Mary never imagined that at nearly 80 she’d end up gushing about a Korean boy band. During lockdown, binge-watching Korean dramas became her lifeline. “They got me through it,” she said with a warm smile. Then came BTS. “Finding something new to love at my age feels like a gift,” she laughed.
Newly-retired woman Elisa, 58, devours K-dramas. “I thought I was too old for this,” she said, “but these stories have so much heart. They’re about family and growth. And there’s hardly any sex or violence.”
Elisa is far from alone. From Manila to Manhattan, women in their 50s and beyond are falling into the Korean Wave with the enthusiasm of teenagers.
The same observation was reflected by Prof. David A. Tizzard, in his opinion piece “Why mid-life women are falling in love with Korea” for The Korea Times.
A COMFORTING HUG OF A STORY
K-dramas often feel like a warm hug. Watching these characters face hardship and still find kindness can be uplifting if you’ve been through hard times yourself.
When I asked Elisa what she loved most, she said it’s the way problems get solved by community and kindness. Family and neighbors come together, elders are respected, and love wins out. It’s a comforting message, a reminder of the values we grew up with.
And oh, the beauty of K-dramas can be breathtaking—rolling hills and stylish cityscapes on one screen, but it’s not just the pretty pictures. There’s beauty in everyday decency, too. These shows find humor in simple moments and treat romance with a gentle, old-fashioned charm.
Yes, fans freely admit they love the attractive actors and those catchy K-pop tunes. A bit of eye candy and a sweet melody that brighten anyone’s day.
FROM SCREEN TO COMMUNITY
For many grandmas and aunts, finding K-pop or K-drama means finding a new circle of friends.
During quarantine, Ana’s daughter-in-law introduced her to Crash Landing on You. “It became our thing,” she said. A family that watches together stays together, even across generations.
Outside the home, Tita fan clubs meet for easy bibigo tteokbokki, Korean fried chicken and drama marathons, squealing over K-drama heartthrobs.
Online, older fans join friendly forums and apps made for all ages. “walang pakialaman ‘yan kung matanda na. Fans lang naman tayo dito, ‘di ba [Age is not a bother. We’re just fans here, right]?”
For many of these fans, the next step is to bring their enthusiasm into real-world fan projects.
FanFlare, a Philippine-born fan platform, has quietly become a favorite place to do that. It helps groups of all ages organize charity drives, put up birthday billboards, and support artists in transparent, well-managed campaigns.
K-WAVE KNOWS NO AGE
The Korean Wave knows no age. Years ago, middle-aged Japanese women were flying to Korea for Winter Sonata. Today, thanks to Netflix and YouTube, a retiree in Boston or a grandma in London can binge Goblin or a BLACKPINK video and get hooked. Subtitles and streaming erase language barriers.
“Themes like love overcoming obstacles or the importance of friendship speak to us whether we’re 20 or 80. At the 9th annual “Welcome Daehakro Festival, the South Korean government is even piloting a program that uses real-time translation glasses at theater shows.”
And sometimes, the fans even meet the stars. I read about a 76-year-old American K-drama fan who started a YouTube channel. When his favorite singer IU toured the U.S., she invited him backstage. The photo of that grinning grandfather with the pop star went viral. It’s proof that in this fandom, age, really, is just a number.
Even in Korea, a new “grey pop” generation is emerging. Stylish grandparents dancing to K-pop on social media, or older women modeling fashion trends. They might have silver hair, but as one dancing grandfather said: “I feel 25 inside.” It’s a powerful reminder. Pop culture has no expiration date.
NEVER TOO LATE TO CATCH THE WAVE
Seeing grandmothers fangirling is both quietly powerful as it is contagious. Who doesn’t yearn for stories that move us and music that lifts us?
It’s never too late to find joy. “Finding something new to love at my age feels like a gift,” Mary said.
Like a wave carrying anyone willing to surf it, the Korean pop boom shows that joy and belonging can come at any age.—Orville Tan
