watching it without some serious apprehensions. As I mentioned in the video, Korea doesn’t necessarily have the best history with mental healthcare, at least not until the past few years. That they were stepping up and doing a drama where the [...]

It’s amazing how different beauty standards are from one country to another. What’s hot and trendy in one place may not be considered beautiful or sexy in another. The world is so large and diverse that there’s literally an unlimited set of standards by which we judge beauty. What’s happening in North America, for instance, [...]

This summer has been crazy! For one, we’ve been home for over a month now and it’s time for us to get back to Korea. While it’s really nice to come home and see the folks and all that, our home is in Korea. That’s where my husband and I are used to laying our [...]

Wow this drama is pretty unforgettable. By that I mean that I watched it about a month ago and then just prepared the TOAD review on it over the weekend. I’ll admit, it was a back-up drama to review. Frankly, things have been such a whirlwind this last leg of our trip to the US [...]

Plastic surgery has become as popular in Korea as anywhere in the world! By now, Koreans along with most other neighboring Asian nations have all sorts of plastic surgery done to their bodies. It’s become a huge industry for Korea, and in some places plastic surgeon offices now line the streets in Gangnam and Apgujang. [...]

We’re over halfway through August and you know what that means, great new Korean dramas coming out in September! (Ok, it also means a new semester of school for most of us – but I’m trying to be positive ^.~) This season looks to be not as exciting as October, though really that’s not surprising [...]

I admit I’m a sucker for pretty scenery. So, one of the reasons I checked out this drama was for of the CGI and artistic effects. And, overall this drama really did bring that to the table.   The scenes of the fallen castle, the wagon chase, the cherry blossoms, etc. all really showed off [...]

Korea is hot, no doubt about it! Visiting Korea is exciting and more people are doing it by the year. What’s more, some people have even began to consider moving there. Heck, we did it about five years ago and haven’t looked back. Not to brag or anything like that, but our life in Korea [...]

One of the more popular dramaland clichés that Korea loves is the Gender Bender drama. There’s just something about girls pretending to be guys – I don’t really get it, though I admit I love watching it as much as everyone else. Why drama producers think that a girl cutting off her long hair and [...]

OMG I think like I just walked out of Jung Yi’s fiery kiln, and by that I mean I’m hot because I spent most of the day outside in the sunshine. Hopefully I didn’t get too bad of a sunburn. While in the past year with Hallyu Back I’ve thrown Richard full blown into the [...]

Korean nightlife is exciting! Richard and I have been living in Korea over 4 years now together, and we never get tired of the options available to us. It’s really amazing how this place has such a wide variety of things to do pretty much every night of the week! What’s even better is that [...]

Clichés. Korean dramas are full of them. To those of us like me who’ve been watching them for years, there comes a point in time where they become an endearing part of drama watching that makes the show, for newbie watchers they may be confusing or even a frustrating part of drama watching. Although I [...]

Ah Korean high schools.. where to begin? Students in Korea probably spend more time in school than any other country in the world. Obama has pointed to Korean schools multiple times when trying to give an example of a country whose students study hard. He is, of course, correct, except that the amount of hours [...]

It’s summertime in Korea (and in the northern hemisphere) and that means time for some summer lovings! 2013 is shaping up to be a fantastic year for Kdrama kissing scenes! Korea is bringing the heat and knocking down walls to keep the kisses in Korean dramas fresh. This is a delight for all of us [...]

I actually heard about this drama first on MDL. Lots of folks on there were saying how good it was, though there wasn’t as much hype about it in comparison to other dramas that were coming out like Shark. I did, though, immediately think of the ‘Cruel Summer’ 3Some when I first read the title [...]

You never know what’s going to happen when you travel internationally. Richard and I proved this exact point on our latest trip back to the USA. We figured we’d just record the traveling from our home in Korea to the airport we were flying from, and try to make it interesting for you guys. And, [...]

Nowadays, to be the best Korean drama is actually pretty difficult. There are some guidelines that can propel Korean dramas further along, and sometimes it truly just a popularity contest. In these sorts of television shows being aired live on Korean television first, you gotta have people who can act. Korean dramas tend to be [...]

Serial Killers in Korea? Not only has it actually happened, but a lot of dramas and movies in Korea have actually been based on actual cases that have tackled the topic. One of the most famous of these is called Itaewon Homicide and stars Jang Geun Seok. This is not to say that murders are [...]

Today’s video is about dating in Korea! YAY!!! This is definitely a shift from the first two videos we made for Like It. In the inaugural Like It video we examined several key factors to cost of living in Korea, including public transportation, food and clothing. Our second video touched on how we communicate here. [...]

It’s our second ‘Like It’ video! YAY!!!^^ And, as hubby said in there somewhere: We are just getting started. It’s exciting to think of it that way because we really do like this place. Korea, for all it’s Kpop and Kdrama and tasty food and other things that people know about this place is, we [...]

OMG I can’t believe it’s finally time to do another August Dramas video! While I’ve been doing Hallyu Back unofficially for over a year now, the first video I really made by myself that was successful and helped me see that this could really be something was my Top 5 New Korean Dramas of August [...]

WOWZERS!!! My husband and I’s first EVER video together on Hallyu Back! Crazier things have happened. \(^o^)/ We love living in Korea! We really do. I’ve been living here now 4 ½ years, and Richard has been here nearly 5. And, as much as I love watching dramas and reviewing them for you guys, living [...]

I have a confession. I’m a food porn enthusiast. I believe it started somewhere when I was in elementary school with only 10 channels and I had a choice between golf, fishing or Julia Child. I love that woman, and her book ‘My Life in France’ is a great read that I recommend to anyone [...]

I must say, going into watching this drama I was pretty excited. I’m actually a big Yoon Sang Hyun fan. He really got my attention back in 2008 with Three Dad’s One Mom, then Take Care of the Young Lady and Secret Garden. So when I heard he was going to be in a drama [...]

TVN’s Flower Boy series have been really popular so far, and generally speaking have been hits. So, it’s not a surprise to me that Cyrano Dating Agency is good. I kind of expect that. I am also pleasantly surprised that while it’s still completely fictitious, it’s over the to in a fun way that I [...]

OMG I just finished writing a nearly 20 page long take home final exam!!! IT took me two entire days (pretty much non-stop!) to get it all done, but at this point it’s about 99% completed. It’s days and moments like these that REEEAAAAAAALLLY make me look forward to new dramas coming out! So while [...]

Somewhere back in April I heard about a new School drama coming out. I had to wait a whole two months to actually see the show, but I’m really seeing the potential for the new Korean drama Monstar to be a hit. I think one of the big draws for me is relatively new and [...]

It’s officially June! I can’t begin to describe how I’ve been longing for this month to come. I think my desire for warm weather started about the same time that I came back from my honeymoon in Thailand and got a full taste of Korean winter – it’s cold yo! In Korea, June also signals [...]

June just may be my favorite month of the year for two reasons – it signals the end of the school term and I get birthday cake and presents. Because really, who doesn’t like that combination? I won’t get another set of school finishing and presents until December so I’ve got to enjoy it as [...]

It’s official! Classes in Korea have started to wrap up for the semester. I only have 3 more Syntax classes ever! You have no idea how exciting that is – that class is a beast! In order to keep motivated and ready to attack the next batch of homework, I’ve started a drama rewards system [...]

It’s officially May – Wahoo! In Korea, the cherry blossom season has come and gone and has left behind sunshine and warm weather. Along with the warm weather is the promise of the end of the school semester – we’re still over a month away, but already I’m starting to get excited and count down [...]

What would you do if you only had 6 months to live? Would you go after that coworker that you’ve always connected with – but could never really work up the courage to make a move? Would you take a trip to the Himalayas? Say exactly what you’ve always wanted to say on camera with [...]

To say that I like this man would be a complete understatement. Ok, ok, I don’t actually know Gong Yoo. I’ve never met the guy in person and only know what I do based on what I’ve read about him in the news and what I’ve seen him do in dramas and movies. But, despite [...]

Gu Family Book was one the dramas that I was anticipating the most this spring, and I know it wasn’t just me. There’s always a lot of saeguk’s coming out of Korea – and frankly, I didn’t watch them for a long time. What has always fascinated me about Korea is modern Korea – the [...]

Wahhh hooooooooooo!!! For this video, saying that I have a creative imagination is an understatement! First off I wouldn’t make a video like this at all if I didn’t know that Korean dramas have certain trends. Korean dramas are unique in that they follow trends, and this is part of why they are so popular. [...]

Colorful Hanbok – this drama is full of them! It’s not like any other Korean historical drama I have ever seen for this point alone. They took a traditional story, flipped it on its head, made a villain into a heroin, and incorporated a whole fashion-oriented theme into a mostly make believe story. Essentially they [...]

I didn’t know Hyun Bin and I haven’t actually seen much of his work prior to researching this video. I didn’t watch Kim Sam Soon because it came out before I got really interested in Korean dramas and I didn’t like the title. I started watching Worlds Within, and I admit he was cute in [...]

The Incarnation of Money is a drama that took me a long time to come around to watching.  I did list it in my top dramas of February 2013 countdown video, but having not seen the main actor or actress in a drama before; I wasn’t really excited to start it.  Besides, there were plenty [...]

When trying to decide what business dramas to choose for my second part of the Smexy Professionals 3Some, I had a lot of choices and then I saw that this drama had just been released.  When a Man Loves a Woman is such a catchy title – I immediately start singing in my head “When [...]

I did the Top 5 Friday a little bit different this week.  Right as Rick and I were planning our next topic for the show, he noticed in one of the comments a fantastic recommendation.  As soon as I read it I could not have agreed more!  So, I began preparing it right away, and [...]

I was actually really nervous about reviewing this drama.  It tends to be one that you either love or you hate – and there is very little middle ground.  I wouldn’t say that I hate it, in fact I have some very solid memories that arise when I think of this drama. When I first [...]

I’ve been doing ‘Top 5 Fridays’ for almost 7 months now (wow time really does fly!) and this was definitely one of the more memorable ones. They all have their own uniqueness to them, but this one special for a number of notable reasons. First off, this is the very first video I have ever [...]

I’m definitely a Kpop fan, but not as much as I am an Asian drama fan. Nevertheless, throughout the world it cannot be denied the popularity of Kpop. Just look at how Psy recently blew everyone out of the water with Gangnam Style. So when I was brainstorming new possible topics for Top 5 Fridays, [...]

I have to admit I wasn’t super pumped to watch and review this drama because I’m just not into action dramas.  Don’t get me wrong, I like James Bond. Saturdays when I was a young girl I would see them on the TV with my father.  It wasn’t that I liked watching them all that [...]

I love Japanese, Taiwanese and Korean School dramas!!! I’ve been meaning to do this video for months, I really have. The only issue that was holding me back was the fact that, at least in the beginning, I knew my videos just weren’t that good yet. I still felt a bit shy in front of [...]

Another Flower Boy Korean drama, YAY!!! I was excited when I decided to review this one because, generally speaking, I like the flower boy series. I loved Shut Up Flower Boy Band and figured this one couldn’t be too different. I hate to say it but I was wrong. Dead wrong. This episode 1 set [...]

It’s almost March and there’s so much happening in the Korean drama world.  There’s plenty of new historical dramas to check out, a time travel mystery and one about how to become a popstar! I made a huge mistake in reviewing these Top 5 in that one of these dramas isn’t actually being released in [...]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTMrsT8kdbY&w=600 This has got to be one of my most long awaited dramas and finally it’s here! This drama is one that has since taken the drama world by storm. I’ll write more later but here’s a start.

Oh my goodness, can you say long awaited month of drama watching?  I don’t even know where to begin! Oh wait, yes I do!  There’s the family melodrama with lies and betrayal called ‘Your Woman’ that stars a woman that’s becoming quite known for her acting in melodramas – while it’s not at the top [...]

2012 was a big year for Yoo Seung Ho. And, for his age this little cuty has a ton of experience. Part of the reason I wanted to make a video about Yoo Seung Ho was because he was planning to join the military. He is going to be enlisted for at least 2 years, [...]

This man is probably the most popular actor in Korea at this time. Prior to Boys Over Flowers in 2009, I had no idea who the heck this guy was. Unfortunately, after watching Boys Over Flowers, I wasn’t really a fan of how he acted the character. So, I boycotted his dramas until 2012 when [...]

Wow when this drama first came out, I had no idea of the controversy that would follow it. A take on Alice in Wonderland our Alice played by the quirky indie princess Moon Geun Young is a girl who’s worked hard her whole life to get nowhere but further into debt. After being left by [...]

Okay, so it’s a brand new year, and with that comes a brand new set of Korean Dramas, right? Well, at least that’s what Wikipedia is telling me. And Soompi. And others. I’m addicted. 5. A Hundred Years Legacy This was originally called ‘Third Generation Noodle House’. I’m a big fan of Eugene. I think [...]

I find sometimes when I’m a bit unsure about a drama, or I really want to see a drama and know that when it comes out I’ll be in the mood for a marathon I want to wait until the entire drama is out to watch it. For me this was the case with Rooftop [...]

Who doesn’t love the drama kisses on the screens??? I do I do!!!!! ☺ I made this video several months earlier than writing this, and since making this Top 5 Friday it has become my # 2 all time watched video!!! YAY!!!! 5. King 2 Heart’s “Drunken Munchie Kiss” This one is kind of like [...]

2012 was a great year for Korean dramas. Come admit it, you think so too!^^ It’ll always be an epic year for me anyways because it was the year I started making drama videos as part of Hallyu Back. 5. Rooftop Prince This drama really surprised me. I didn’t expect it to be as good [...]

Do you ever get temped by the big giant red button? You’ve seen that clear caution/warning sign that says don’t enter, but you want to anyways. Sometimes in human nature makes us just go after that one thing that we end up realizing we love to hate. That was this drama for me. Full House [...]

Missing You is probably the best Korean drama of 2013 that somehow fell short in the end for me. It started off to such a strong start in a way that was almost a brutal train wreck in just how intense a story it was. I’ve seen quite a few makjangs in my day, Korean [...]

I’m a music lover, and a drama lover, so naturally I’m a music drama lover! ;) 5. Ma Boy A Hi-Teen Korean drama! At 3 episodes long how can you not check it out? 4. KPOP The Ultimate Audition I didn’t like this one as much, and so I dropped it after the first episode. [...]

I’m into historical dramas, so I decided to make this list as 2012 comes to a close. 5. Horse Doctor If you like horses and you’re a fan of Korean dramas, this one is definitely for you. A doctor of the King during the Joseon dynasty period follows a veterinarian as he goes through the [...]

My love for this particular biscuit began way, WAAAAYYYYY back when I was a university student. When I first started watching anime, I noticed they were eating this strange food called ‘Pocky’ that they would eat whenever they were studying or just hanging out. One fine day I found myself in Walmart looking for some [...]

5. Goong S Goong S is a spinoff of a very popular drama named Goong. The original Goong was a alternate universe Cinderella story where a poor high school girl marries the crown prince of Korea. .. except Korea doesn’t have a crown prince anymore because S. Korea isn’t a monarchy. But Goong S to [...]

5. King of Dramas The King of Dramas ended up going all the way through fall and into winter. It became more popular than I originally anticipated. It was all about the industry.. the drama industry that is. I guess people really want to know all about dramas and watch Choi Si Won. Why else [...]

Let the record show: I love me some Asian drama kissing scenes! But, if you ask me, between Korean and Taiwanese kisses, Korean kissing scenes are no match for kisses in Taiwanese dramas.. most of them anyways. I made this original ‘Reaction to..’ video with very low expectations. (I am writing this now MUCH later [...]