On July 30, 2024, a video of Korea House at the 2024 Paris Olympics went viral on social media, featuring the K-drama “Lovely Runner” starring Byeon Woo-seok and Kim Hye-yoon as content key to South Korea. The video featured “Lovely Runner” as well as other South Korean works, including “Queen of Tears”, “Jinny’s Kitchen”, “Parasite”, and K-pop groups like BTS.
For those who didn’t know, Korea House debuted on Wednesday, July 25 (local time). This iconic venue was inaugurated to serve as a center for sports diplomacy and a showcase for South Korean culture and arts. K-drama fans were delighted to see their favorite series receiving praise. They shared their excitement on social media, with one user on X writing: “The drama of the nation. »
Fans of the lead actors have expressed their desire to see the cast in a movie. They also noticed that many K-dramas shown at the event are produced by CJ ENM Entertainment Division. “Lovely Runner” was the only K-drama promoted with a large static poster.
- “I have an idea: I want to see them star together in a horror or action film with an intense romance, like I said before, in the style of ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith’. I want them to be recognized like we know Jackie Chan! I want my parents to recognize them and know their names,”
- “Proud of my ‘Lovely Runner’ team! You will always be iconic,”
- “Wow! ‘Lovely Runner’ is taking the world by storm! »
- “Just another day when ‘Lovely Runner’, Hye-yoon and Woo-seok are the nation’s K-drama, the nation’s actress and actor and reach a new milestone,”
- “The popularity of ‘Lovely Runner’ has even reached the level of the Olympic Games. They are now the pride of South Korea. »
Korea House debuted at the Olympics as a key venue for sports diplomacy and a showcase of South Korea’s cultural and artistic achievements. It is located in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, a central area known for its monuments such as Les Invalides and the Eiffel Tower. The Korea House is just a five-minute walk from the Stade des Invalides.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by notable figures, including Lee Ki-heung, chairman of the Sports Council of Korea. At the ceremony, he highlighted the importance of Korea House by declaring that it would resume operations after a six-year hiatus since the PyeongChang Olympics.
Lee Ki-heung also clarified that the Korea House aims to serve as a resting place for athletes and a support center for South Korean competitors. It will also highlight a range of internationally successful K-content, making the inclusion of “Lovely Runner” as a featured K-drama a notable achievement. Furthermore, the Paris 2024 Olympic Games began on July 26, 2024 and will continue until August 11, 2024.