When Koreans fall in love

Two newest titles in GMA 7's growing list of top-rating and well-loved Korean series are proof once again of why Filipinos just can't get enough of Korean love stories-their plotlines, apart from being highly-entertaining, really hit close to home. Be it a feel-good romance or a heavy drama, the subjects of these Korean series are the kind of love that Filipinos would love to have and could actually imagine themselves experiencing. It helps a lot too that the Pinoy audience have grown so fond of and just could not resist the attractive Korean stars in these dramas.

Korea's Most Romantic Series: Love Story in Harvard

Experience and relive the magical moment of finding true love in GMA Network's newest primetime offering, Love Story in Harvard, beginning August 14, Monday. Hailed as the most romantic series in Korea, it brings together the stars of two highly popular Koreanovelas-the handsome Kim Rae Won (more popularly known to Filipinos as Kevin, the happy-go-luck playboy in the well-loved dramedy Attic Cat) and the beautiful Kim Tae Hee (who was last seen on Philippine TV as the scheming and resentful Eunice in the memorable tear-jerker Stairway to Heaven)-as the newest romantic pair to watch out for.

See a totally different Eunice, as Kim Tae Hee plays the lovely, playful, and hardworking Allison whom the smart and dashing Harvard law student Dustin (Kim Rae Won) would fall madly in love with. Love Story in Harvard was well-received in South Korea and throughout Asia, and would certainly be a big hit in the country as it showcases a feel-good, lighthearted, purely romantic story that the Pinoy audience love. Shot in the US, the series begins with Dustin and Allison's amusing first encounters, which would at first lead Dustin to have an extremely mistaken idea about Allison's identity and what she does for a living. He eventually learns that she is in fact a student in Harvard Medical School who has to work odd jobs to pay for her own education and help support her family.

They eventually fall deeply in love with each other, but like any love story, theirs is not without many obstacles, especially when Dustin's classmate Alex (Lee Jung Jin) enters the picture. Dustin and Alex are not only rivals in class but also for the affections of Allison. Yet is there a deeper reason for Alex and Dustin's intense rivalry? Furthermore, Allison's goals in life are in conflict with her relationship with Dustin, for she wants to work as a volunteer in areas that lack medical services. When the time comes for Allison to decide between her dreams and her love for Dustin, which would she choose? Will their love withstand being apart from each other when they pursue their individual ambitions?

Love comes when one least expects it, and Love Story in Harvard will surely catch viewers off-guard with this highly-entertaining and extremely endearing love story that hopeless romantics would identify with and which everyone would secretly want to have. The theme song "Hindi Ko Na Kayang Masaktan Pa," performed by Ogie Alcasid and Regine Velasquez, provides the perfect background for this heartwarming tale. Witness the Love Story in Harvard unfold weeknights beginning August 14, replacing Love of the Condor Heroes.

Revive the crying habit: Yellow Handkerchief

If viewers loved and empathized with Irene (Jang Suh Hee), their hearts now surely go out to Jamie (Lee Tae Ran) in GMA Network's newest daytime tearjerker, Yellow Handkerchief, which began last July 31, Monday. It brings back the late morning "crying habit" that the top-rating Koreanovela Irene started during its run, for a lot of sensitive nerves would be struck once again in this tale of one woman's struggles and domestic troubles that a lot of viewers would surely be able to relate to.

Yellow Handkerchief revolves around the compelling story of Jamie's struggles ever since her boyfriend of 10 years, Shawn (Kim Ho Jin), dumps her for his rich boss, Minerva (Choo Sang Min). With her father gone, Jamie becomes the breadwinner of the family as the eldest child and all problems fell on her shoulders. She has always been devoted to Shawn and never thought of loving anyone else. She sincerely hopes that her relationship with him would lead to marriage. But her world comes crumbling down when he leaves her, and unknown to him she is already carrying his child. Would she still wait for him? In Korea, a "Yellow Handkerchief" symbolizes a person's eternal devotion to a loved one-is this something Jamie has for Shawn?

While it was a loveless marriage for Shawn, his ambition was a strong motivator. He loves Jamie but he recognized the fact that she could not give him what he wanted. And Minerva could bring him all that: better opportunities and a better life. Unknown to all, Jamie's younger brother Giovanni (Yeon Jung Hoon) and Minerva's half-sister Sandy (Han Ga In) became friends. They like each other, but Gio knows they could not be together because their lives are worlds apart. Sandy hates her older sister because she always thought that Minerva looks down on her and her mother. To get back at her older sister, Sandy asks Gio to court her. He refuses at first, but after finding out about his friend's identity, would he give in to her request and exact revenge on the woman who caused Jamie's heartaches? And would love have the chance to grow between them in spite of their complicated relationship?

This is another Koreanovela that Pinoys will surely love. People from all walks of life are starting to get hooked to Jamie's poignant story as they find themselves immersed in her roller coaster ride of emotions. Witness how the Yellow Handkerchief unfolds from Monday to Friday after SIS.