Learning history through K-dramas

By Shreya Suresh

All my Korean history lessons have come from my hours of studying. By this I obviously mean the hours I have dedicated to watching dramas. And over the past year of my drama-watching experience I believe I have become quite the expert on Korean history so I wrote up a small timeline outlining the five main periods in Korean history.

1. The Three Kingdoms, or, Hwarang:

Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla, were the three kingdoms that ruled over Korea during the early ages. The show, Hwarang, depicts this age of Korea through its most distinct feature, the “flower boys.” With their long straight hair and their knowledge of poetry, nature and the arts, these men of Silla became a force to be feared by the other kingdoms.

Under the lead of the strong-willed, intelligent and, if he looked remotely close to Park Hyung-sik (who plays the king), handsome King Jinheung, the Silla kingdom fought Baekje and made and broke alliances.

Another historical fact, that if you watched the drama then you will probably remember, the scene where Sun-woo learns the Chinese character for king and water. Well that scene tells us history enthusiasts that Hangul wasn’t invented until much later and that Hanja was the script that was followed by the Korean people.

2. The Unification of the Kingdoms, or, Scarlet Heart:

King Taejo then formed Goryeo by unifying the three kingdoms. His many sons, the “Wangs” if you may, fought each other in a battle for the throne. The thirst for power really does make you do anything, doesn’t it? During this time there was a lot of back-stabbing, lost love, an attempt to change the capital and lots of tea drinking. Seriously, if you wanted to poison someone, you might as well poison the tea (that happened!).

From Goryeo, the Joseon Kingdom was then established. If you want a detailed explanation of how this happened I would suggest “Six Flying Dragons.” I haven’t been able to dedicate 50 hours of my life to watching this but if you have the time and the interest, do it! In short, Yoo Ah In was responsible for all this.

3. The Renaissance, or, Love in the Moonlight:

Anyone who has watched a historical K-Drama has probably watched it set in the Joseon Kingdom. From the hit series “Moon Embracing the Sun” to “Love in the Moonlight”, they all just love to depict this beautiful period of renaissance, where art and music flourished. Kings wrote poetry, played the gayageum and there were a lot of “eunuchs” (girls that dressed up as eunuchs that the king would soon fall in love with). Really, the number of eunuchs romancing the king stories are endless!

One of the most important historical moments in this period was the invention of Hangul, the script used by Koreans today. A much simpler way to communicate compared to the numerous Hanja characters.

4. Japanese Invasion, or, Chicago Typewriter:

Around the mid 1900s the Japanese invaded Korea and there were your typical spy missions, double agents and jazz clubs-cum-homes to the resistance. Don’t be surprised if you see people in kimonos!

The cruelty of the Japanese is depicted brilliantly in both the drama mentioned above and in the hit movie “Age of Shadows” but in short, you didn’t want to be a Korean working for the Japanese because that pretty much was the worst fate as neither side would ever fully trust you.

5. Korea Today, or, Drinking Solo:

Korea today, I think, is best represented through the drama “Drinking Solo” because it perfectly describes the student life and pressure for the highly competitive placement exams along with the food and drinking culture of the country.

Korea today is known for the amazing barbeque, the take-out jjajjangmyeon, noraebang or karaoke (the place where you sing your usually drunken heart out) and of course the unlimited soju.

I’ll wrap up this history listen with this: I think Korean dramas do a pretty good job at educating the viewer on the rich history of the country. If it doesn’t always do that, it at least stimulates an interest to go back and Wikipedia the name of the king or the period. I think other countries’ TV industries could pick up a thing or two from these dramas because they do a really good job at proudly showcasing a culture.

The writer is a 17-year-old college-bound student from Bangalore, India. Write to shreya.suresh1@gmail.com.