The Popularity of Korean Dramas

So there’s a rich man, and a poor woman, and the two happen to meet by chance. At first, they despise each other but after many chance encounters, they get to know each other and fall madly in love. However, the man’s wealthy parents strongly disapprove of their relationship, and set him up with another woman; jealousy and misunderstandings ensue. Furthermore, it turns out that the man’s brother, who happens to be the woman’s best friend, is also in love with the woman, who feels guilty because she cares about both. Finally, as the main male lead attempts to make amends with the jealous female lead, he suddenly has a nosebleed, and after a frantic dash to the hospital, he is diagnosed with cancer. The main couple quickly makes up as they both cry bitter tears, the cancer is suddenly in full remission in the next episode, the couple gets married, and the rejected brother moves to America to become a successful businessman.

There’s the plot summary of your typical Korean drama. A majority of Korean dramas consist of overly complicated situations, unrealistic coincidences, melodramatic reactions, and a plethora of misunderstandings and conspiracies. Frankly, these dramas sound cringe-worthy in writing. Yet there are hundreds of websites dedicated to showing these dramas online, such as DramaFever and gooddrama.net, and millions of people who spend hours a day watching these shows, both Asians and non-Asians alike. Not only are these dramas popular in Asian countries outside of Korea such as Japan, China, and the Philippines, but they are also popular in the Americas, such as the United States and Brazil. The dictatorial North Korean government has banned South Korean dramas and threatened execution in consequence of watching them, yet North Korean residents continue to smuggle these shows in their homes [1]—people are risking their lives to watch South Korean dramas. What is it about these shows that make them so popular all over the world?

The popularity of Korean dramas is a large part of the cultural phenomenon known as the Korean Wave, or Hallyu [2]. In fact, Korean dramas are what started this spread of the South Korean culture; in 1997, a Chinese government network called CCTV aired the Korean drama What is Love, which became an extremely huge hit. That same year, a financial crisis devalued the Korean won [2], and with the combination of this financial crisis and the popularity of What is Love, East Asian broadcasters realized that Korean dramas were cheaper to distribute, and more in tune with the times. Since then, Korean dramas have perpetuated all over the world, leading the spread of South Korean culture.

As shown in the plot summary of the typical Korean drama, it is clear that Korean dramas feature many clichéd themes—those of love, family, friendship, rivalry, suspense, etc. These themes are a major reason Korean dramas transcend cultural tastes and barriers, and are so popular internationally [3]. With such universal themes, all viewers are able to relate and empathize; everyone has gone through heartaches and social dilemmas, and many people have lost loved ones. Even though these themes are often portrayed in exaggerated situations, fans of Korean dramas are attracted to, rather than turned off, by these unrealistic depictions; perhaps these overblown portrayals merely add to the excitement of the whole experience, in the same way that outrageous gossip causes gasps of shock and curiosity, a desire for more. Or maybe viewers are enthralled by the illusion that they are experiencing the impossible (or the highly unlikely) through these shows—if you can’t experience it yourself, why not at least experience it through the lives of fictional characters?

While many fans watch K-dramas for sheer enjoyment of the melodramatic plots, others, especially those outside of South Korea, are further fascinated by the cultural aspect of these shows [4]. The universal themes depicted are relatable, but the differences in culture shown through the lives of the characters may be new to some audiences. Although it is ridiculous to assume from Korean dramas that the lives of people in South Korea are constantly filled with drama and heartbreak, one can still learn much about Korean history, values, customs, and other aspects of the lifestyle in South Korea; Giant accurately portrays the protests and demonstrations against corrupt and greedy Korean authorities during the economic boom of the 1970-80s [5], and Answer Me 1997 depicts the general lifestyle in the 90’s era in Korea, the touching sentiments of a group of friends’ final year in a Korean high school, and the changes in Korea as it has come to the modern times [6].

Despite the all the absurd plot twists and cheesy acting, Korean dramas are watched by millions, all over the world. People spend hours in front of their computer or TV screens, finishing one drama, and then moving on to another that seems to have basically the same melodramatic plot. There is something about these themes in Korean dramas that make them so popular and addicting, whether it is the admirable loyalty or undying love between two characters, or the discovery of Korean cultural values. For many viewers, Korean dramas are not only a form of gut-wrenching and captivating entertainment, but also a way to explore and learn about the Korean culture, all from the comfort of their sofas.

[1] http://www.rfa.org/english/commentaries/dramas-10222013131630.html

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_drama

[3] http://www.dailytexanonline.com/life-and-arts/2012/11/08/korean-pop-culture-increasingly-popular-in-us

[4] http://www.eslteachersboard.com/cgi-bin/korea-info/index.pl?read=1050

[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_(TV_series)

[6] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reply_1997