Fan Article: How Korean Dramas Took Over The World

One of the main reasons why so many people are interested in South Korea and its culture is the Korean Dramas (also known as K-Dramas). Besides K-Pop, the Korean Wave started in the 90s because of the circulation of TV dramas. Since then, they have become popular not only across the Asian continent but all around the world!

K-Dramas influence our lives nowadays. We find ourselves curious about Korean culture and start looking for more, especially if we are not familiarized with South Korea. Here are some ways to know how they have been influencing us during the last few years:

Food

We all love & need food, especially when it’s appetizing for us. K-Dramas also add delicious and mouthwatering meals in each episode because they are part of Korean culture. Since I started to watch K-Dramas back in 2020, I found myself curious about the taste of the Kimchi-jjigae -or kimchi stew- until I decided to give it a try myself at a local restaurant in my home country. This is only one of many examples of how meals have an effect to gain more interest in Korean traditional meals thanks to these dramas. Don’t you want to have a sip of Soju or take a bite from a Gimbap roll while you binge-watch your favorite drama?

MBC / JTBC / tvN

Recommended series with captivating food scenes: “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo” (2016), “Itaewon Class” (2020), “Hospital Playlist” (2020)

Language

Korean series have successfully created an ongoing interest in the Korean language and there has been a demand for language classes. The language itself creates a fascination for the audience. As a Korean language learner myself, I memorized lots of words and expressions by just watching my favorite K-Dramas, besides of studying on my own. People of any age can learn and acquire new language skills, so it’s never too late to learn and there are no excuses to learn Korean!

tvN / KBS

Recommended dramas to learn Korean: “Reply 1988” (2016), “Descendants of the Sun” (2016), “Mr. Sunshine” (2018)

Mental Health Awareness

According to Jeanie Y. Chang -a Korean-American licensed therapist and global speaker – Korean dramas have an effect that not only tackles social issues related to family, friends, love relationships, and social status, but these can also help us cope with any situation that we are going through at the moment, or in her words, it “helps you in a way to deal with trauma and adversities”. Although some dramas are melodramatic, in recent years, there are lots of them that have slow-burning yet engaging and realistic storylines, which generate more interest in them and make the audience feel all kinds of emotions.

tvN / JTBC

Recommended dramas about mental health: “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” (2020), “Lost” (2021), “My Liberation Notes” (2022)

Beauty

Korean beauty has taken the world by storm. The need to imitate the appealing looks of any character, even from the actors and actresses in real life, made a lot of cosmetic products, like makeup and skincare, to be exported worldwide. Its consumption developed massively throughout recent years, which began with Korean dramas and extended to social media. There also have been products promoted intentionally on several dramas that ended up increasing sales.

MBC / JTBC / tN

Recommended series about beauty: “She Was Pretty” (2015), “The Beauty Inside” (2018), “True Beauty” (2020)

Do you know any other ways Korean dramas have influenced your life? It doesn’t matter what genre it is, the producers will carry on creating more dramas to generate the same effect: To gain more audience and gain more attention about South Korea.

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