The Korea Times close
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
Entertainment
& Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
Sports
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
Video
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • Site Map
  • E-paper
  • Subscribe
  • Register
  • LogIn
search close
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • Site Map
  • E-paper
  • Subscribe
  • Register
  • LogIn
search close
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
Thu, May 26, 2022 | 22:52
Shows & Dramas
Viewers relate to shabby, realistic celebrities
Posted : 2017-06-26 17:43
Updated : 2017-06-26 17:51
Print Preview
Font Size Up
Font Size Down
Actress Nam Ji-hyun seen from SBS drama 'Suspicious Partner' / Courtesy of SBS
Actress Nam Ji-hyun seen from SBS drama "Suspicious Partner" / Courtesy of SBS


By Park Jin-hai

Viewers relate more to pitiful but realistic characters than out-of-this-world characters in dramas and variety shows. Those "ordinary" characters in dire straits, working overtime and counting their few pennies have greatly appealed to viewers whose lives are hardly different to such characters.

In the ongoing SBS drama "Suspicious Partner," Eun Bong-hee, played by Nam Ji-hyun, is a lawyer who passes a tough national bar exam yet fails to land a job at a law firm. She opens her own office but it eventually goes bankrupt since she cannot get clients.

With shabby hair and thick glasses, she looks more like a student preparing for a bar exam than a professional lawyer. But she has a strong heart. She works a part-time job at a small taekwondo institute and shouts, "Good day will come after all, only if I keep going."

KBS drama "Fight for My Way" features Choi Ae-ra, played by Kim Ji-won, who dreams of becoming a newscaster but lands a job as a department store information desk clerk instead due to her meager background. At a job interview for a newscaster position, when the interviewer says, "One's passion should be proved by their background," she retorts, "When others went abroad to study and do volunteer jobs, I had to stay and earn a living."

The drama's highlights video trailer, showing the scene similar to a real interview at a major conglomerate, earned 220,000 hits on the broadcaster's video portal.

Meanwhile, variety shows also tap celebrities who are struggling financially as much as other ordinary people. TV personalities Yoon Jung-soo, 45, and Lee Sang-min, 44, established unique characters and have been nicknamed the "icons of bankruptcy" by openly talking about their bankruptcy on the shows.

As they are in the process of paying off debts, saving even the smallest things has become a part of their everyday lives in front of the camera. Actor Lee Si-eon, from MBC's reality show "I Live Alone," says he is used to buying things from online second-hand shopping malls.

"I feel more attached to celebrities whose life is no different from mine than those celebrities living a glitzy lifestyle," said a young job seeker.

Industry insiders say that the popularity of these close-to-life characters is closely related to the doomed situation of today's youth. The youth unemployment reached a whopping 11 percent, or 1.2 million lately. Korea's household debt amounts to 1,359.7 trillion won ($1.2 trillion) as of March, according to the Bank of Korea.

The average debt of a Korean citizen is 26 million won. Even if a person successfully lands a job, they would be spending a large chunk of their salary to pay off debts, making their everyday life a struggle.

"Viewers can receive some comfort by mirroring their situation with those struggling characters in dramas and reality shows," said culture critic Ha Jae-keun.

Emailjinhai@ktimes.com Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
  • Gunman kills 18 children at Texas elementary school
  • Korea to allow visa waiver at Yangyang airport for int'l travelers from 4 countries
  • Over 76% of Koreans support legalizing euthanasia
  • Will government establish new immigration agency?
  • North Korea launches missiles to test Seoul-Washington deterrence
  • N. Korea fires 3 ballistic missiles, including 1 suspected ICBM: JCS
  • [INTERVIEW] Defender of inter-country adoptees' rights
  • Japan's unwelcome move
  • Corporate sponsors in dilemma over Son Heung-min's skyrocketing model fee
  • Auditing firms compete to secure rookie accountants
  • Former GFriend member Yuju sings on track for drama 'Kiss Sixth Sense' Former GFriend member Yuju sings on track for drama 'Kiss Sixth Sense'
  • 'The Witch: Part 2' director still has more story to tell 'The Witch: Part 2' director still has more story to tell
  • Webtoon 'Navillera' nominated for renowned Eisner Award Webtoon 'Navillera' nominated for renowned Eisner Award
  • Tim Burton's iconic world of misunderstood misfits returns to Korea Tim Burton's iconic world of misunderstood misfits returns to Korea
  • Park Chan-wook returns to Cannes with romance 'Decision to Leave' Park Chan-wook returns to Cannes with romance 'Decision to Leave'
DARKROOM
  • 75th Cannes Film Festival

    75th Cannes Film Festival

  • People in North Korea trapped in famine and pandemic

    People in North Korea trapped in famine and pandemic

  • 2022 Pulitzer Prize: Bearing witness to history

    2022 Pulitzer Prize: Bearing witness to history

  • Worsening drought puts millions at risk

    Worsening drought puts millions at risk

  • Our children deserve the best

    Our children deserve the best

The Korea Times
CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Location
  • Media Kit
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Service
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • Mobile Service
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Policy
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • 고충처리인
  • Youth Protection Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group