South Koreans decode the rising international recognition of Ok-dramas

In the younger grownup Korean present Record of Youth, when an aspiring actor named Sa Hye-jun requested his girlfriend Ahn Jeong-ha, a make-up artist, the permission to kiss her, the minds of many followers had been blown. The male protagonist, performed by Park Bo-gum, had requested for consent from the feminine lead, essayed by Park So-dam, star of the a number of Oscar-winning movie Parasite.
“Permission? In a K-drama?? I have tears of joy for K-dramas evolving so much,” famous a fan on the YouTube video of the scene.
The high-school-ish but poisonous narrative of the opinionated woman falling for the unhealthy boy with a coronary heart of gold, like within the well-liked Boys Over Flowers, has given method to Ok-dramas like Run, that confirmed the romance between a retired athlete and his interpreter, and Hot Stove League the place there isn’t any romance between the lead protagonists.
Ok-content has gone huge throughout the globe lately, together with in India, and Koreans imagine it has loads to do with the power of the nation to supply selection, monitor traits within the international market and revisit stereotypes.
Boys Over Flowers has an enormous fan following in India.
Visual results artist Hayoung Jo mentioned she tunes into Ok-dramas a few times a yr to “catch up with the trends and watch the most highlighted shows”.
Jo, who moved from Siheung-si metropolis, Geonggi-do province in South Korea to Toronto round seven years in the past, likes these dramas due to the “cultural background”.
“I feel more attached to the Korean culture than western culture and that makes me easily resonate with the characters in the drama scenes,” she added.
According to Jo, Ok-dramas are present process some “good changes”.
“For example, there was a prevailing idea that women should get married before their 30s in order to raise their kids, but now the female characters in K-dramas are mostly over 30 and more career-oriented compared to the woman in the ’90s-’00s, which is reflecting the idea of gender equality in Korean society,” the VFX artist, who has labored on the hit Disney Plus sequence The Mandalorian, mentioned.

Ok-drama lovers agree that there are specific tropes which were accomplished to demise within the reveals and one sub-genre that should go away is the ‘Cinderella’ story. Many hit sequence together with Secret Garden, starring Ha Ji-won and Hyun Bin, and Coffee Prince, that includes Gong Yoo and Yoon Eun-hye, have used the fairytale because the define previously.
“I am glad that K-dramas are trying new things other than Cinderella stories; they are too lame,” Jo added.
Min Kim, a Toronto-based VFX artist who hails from Busan, mentioned the same old 12-or 16-episode format makes for a crisp plot.
“We can watch two episodes weekly as they drop. It is relaxing to watch a K-drama after work with my family. (The limited series format) makes the storyline quite intense,” the VFX artist, who has labored on the survival motion drama Greenland and Amazon’s hit superhero sequence The Boys, mentioned.
Ga-yeon Kim, who hails from Seoul’s Gangnam district, mentioned she was fed up with the robust feminine character stereotype in Ok-dramas the place the lady might seem “headstrong and outspoken” however the present would use these character traits to ultimately gasoline a romance.
“I felt that K-dramas have rewarded females who are easily swayed and have punished or labelled the character as a bad person if they were confident in what is right for them. I think K-dramas should celebrate, humanise, and diversify the types of women by championing their success even if it exceeds the success of male characters without villainising them,” the Toronto-based elementary public college instructor advised PTI.

She, nevertheless, had a change of coronary heart after her mom advised her that there are “improvements” within the new dramas, akin to It’s Ok To Not Be Okay and Kill Me Heal Me, reveals that handled psychological well being points and childhood trauma.
“I find this to be great news because there are so many issues in Korea and around the world that need to be addressed such as mental health, equal rights, poverty, and etc.”
With all issues Korean — drama, cinema, music, magnificence merchandise, and meals — going international, Ga-yeon Kim believes the rationale behind the content material gaining momentum is the competence of the Korean business in finding out and replicating what individuals have favored previously.
She added, “Korea is also great at innovating and adding on to these dramas, movies, and music. For instance, I hear that K-dramas and K-pop are adhering to current relatable problems faced by the younger audience, such as anxiety, depression, work-home balance, etc.”
Bands like BTS had synergy results on the rising curiosity in Korean content material all over the world.
Jo mentioned Ok-pop, by way of bands like BTS and Blackpink, and dramas had synergy results on the rising curiosity in Korean content material all over the world.
“If a K-drama gains popularity, people may also pay attention to K-pop and vice versa. As many people overseas noticed K-culture and its value, they are digging hidden gems too which never caught interest from people before,” she added.
Asked what may very well be the contributing elements to the rising worldwide curiosity within the nation, BTS member Jung Kook advised PTI final yr, “We believe South Korean culture is very beautiful and attractive, which is portrayed through diverse contents such as movies, dramas, music, etc. As artists representing South Korea, we also want to share this with the rest of the world.”
Beomgyu, a member of the Korean boy group TXT, mentioned South Korea narrates “relatable stories” which makes them resonate all over the world.
“Wherever you may be or wherever you’re from, I think our shared experiences of living through these times together serve as the basis for stories that many people can relate to. I’d like to say that that’s the biggest reason why many people are resonating with our stories and culture now,” he advised PTI in June 2021.