Finding Family in K Dramas
Confucianism is an East Asian philosophy that emphasizes social relationships and ethics. One of the main goals of Confucianism is normalize social behavior in social institutions and personal relationships. From this stems the concept of the five relationships. These relationships between husband and wife, father and son, older brother and younger brother, friend to friend, and ruler to subject are based on propriety and reciprocosity. They also foster compassion, dignity, and empathy. Korean television shows have become highly popular accross East Asia. Because Confucian values hold relevance across East Asia, when they appear in Korean dramas and variety shows, it serve as a way to decrease South Korean odor to making it easier for East Asian countries to enjoy thier content.
How does this manifest in modern Korean television? The plotlines for many shows are geneally relationship driven. Family life and relations are common narrative arcs that support or anchor dramas. One of the breakout k-dramas of 2015 was 'Reply 1988'. It broke ratings records for tvN (a cable channel), achieving ratings of 18.8% in its final episode making it the highest rated drama in cable history. 'Reply 1988' follows the story of five neighborhood friends and their families, and it is set against the backdrop of the 1988 Seoul Olympics. This was the first entry in the 'Reply' series (1997, 1994, 1988) to focus primaraly on family bonds instead of romantic love. The emphasis on family was a hit with audiences in South Korea and abroad. The series set a record by receiving over 200 million cumulative views within a month of its official online premiere in China. Below is a scene depicting the neighborhood, inter-family dynamics.
A surprising gem of summer televison was 'Another Oh Hae Young' (also from tvN). It was popular in South Korea and internationally. While the main focus of the show was the relationship between sound director Park Do-Kyung and Oh Hae-Young, a woman who's life he ruins because he mistakes her for his ex girlfriend who has the same name), some of the most memerable scenes were between Hae-Young and her family. Her mom's extreme disappointment in Hae-Young's broken engagement and her father's queit support were constant sources of laughter. But at the end of the day her parents were a huge source of strength and support for her. Their family dynamics can be seen in the following videos.
Mother Daughter Relationship
Hae-Young's parents helping her make a lunch in the middle of the night
Themes of romance, friendship, and friendship permeate not only K-dramas, but variety shows as well. Running Man is an immensely popular SBS variety show where the cast and weekly guests play outrageous games. The show has been airing for six years and has over 300 episodes. It's audience extends accross Asia and online streaming has spread 'Running Man' accross the world. One of the main draws of the show is chemistry between the cast. 'Running Man' is like a family and they each have different realtionships with each other. Some of the relationships include: the Easy Brothers, the Monday couple, Kwang-Mong siblings, Kim Jong-Kook and the two kids). These relationships have developed and evolved over the years, but they continue to delight audiences. Another comparable show is 'Family Outing' where a set cast visits different homes in the nation a completes chores left by the homeowners. Below is a video showing some of the dynamics of the 'Running Man' family.
There is a trend of having Korean celebrities mimic relationships like husband and wife or parent and child on variety shows. 'We Got Married' is a show that pairs two celebrities together and they get virtually married. The show depicts what thier married life would be like. Audiences get to see the couples complete weekly missions. The show is so popular abroad that there are Chinese and Taiwanese spinoffs and a Global Edition spinoff that virtually marries two celebrities from different countries. The popularity of these shows reflect how much East Asain countries value marriage, which is based on Confucian principles. The below video is shows the first date of 'We Got Married's newer couples.
In line with 'We Got Married', shows that depict parenthood are popular. 'Return of the Superman' is a program that shows celebrity dads taking care of their young children while the mother is away. Sometimes celebrities come to interact with the kids. 'Hello Baby' is a former program that paired idol groups like SHINee, Girl's Generation, and T-ara with children under the age of 5 so that they could experience raising them. Below is an excerpt from Shinee's Hello Baby.
Themes of family are a constant in South Korean television. While audiences are entertained by the drama or laughs that accompany these themes, it really reflects the Confucian values that are foudational to East Asian societies. This is one of the reasons why K-dramas and variety shows are so popular outside of thier home country.