BBC pays attention to changes in female characters amid the Korean drama craze
Social change and media influence… Change is still happening
An analysis by the BBC showed that Korean dramas, which had portrayed flat images of women dependent on love, began to depict complex and powerful female characters due to social changes and media influence.
The BBC said on the 10th (local time), “Many Korean dramas are currently depicting strong female characters, unlike in the past, reflecting social changes and media influence.”
The BBC mentioned the 2009 KBS drama ‘Boys Over Flowers’ as a female character depicted in past K-dramas. ‘Boys Over Flowers’ is a drama based on a Japanese comic about a conglomerate heir and an ordinary girl falling in love, and was loved by the nation when it aired.
In a recent interview with the BBC, Hong Eun-mi, vice president of the Korean Screenwriters Association, mentioned the limitations of female characters in old media, saying, “Most Korean dramas in the 90s were about a chaebol man and a poor woman falling in love.”
Next, the BBC introduced the Netflix series ‘The Glory’ and the ENA drama ‘Weird Lawyer Woo Young-woo’ as examples of K-dramas featuring changed female characters. The BBC explained that this year’s most successful film ‘The Glory’ is a woman’s revenge story, and the drama ‘Weird Lawyer Woo Young-woo’, which became a hot topic, is a story about a female autistic lawyer.
In particular, the BBC highlighted an interview with singer and actress Uhm Jeong-hwa, who played the lead role in the JTBC drama ‘Doctor Cha Jeong-sook’. ‘Doctor Cha Jeong-sook’ drew a lot of sympathy and attention by depicting a housewife who devoted her entire life to her family and starts a new life as a doctor. Uhm Jung-hwa also revealed that she was very moved by Cha Jung-sook’s journey to achieve her dream.
Uhm Jung-hwa said, “(In the past), you couldn’t play a leading role once you were in your 30s, and from the age of 35, you played the role of someone’s mother. “She was a really talented and brilliant actress, but she would have disappeared because of her age,” she recalled.
And, “Unlike before, we can now see a variety of female characters living their own lives in dramas. “And I’m really happy that even at my age now, I can tell their stories as an actor,” he said, expressing his joy at the changed drama environment.
Additionally, the BBC explained recent changes in Korean dramas, citing the Netflix drama ‘My Name’, which depicts a woman infiltrating a gangster group for revenge, as an example. Not only has the role of women changed, but new elements such as nudity, tattoos, diverse gender concepts, and diverse races are being deployed, breaking away from the existing family viewer-centered production environment.
The BBC cited economic development, changes in women’s status, improved levels of education, desire for social success, the emergence of well-funded overseas streaming services, and increased media consumption due to COVID-19 as the background to the change in Korean dramas.
Baek Mi-kyung, the writer of ‘Strong Woman Do Bong-soon’, the first female superhero drama in a Korean drama, revealed in an interview with the BBC that it was difficult to find a broadcasting company willing to produce a female superhero drama that was not guaranteed to be a box office success. ‘Do Bong-soon’ was ultimately a box office success and a second season was produced.
Baek Mi-kyung’s ‘Strong Woman’ series attracted a lot of attention not only because it depicts a female hero, but also because it depicts the love story of a middle-aged woman. “Korean viewers are only interested in the love of ‘young people.’ But that is a contradiction. “Even older people have the right to love,” he said.
He expressed his ambition, saying, “Recently, female characters in Korean dramas are showing active, strong, and independent sides, but I am not satisfied yet,” and added, “I want to change the game even more.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.