Singapore’s Deep Affection for K-Dramas: From Fan Frenzy to Cinematic Homage

[Interview] Director He Shuming: Ajoomma is a Love Letter from Singapore to Korea

The English title of the film Ajoomma is a phonetic transcription of the Korean term “Ajoomma (a married or middle-aged woman).” At first glance, one might assume this is a story about a Korean ajoomma made by a Korean director. However, Ajoomma is a story about a Singaporean ajoomma made by a Singaporean director.

The main character of Ajoomma is Lim Mei Hua (played by Hong Hui Fang), a Singaporean woman who has been living alone with her adult son after the death of her husband three years ago. Lim Mei Hua is an avid fan of Korean dramas. Whether doing housework or eating, Korean dramas are her constant companions. She likes Kim Soo-hyun and Gong Yoo, but recently, she’s been hooked on dramas featuring Yeo Jin-goo.

Ajoomma is the first Korean-Singaporean co-production film and also the directorial debut of He Shuming. It was officially invited to the 27th Busan International Film Festival last year, and all three official screenings were sold out, drawing significant attention. A year has passed since, and Ajoomma is set to be released in Korea on November 29th.

On November 16th, the day of the press preview of Ajoomma, Director He Shuming met with Max Movie and expressed his hopes for the Korean audience to enjoy the film. He candidly admitted feeling a bit stressed and curious about the audience’s reaction.

● “The film started with my mother, who loves Korean dramas.”

Ajoomma was released in Singapore last year. Director He reflected on the time, saying, “It wasn’t a time when people were going to the cinema a lot due to COVID-19, but the film was screened in theaters for four months.”

“What was pleasing was that a new audience visited the cinema. They were Singaporean ajoommas who don’t usually go to the cinema. Korean dramas are very popular in Singapore. So, I think they could relate a lot.”

When asked about the popularity of Korean dramas in Singapore, Director He opened his eyes wide and said, “It’s tremendous.” He added, “When I was writing the script, despite people saying, ‘Won’t the popularity fade?’ I said it would rather grow, and indeed, the popularity of Korean culture has expanded. Many people in Singapore want to learn Korean.”

Lim Mei Hua plans to visit famous filming locations of Korean dramas with her son, but the trip is canceled when her son gets an overseas interview. Disheartened, she decides to go on the trip alone when she learns from a travel agency employee that her trip is non-refundable. Her joy is short-lived as her journey takes an unpredictable turn when the tour bus leaves without her.

Director He came up with the idea for the film while watching his mother, a passionate fan of Korean dramas.

“My mother watched the film in Singapore, and at one point, she seemed to be moved. She said the protagonist looked sad and needed to watch it again to understand, so she watched it three to four times. She was worried about whether I was making money (laughs) and hoped the film would do well. I think she saw herself in the film.”

● “Middle-aged woman, a coming-of-age story where she becomes the subject of her life”

The film was shot 80% in Korea. Korea, as seen through the eyes of Lim Mei Hua at locations such as Gwanghwamun, Sungnyemun, Changdeokgung, Cheonggyecheon, and Namsan, is mysterious and beautiful.

Director said, “I wanted to capture Korea anew through the eyes of a Singaporean ajoomma.”

“After being left behind in Korea, Lim Mei Hua goes through various situations and is reborn as a new person. I wanted to depict the process of discovering herself and finding the meaning of life through her journey.”

“I worked on the film with the hope that everyone would feel a positive energy. Also, I hope this energy is also felt in the film.”

He decided to make Ajoomma into a film at the end of 2015, but it took over six years to produce. Reflecting on that time, he said, “It was my first feature film, and although it was a Singaporean film, it had to be shot in Korea, which made financing extremely difficult.”

Then he met the current producer, Lee Jun-han of The Whale Company, and received support from the Korean Film Council and Seoul Film Commission, which opened the way for production.

Producer Lee Jun-han, who was present on the day, explained why he joined the journey of Ajoomma, saying, “Although it seemed like a personal documentary of the director because it unraveled the story of a middle-aged woman as a coming-of-age narrative, I thought there might be aspects that could connect with Korean audiences and even global audiences.”

● “Received detailed feedback from Korean staff and completed”

The filming of the movie took place from September to October 2021.

In addition to the impact of COVID-19, communication issues between the director and the actors were also a challenge. The production team made thorough preparations before filming to prevent problems. Producer Lee added, “We coordinated the script in advance and did more rehearsals than usual film sets to minimize problems that could arise due to language.”

Although a Singaporean director wrote the script, the portrayal of Korea does not feel out of place. The characters who show the other side of Korean society, such as apartment night guard Jung Soo (Jung Dong-hwan), who extends a helping hand to Lim Mei Hua, and travel guide Kwon Woo (Kang Hyung-sung), who lives apart from his family due to loan sharks’ threats, also shine.

Director He said, “When writing the script, I drew Korea and the characters within the range I understood and researched, so I thought there could be mistakes,” and revealed, “I asked the Korean staff ‘Do you really understand this?’, received feedback, and made corrections accordingly.”

“What I’m grateful for is that while maintaining the reality of the characters’ homes, social status, and other detailed aspects, all the staff members helped ensure that the story I wanted to tell could be conveyed.”

● “Yeo Jin-goo as a Hallyu star, he was perfect”

Another fun point of the film is that Yeo Jin-goo appears as a Korean star whom Lim Mei Hua adores. In the film, Yeo Jin-goo plays the role of Hallyu star Yeo Jin-goo, the drama’s main character, whom Lim Mei Hua is obsessed with, exerting a strong presence despite his brief appearance.

“When I looked into Yeo Jin-goo, I discovered that he is Korea’s ‘national son.’ He was really perfect. (Laughs) Yeo Jin-goo, who grew from a child actor to a superstar, seemed like the perfect actor to represent Korean dramas, so I offered him the role.”

The song “Women’s Generation,” sung by SeeYa, Davichi, and T-ara, appears several times in the film. The lyrics, “I’ll put on makeup and cut my hair and be born as a fabulous woman” and “I won’t cry even if I’m lonely, I won’t hurt, I’m living my life,” which contain the film’s message, blend with Lim Mei Hua’s clear smile, giving a sense of happiness.

Director He expressed his hope, saying, “I wish audiences would watch the film with their mothers.”

“I hope you take away good energy from ‘Ajoomma,’ which has both tears and laughter. It would be best if it could be a catalyst for discovering oneself. ‘Ajoomma’ is a work I thought of and worked on as a love letter from Singapore to Korea.”