In this daebak episode of the Popzara Podcast our own editor-at-large Ev Wong re-teams with producer, writer, and K-Pop enthusiast Kat Kim (Happy Cleaners) for a sociological deep dive into the explosion in popularity for K-Dramas (Korean dramas), and why getting past the language and cultural barriers can open up a whole new world of stories for you.
While many K-Dramas can look like they’re light on substance there’s actually more going on with them than you might think. Kat and Ev discuss differences in social class, the glorification of lawyers, doctors, and other ‘sa’ careers, how Netflix led the import floodgate, the importance of food in the Korean culture, mental health and how K-Dramas portray people with disabilities, and what it means to subvert traditional gender roles.
Love Squid Game? There’s plenty more where that came from (literally), especially if you’ve got Netflix. Other shows to watch are: All of Us Are Dead, Business Proposal, Extraordinary Attorney Woo, It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, Hotel Del Luna, Vincenzo, Money Heist: Korea, and others. Other non-Netflix hits include Boys Over Flowers, The Inheritors, My Mister, Hourglass, Reply 1988 (or any of them), Signal, and Let’s Eat 1, 2 & 3. Listen today – no subscription required!
