Korean TV Dramas - a guest blog from my wife

A Filipina’s impression of the Korean Drama

My husband, Bob, and I have grown fond of the Korean dramas because of the English subtitles.  Bob is hearing impaired so the subtitles really help whenever we watch TV.  In the States, we had close caption (CC) for our favorite shows like NCIS, CSI, Criminal Minds and Numbers but when we moved to the Philippines, we were disappointed when we found out that the cable companies did not offer CC.  Only Star World Movies, KBS and Arirang had English captions.

Over time, I have observed the most common components of Korean dramas and these are:

1. The son or daughter born out of an illicit affair, a one night stand or an ill-fated romance  that took place in the past.
2. Disparity between the rich and the poor, bridged by true love
3. A plot to deny the bastard son/daughter of his rightful inheritance or share in the family wealth.  Usually, the father is a chaebol or a millionaire.
4. The ubiquitous bottles of soju which the characters imbibe to take away, or forget, their problems.
5. Of course, when someone passes out (usually, but not always,) from too much wine, somebody has to piggyback  her (or him).
6. Koreans are not demonstrative about their affections so a touch or grip on the shoulders is very meaningful
7. There are always secrets, lying, denials and  eavesdropping but eventually, the truth comes out, maybe about two episodes before the ending.
8. People always meet or reflect by a body of water, could be a river, bay or lake.
9. “Fighting”  (pronounced  "hwaiting") is a favorite mantra for encouragement.
10. The family members confer over a large table  inside or outside the house usually sitting on the floor. 
11. The good person eventually gets out of his desperate situation because of his destiny so the evil person never triumphs over him. 

In addition,  I learned a lot about Korean way of life through their dramas:

1.   Respect for elders.  What the eldest in the household says, goes. It could be the grandfather/grandmother, father or eldest brother.
2.  The engagement of a couple looks as binding as the wedding itself.
3. When a couple returns from their honeymoon, they visit the bride’s home and stay there for the night.
4. The average household celebrates special occasions with pork or beef;  kimchi is a staple, just like rice. Most  have soup for breakfast.
5. They always take off their shoes at the entryway and wear slippers inside.
6. The daughter in law does the domestic chores in the household she married into.

Disclaimer:  This is by no means an expert opinion of Korean culture, merely a summary of observations from what is shown in the Korean dramas.