'K-dramas hook viewers, take them on emotional roller coaster,' Korea's top drama critic says

Jung Duk-hyun poses for a photo after an interview with the Korea Times in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. Korea Times photo by Park Jin-hai

By Park Jin-hai

• Published Jun 27, 2024 1:00 AM KST
• Updated Jun 28, 2024 2:54 PM KST

Pop culture critic Jung Duk-hyun, known as the person who watches more TV shows than anyone else in Korea, notes that dramas are often undervalued due to their popular nature and widespread accessibility. However, he believes that it is precisely their ability to evoke strong feelings and stir emotions that leave long-lasting impressions on the viewers' hearts.

"The relatability of dramas is what makes them so appealing to viewers. I believe that dramas can better represent the thoughts and feelings of ordinary people than any other form of media," the 55-year-old critic told The Korea Times during an interview, Monday.

"Dramas don't just present a world that's one step removed from our own. They connect with us on a much deeper level."

Jung has been writing reviews for Korean dramas and movies for some 20 years. He published his first book on Korean drama, "There Are Times When Dialogue from Dramas Pierces the Heart," in 2021 and recently released his second book, "There Was Never a Day That Wasn't Dazzling." This latest book is his work of two years and contains essays on the 45 most memorable lines from K-dramas that have touched the critic's heart, along with his insights into life.

Emotional whirlwind

Jung believes the big part of what sets Korean dramas apart from other types of dramas is the unique way of engaging viewers on an emotional level.

“Koreans are known for being very expressive and in touch with their emotions. Korean dramas reflect that, exploring that full spectrum of emotions in their stories. They take viewers on an emotional roller coaster, making them laugh, cry, feel anger and everything in between,” he said.

This explains how slice-of-life Korean dramas, such as "Reply 1988," can connect with viewers in other countries with no knowledge of the social background of the time.

Compared to American series, which often show emotions more directly, Korean dramas build them up gradually. Viewers witness characters evolve and struggle with complex feelings, wondering if they should express them or not.

“It's not just watching a story unfold. You're living it with the characters. And by the time they finally express their emotions, after all that build-up, it has a huge impact on the viewer. It's like they drop an emotional anchor right into your heart. That's the real power of Korean dramas, I believe.”

Highlighting the difference between Korean and Japanese dramas, Jung points out that Japanese series "Alice in Borderland" (2020), despite its similarities to the Korean megahit "Squid Game," fails to forge emotional connections with the characters due to the show's emphasis on survival and the starkness of the game scenarios.

Watching multiple times

Jung is a big fan of the dramas "My Mister" (2018) and "My Liberation Notes" (2022), both penned by Park Hae-young.

"I've watched both three times each and I get a different feeling each time. The first time I watched 'My Mister,' I thought it was a story about the relationship between a young woman and an older man. I thought it did a good job of capturing the realistic difficulties and emotions that middle-aged men face. But the second time I watched it, I was really struck by how well the setting was done. From the very first scene, when a bug enters Ji-an's office, it's like a metaphor for the whole drama," he said.

"My Mister" is a series that tells the story of Dong-hoon (late Lee Sun-kyun) and Ji-an (IU), the two unlikely kindred spirits who start finding comfort in each other's company and eventually grow very protective of each other.

Jung observed that "My Mister" has a Buddhist perspective.

"In the first scene, everyone is startled when a bug flies in. Dong-hun says that the bug is a living creature and shouldn't be killed, so he tries to catch it and release it. But Ji-an swats and kills it, then throws it away. This genius metaphor tells us what the drama would like to tell us — there is a clash between these two different types of people," he said.

"Dong-hoon is a safety inspector, showing us that great core strength can make a building withstand external forces. He has inner strength, but his personal life is being swayed. His wife cheats on him, and he fights to survive at work. Ji-an is struggling financially and emotionally. Despite the swaying, they do their best. Then his friend, who becomes a monk, says that is just his desire and urges him to let it go," he said.

"Those middle-aged men who gather at Jung-hee's bar used to be something, but now they've all fallen apart and working as cleaners and doing odd jobs, but they're living very happily. The drama says it is OK to be like that. In the end, Ji-an, whose name means 'comfort' in Chinese, finds comfort."

Another among Jung's favorites, "My Liberation Notes," is the story of urbanites who seem to have everything they want and be lucky from the perspective of those living in the countryside.

"When you look closely, the drama tells us that those living in cities are also pitiful. They're trapped in a mould as they live their lives. This is what 'My Liberation Notes' is about. You can't understand it after watching it only once," he added.

Impact of 'Squid Game'

Jung said the meteoric global rise of "Squid Game" on Netflix has significantly and undoubtedly reshaped the Korean drama industry. Creators and directors who worked in the film industry have jumped on the bandwagon, not out of a genuine passion for storytelling but rather for the potential financial gains. Such trends are causing a stir in the industry, dampening the spirits of those who have dedicated their lives to crafting quality dramas.

Also, Netflix's funding decisions favoring genre-specific content, particularly action-thrillers like "Squid Game," has overshadowed other genres that have long been a cornerstone of Korean dramas, such as melodramas.

"For a while, there was a lull in melodrama production. But then, local (streaming) platforms such as Tving began acquiring these romantic dramas, and they're now experiencing a surge in popularity both domestically and internationally. This comes after the massive success of 'Squid Game,' which has had a lasting impact on the industry. Now, we're seeing a resurgence in interest for melodramas, a genre that has always been a staple of Korean dramas," Jung said, highlighting the shifting landscape.

Following the global phenomenon of "Squid Game" and the surge in K-drama's popularity, production costs for dramas have risen significantly. This shift, combined with Netflix's increased investments in the Japanese market, has sparked a wave of collaboration between Korean and Japanese production companies.

“Japanese creators are actively seeking partnerships. The involvement of Korean directors and actors is seen as a guaranteed way to attract attention, further fueling this collaborative trend. As a result, the traditional distinctions between Korean and Japanese content are gradually dissolving,” he said.

The future points to a more international landscape for drama production. Jung expects more projects featuring a diverse mix of nationalities, from Korean directors and American actors to screenwriters from various backgrounds, all working together. Director Park Chan-wook's "The Sympathizer" exemplifies this trend.

“Funding came from HBO, production was handled by the American company A24 and the source material was penned by a Vietnamese American Pulitzer Prize winner (Viet Thanh Nguyen). Set in Vietnam, the series features a cast of Vietnamese, American and Korean American actors. This blurring of national boundaries makes it difficult to categorize 'The Sympathizer' as belonging to any single country and we will see more of such projects," he said.