Eventually.
DStv promised K-dramas months ago already but it never happened and MultiChoice K-poofed! into a haze of silence about it.
Flash forward four months >> and we have lift-off: Korean entertainment channel tvN will launch on Channel 134, from Monday 1 March, for four months only, as a pop-up channel.
It's going to be available on Premium, Compact Plus and Compact, in all African countries with DStv.
We presume it's a test run to see how it performs and that a longer-term decision will be made on whether it stays or goes once the pop-up ends.
New programing will start at 18h45 (CAT) each week night with a mix of K-dramas, K-pop, K-soapies and K-crime series, which have collectively become known as Hallyu, to reflect the rabid global interest in South Korea's pop culture.
Some shows will be subtitled and others will be dubbed into English in a dedicated English slot.
Here's a first look at four of the launch shows:
Another Miss-Oh
Premiere date: Monday 1 March, 2021 at 18h45
Airs: Mondays to Wednesdays
A romantic series about two women who not only share the same name Oh Hae-young, but they also share a destiny with the same man, Park Do-kyung who can see the future.
I-LAND
Premiere date: Thursday 4 March at 18h30
Airs: Thursdays
A reality show that follows the creation process of the next-generation K-pop boy group. The process is led by BTS producer and founder Bang Si-hyuk and the series is hosted by actor Namkoong Min, together with Rain and Zico as producers.
Encounter
Premiere date: Monday 1 March at 21h30
Airs: Mondays to Fridays
This is the dedicated English slot so this is dubbed into English.
It's an “opposite-attracts” drama that follows the complicated romance between a free-spirited ordinary man (Park Bo-gum) who seems to have nothing and the wealthy CEO (Song Hye-kyo) of a hotel who seems to have everything but is unhappy with her life.
Signal
Premiere date: Monday 1 March at 22h30
Airs: Mondays to Fridays
A crime thriller that connects a criminal profiler from 2015 to a detective from 1989 via a mysterious walkie talkie to tackle crime and injustice.
Cast includes Kim Hye-soo, Lee Je-hoon and Choi Jin-woon.
Keep a lookout on TVSA for more info. on the channel as it becomes available, including whether or not it's going to be available in other African countries, and if so, which ones.