From my previous posts you can tell that I love K-pop. But K-pop is what started the ball rolling on my interests in South Korea. From K-Pop, I transitioned to K-dramas. But that transition was not smooth from the beginning which is why, I’m surprised at myself that I love that genre of TV shows. K-Dramas are mini series unlike the American counterpart which are TV series (like the Big Bang Theory, Criminal Minds, etc.). They mostly have 16-50 episodes per show and have no recurring seasons. Unlike K-Pop, with their flash style that is reminiscent of American pop, K-dramas reflect their cultural values. Usually each show has an overall theme that matches it genre, but underlying themes like filial piety, respect for elders, etc. are apparent. Those underlying themes reflect the Confucian values that permeate their culture. This can be seen in simple things like the question “how old are you?” or other various sayings with the same meaning that almost always comes up in the show. The reason is due to the fact that in their culture, you have different ways to address people depending on their age and status. For example, if the female lead is older than the male, then he is expected to address her by either noona (older sister/ older woman) or her name with the ssi (shi) ending (kinda of adding, Ms/Mrs.). Another point of interest is the cast of the shows.
The shows usually have their beginner/veteran actors/actresses and sometimes a K-Pop artist. The K-Pop artist will either make a guest appearance or have a role in the show. I know that in America, we have artists that end up in movies or they make guest appearances, but they usually end up being only good at being an artist, not an actor/actress. There are exceptions to the rule and South Korea has also proven that but their exceptions are opposite. Their artists tend to do well in both the dramas and music. It is rare when you find the artist doesn’t do well in the drama scene. This is because, K-Pop artists spend years training before they debut in any area. They train in the aspects required to be an artist and also train in their other interests, which may lead them to acting in a drama. Take the actor Lee Hong-ki for example. He is the lead singer of the band FT Island and has acted in a several dramas and movies. His singing, has reached millions of listeners from all around the world, which has also led them to checking out his acting. From there, its not a hard stretch to end up in k-drama world. The many fans of k-dramas, have created websites upon websites that are dedicated to showing the dramas as their airing and giving suggestions as to which ones you should try watching next. Their dedications and interest in the drama world, has help pushed k-drama to a global scale in which South Korea has reacted to. The South Korean government, has also started pushing k-drama sites as part of their tourist attractions. You can find stores that advertise where famous dramas have been filmed and even the merchandise from the drama can found in store. It has the same if not a bigger following than K-Pop. K-Pop and K-dramas were made global due to the Hallyu wave which in turn helped changed South Korea’s image as just a tech giant. Their image of a tech giant came about as part their recovery from the Korean War as they were rebuilding their country and the country’s growth was astonishing. In next week’s post we’ll see how their growth came about and how it put them on par with other leading nations.
A K-drama suggestion:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBGgNOmIYsQ&feature=youtu.be