The Vietnamese government restricted the importation of Korean dramas with obscene or violent scenes since the second half of last year. ``Autumn Fairy Tale,`` the first Korean TV drama to appear on Vietnamese TV in about six months, has become the top choice of Vietnamese citizens only about 20 days after broadcasts began. The story of ``a sad and fatalistic love`` and the lyrical beauty of pictures bearing a close resemblance to watercolor paintings were credited for its popularity.

The drama, which also attracted a huge following in Korea last year, is broadcast at 9 p.m. on Wednesdays and Sundays. It is enjoying extensive popularity not only among housewives, but also young women and students, and even overpowered the European soccer matches that had previously recorded the highest viewing rate in the time slot. The Korean movie ``Jjim,`` which was shown in Hanoi following ``The Letter`` last year, overwhelmed its predecessor by attracting as many as 50,000 viewers in just 20 days.

The movie was screening at two theaters in Hanoi and was originally shown only at 8 p.m., but theaters rushed to add extra show times due to the rush of viewers. It is difficult to buy tickets even three to four days in advance.