“Beethoven Virus” is a classical music-themed television series by MBC aired in 2008. The mega-hit drama is about an orchestra consisting of amateur classical musicians hoping to realize their musical dreams under the baton of their amazingly talented but stony-hearted conductor named Kang Kun-woo. He is more commonly known as Kang Ma-eh, a shortened word for Maestro Kang. When the conductor happens to lead a local orchestra, he discovers that the amateur musicians are far inferior in musical skills. Because he believes that members of an orchestra should be brilliant, he hurls rants and bitter criticism at the musicians who do not live up to his expectation. During a concert attended by the president and his wife, for example, this haughty and ruthless conductor, nicknamed the “orchestra killer,” says, “The performance was pure rubbish, and I just can’t disgrace Brahms with this awful music.” He snaps at orchestra members who think of themselves as talented musicians, like “Julliard? Play like a dog, and you’re one of them. What’s so great about Julliard?” He even uses profane language as he rudely insults a middle-aged woman who wants to nurture her long-lost dream of becoming a cellist. What’s interesting here is that viewers find Maestro Kang’s aggressive and sharp tongue surprisingly fresh and cathartic. This is a rather unfamiliar scene in Korean culture, where beating around the bush is usually considered polite and even virtuous, compared to direct comments. Some movie critics say the main character’s ruthless speech gives the audiences a sense of liberation. The conductor’s harsh remarks hurt the orchestra members’ feelings, of course. But as time goes by, his words unexpectedly touch the hearts of the orchestra members, encouraging them to realize their dreams.

The 18-episode hit TV series greatly appealed to drama fans with classical music, distinguished characters and a touching story. The soap opera successfully shed light on an unfamiliar subject—classical music—and even created a nationwide sensation called “Kang Ma-eh syndrome” through a gifted yet despotic conductor.

Popular violinist Richard Yongjae O-Neil and famed pianist Lim Dong-hyek made cameo appearances in this drama. The two young musicians said they wanted to support the drama in the hopes of arousing more public interest in classical music. Actually, the soap helped create an unexpected boom of classical music in 2008, with music enthusiasts, including housewives, students and office workers, swarming to join amateur orchestras. “Beethoven Virus” was known for popularizing Beethoven’s works in particular, and the drama’s original sound track sold around 60-thousand copies. Actor Kim Myung-min, who played an eccentric yet charismatic conductor in the drama, won the top prize at the 2008 Korea Drama Festival, and “Beethoven Virus” received a special award for foreign programs at the International Drama Festival in Tokyo in 2009.