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Taiwanese romance films beloved by Koreans are being remade with K-Style: Secret (2008), Hear me (2010). Both films are representative of Taiwanese romance films that have long been loved by Koreans for their nostalgic themes of first love. 

The popularity of Taiwanese romance films in Korea has been growing steadily since the 2000s. Secret was the spark. Upon the movie release in 2008, Secret became the highest grossing Taiwanese film of all time at Korean box office. Eight years later, it was surpassed by Our Times (2016), which reignited the Taiwanese romance craze. Since then, films such as Take me to the Moon (2017), Fall in Love at First Kiss (2018), and Someday or One Day (2022) have continued the craze. Taiwanese youth stars who starred in these films are also very popular in Korea. They have been welcomed not only for fan event in Korea but also to be cast in Korean films.

Secret reboots with Do Kyungsoo and Won Jin-ah in the lead roles

Secret is a Taiwanese film starring Jay Chou and Gwei Lun-mei about a fantasy romance that begins when a piano prodigy meets a girl who plays mysterious music in an old music room on campus.

Taiwan's original version achieved an accumulated audience of 150,000 when it was released in Korea in 2008. Consequently, it set a record as the highest-grossing Taiwanese film released om Korea at that time. Additionally, the movie's soundtrack, 'Secret,' gained significant popularity, and the piano battle between the main characters, Lun (Jay Chou) and Yu Hao (Zhan Yuhao), was considered a highlight scene. In the Korean adaptation, actor Do Kyungsoo took on the role originally played by Jay Chou, while the character originally portrayed by Gwei Lun-mei was played by actress Won Jin-ah, delivering a youthful and fresh romance.

Do Kyung-soo has been proving his acting spectrum through various works, including the recent film The Moon (2023), as well as the movie Swing Kids(2018) and the tvN drama 100 Days My Prince. He has established himself as a star actor. Meanwhile, Won Jin-ah has garnered attention for her compelling performances in the JTBC drama Rain or Shine, the movie A Year-End Medley (2021), and the Netflix original series Hellboud.

The remake production was undertaken by ‘HIVE media Corp’. Known for recent hits like 12:12 The Day (2023), as well as Inside Men (2015), The Man Standing Next (2020), and Deliver Us From Evil (2020), which are currently making waves in the Korean box office, they have established themselves as a production company. Directed by Seo Yu-min, who wrote scripts for Happiness (2007), April Snow (2005), You Call It Passion (2015) and made the directorial debut with Recalled (2021).

The Korean version of Secret completed filming in January 2022 and is set for a theatrical release in 2024.

Hear Me(working title) is being reborn, with starring Hong Kyung and Roh Yoon-seo

Here is the news about another Taiwanese movie that announced the Korean remake, Hear Me. It is a romantic film featuring the female lead helping a deaf swimmer sister and a guy delivering lunch boxes to the swimming pool. Upon its initial release, it drew an audience of 20,000 and in 2028, the movie met Korean audiences once again through a re-release.

In the Korean version of Hear Me, actors Hong Kyung and Roh Yoon-seo have been cast. Hong Kyung made a strong impression in the Wave original series <Weak Hero> the Netflix original series D.P, and the SBS drama The Devil. Roh Yoon-seo, anticipated as a rising star, received the New Artist Award at the 59th Baeksang Arts Awards for the tvN drama Crash Course in Romance.

The Korean remake is handled by the production company Movie Rock, known for productions such as Be With You (2017), Tune in for Love (2019), and HoneySweet (2023). Directed by Director Jo Seon-ho, known for A Day (2017) and The Righteous Thief (2009), the film is currently in production as of December.

by Chae Sora