Why are contract killers in Korean dramas always Joseonjok?
Jang Gil-ryong (played by Kim Sung-kyun), a contract killer of Joseonjok descent, in the drama “Karma” / Courtesy of Netflix
A 15-year pattern of harmful portrayals
In the JTBC drama “Good Boy,” currently airing, former national athletes turned elite police officers take on a powerful criminal network. Among the villains they confront are members of a violent gang led by Baek Seok-chun (played by Ahn Se-ho), a character depicted as the leader of the “Dongbukhoe” crime syndicate. All the major criminals in the drama are portrayed as ethnic Koreans from China, commonly referred to as "Joseonjok" in Korea.
In the Netflix series “Karma,” released in April, another Joseonjok character appears. Jang Gil-ryong, played by Kim Sung-kyun, is depicted as a cold-blooded killer who commits murder for money without remorse.
These are just two recent examples of a growing trend in Korean television and streaming content. Characters who are Joseonjok or members of other overseas Korean communities are frequently portrayed as hired killers or violent criminals.
This pattern, which had subsided following backlash over the 2017 film “Midnight Runners,” appears to be returning. The resurgence of the "foreign menace" trope, seen in stereotypes of criminally-inclined Joseonjok raises renewed concerns that popular media is reinforcing distorted perceptions of a marginalized group.
Baek Seok-chun (played by Ahn Se-ho), who forms the Dongbukhoe gang with Joseonjok members in the drama “Good Boy” / Courtesy of JTBC
Portrayed as criminals in nearly all dramas
This pattern dates back to the 2010 film “The Yellow Sea,” in which actors Ha Jung-woo and Kim Yoon-seok portrayed Joseonjok contract killers. That film set the tone for a decade of similar portrayals.
In subsequent films such as “Countdown” (2011), “Traffickers” (2012), “New World” (2013) and the first season of “The Outlaws” (2017), Joseonjok characters were consistently cast as violent criminals.
Television dramas followed a similar path. According to a study by Han Hee-jung, associate professor at Kookmin University, male Joseonjok characters appeared in 23 Korean dramas between 2002 and 2018.
Of those, 22 depicted them as gangsters or contract killers. The sole exception was the 2018 tvN series “Big Forest,” which offered a more nuanced portrayal.
In “Midnight Runners,” actors Park Seo-joon and Kang Ha-neul played police cadets who uncover an organ trafficking ring operated by Joseonjok. The film also portrayed Seoul’s Daerim-dong neighborhood, known for its large Chinese Korean population, as lawless and crime-ridden.
The depiction sparked outrage among Joseonjok viewers. Sixty members of the community filed a lawsuit against the production company, demanding compensation for defamation.
Although the company initially defended the film under the banner of freedom of expression, it ultimately issued a public apology and pledged to prevent similar portrayals in the future after a court-mediated settlement.
Actors Ha Jung-woo, right, and Kim Yoon-seok, left, portray Joseonjok contract killers in the 2010 film “The Yellow Sea.” Courtesy of Showbox
Brief lull followed by troubling resurgence
For several years after the controversy, the portrayal of Joseonjok characters as criminals declined. However, they are on the rise once again.
“After the ‘Midnight Runners’ controversy, there was a five- to six-year period when such portrayals became rare,” said Han. “But with streaming platforms now competing by releasing sensational content, we’re once again seeing Joseonjok characters reduced to criminal roles.”
She added, “While other foreigners are represented in diverse ways, Joseonjok are still being almost exclusively portrayed as criminals.”
The issue is not limited to Joseonjok. In the Netflix action noir series “Mercy for None,” released last month, both Joseonjok and Zainichi Koreans (ethnic Koreans living in Japan) appear as contract killers. One of the key assassins, Kaneyama (played by Lee Jae-yoon), is a Zainichi Korean character who commits murder as part of the storyline.
Cultural critic Kim Hern-sik argued that the industry’s portrayal choices reflect power imbalances. “If Korean content repeatedly depicted Han Chinese, the world’s largest ethnic group, as criminals, it would face immediate and widespread backlash,” he said. “But Joseonjok and Zainichi Koreans are minority communities with limited capacity to push back. That is why creators keep recycling these harmful portrayals.”
Members of Chinese Korean organizations protest in front of Daerim Station in Seoul, demanding an apology and suspension of the film “Midnight Runners” for its repeated negative portrayal of Chinese Koreans and the Daerim-dong neighborhood on Aug. 28, 2017. Yonhap
Harmful stereotypes can shape public perception
Experts warn that repetitive and negative portrayals can lead to widespread social misunderstanding.
“Joseonjok criminal characters allow viewers to indulge in the illusion that China is less developed or more lawless than Korea,” said Kim. “This kind of narrative can ultimately foster prejudice not only against Joseonjok but against China as a whole.”
Han shared a troubling anecdote. “One student told me that a friend invited them to eat lamb skewers in Daerim-dong, but they declined because the area reminded them of what they had seen in movies,” she said. “Young people who have never even met a Joseonjok person are developing fear based entirely on the violent images they see in popular culture.”
As Korean dramas and films continue to rely on the same one-dimensional stereotype, critics say that it is time for the industry to reexamine its portrayals, arguing that repeating the same harmful imagery for 15 years is not just lazy storytelling — it can contribute to real-world discrimination.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.