Korean TV shows are always descriptive and accurate about every aspect of their national culture they cover. The previous years have been extremely good for Korean dramas, especially after the accurate visualization of society’s greed for money in Squid Game. Typically, K-dramas only focus on romantic and action genres, but in recent years, creators have started blending nuance of emotions with Korean traditions in these.
These Korean TV shows are an ideal way to get entertained and learn about the their culture simultaneously. Along with that, these shows help highlight the socio-economic issues of Korean culture that the news won’t talk about. But, not TV every show will have an accurate representation of the Korean culture. Let’s jump in to see which ones are actually carrying the Korean wave with them.
7. Reply 1988
Reply 1988 took the world by storm with its suspenseful love triangle. The story revolves around two boys in love with the same girl. The beauty of this show is its accurate depiction of Korean culture and family traditions. The show isn’t the first of its kind. Previously, we’ve seen Reply 1994 and Reply 1997 with different stories and eras. While the other installments of this tvN series were similar to nostalgia-tinged shows, Reply 1988 focuses explicitly on culture in the 80s. Besides, it also has soundtracks identical to Korean songs from 1988 depicting the music trends of the era.
6. D.P.
D.P. is a relatively short drama with only 6 episodes, but it serves the purpose by ideally uncovering secrets of Korea’s military culture. The struggles of Han Ho Yeol (part of the military squad) portray South Korean culture ideally. Plus, it focuses on the hardships that an individual soldier has to face while being in the Korean army. While the series has an emotional and sympathetic perspective, it still powerfully visualizes Korean traditions.
5. Hometown Cha Cha
It won’t be wrong to say that Hometown Cha Cha is a reality-based show that accurately describes Korea’s social and economic features. The show follows a dentist that quits her job and tries to settle down in a small town. But down that road, she meets nothing but hurdles. The show perfectly describes the social dilemma a non-employed personnel faces in Korean culture. Additionally, it shows how difficult it is to start from scratch — especially in a small town in Korea.
4. Misaeng: Incomplete Life
Like the Hometown Cha Cha, this K-drama also focuses on economic and social obligations inside Korean culture. The show is about a boy who wanted to be a professional Baduk player but failed. After realizing that being a professional Baduk player wouldn’t provide enough income to take care of himself, he is forced to join a big company as an intern. The series visualizes Korean culture’s diverse possibilities and depicts that things don’t always end up as you want them to be. Besides that, the drama shown the world how Korean workspaces handle the toils and how interns influence the working environment.
3. Search WWW
This drama focuses on work-life in Korean culture. It is based on 3 women working at different search engines. The show focuses on the social issues a working woman has to face while being in a professional employment journey. The drama also sees two CEOs each working independently for their own good. With two different approaches, viewers can judge the negative and positive Korean workspaces individually and assess how they influence society.
2. Sky Castle
Sky Castle is an excellent pick for people bored with the typical romance of Korean dramas. This show is unique in its own way because, unlike other series, it is based on education, which is a huge Korean issue. The show highlights how parents will go to extreme boundaries to get their children admitted to the top academic institutes. At the same time, it emphasizes that no matter what your academic capabilities are, a family would be there to support you if you are in Korea. As the drama moved towards its finales, viewers get the true essence of Korean society and how it transforms with smooth transitions.
1. Our Blues
Our Blues may look like a romanticized drama, but beneath all the romantic dialogue, it shines a light on social issues not often discussed in Korean culture. For instance, viewers see fathers faced their pregnant teen daughters’ expenses in South Korea. We also see a divorced woman fighting for her son’s custody—another issue in South Korea. Every episode of this Korean TV show brings a new problem for the reviewers to discuss. These issues may have been hidden under the social burden, but Our Blues is doing an excellent job of starting a debate on these for a better solution.
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