South Korean Shows That Touched On Serious Topics

When people usually hear of K-Drama’s, their minds are diverted to the image of rom-coms with cliché storylines, and a lot of aegyo (a cultural style that emphasizes cuteness). Especially, when 2022's most anticipated shows are garnering worldwide attention. However, many K-Dramas over the years have racked up a lot of success because of their storylines being serious and talking about taboo topics. These dramas include the famous World of the Married (2020), which was received well throughout the globe. Betrayal in a marriage that turns events into depression, revenge, and healing, are topics that break away from the quintessential image of K-Dramas. Here are some other K-Dramas that touched up on sensitive topics:

6 My ID is Gangnam Beauty (2018)

Starring Im Soo-Hyang as Kang Mi-Rae and Cha Eun-Woo as Do Kyung-Seok, My ID is Gangnam Beauty seems like a typical cliché rom-com on the first look. However, it tells a story deeper than any other rom-com on television. After recovering her self-esteem from getting cosmetic surgery after getting bullied, Kang Mi-Rae joins college and gets bullied for being a plastic surgery monster. The drama touches heavily on societal beauty standards and kids getting bullied from an early age for not fitting these standards. This results in an obsession for cosmetic surgery, which is then critiqued for being unnatural. Despite having a romantic storyline, too, the show’s message also includes to never judge people by their looks and that inner beauty always trumps physical beauty.

5 Because This is My First Life (2017)

Masked as a quirky rom-com, Because This is My First Life has a very peculiar storyline that many never expected. Starring Lee Min-Ki as Nam Se-Hee and Jung So-Min as Yoon Ji-Ho, this drama explores sexism and stereotypes set for young people by society. Both leads are completely opposite people, not interested in getting married; however, they choose to explore the contract of marriage for the financial and societal benefits. This show highlights problems faced by young people in Korean society, and how half of them can be easily solved through marriage. Though the drama does end as a love story, it starts from a marriage of convenience and contains themes of sexism and patriarchy from Ji-Ho’s family. Despite being aired a long time ago, the show gathered a lot of international audiences and is often referred to as an underrated masterpiece.

4 One Spring Night (2019)

Starring Jung Hae-In as Yoo Ji-Ho and Han Ji-Min as Lee Jung-In, One Spring Night is an unconventional drama that touches upon single parenting and societal pressures on women. Yoo Ji-Ho is a pharmacist and single parent outside of wedlock, and Lee Jung-In is a librarian in a healthy relationship, but chooses to leave that relationship to be with Jung-In. The show explores the existence of patriarchal mindsets even in the most modern relationships. It shows how a woman is not expected to leave a stable relationship, even if it is without love. This societal mindset accompanied by being with a man who already has a kid, is bound to make a woman’s choices difficult. Director Ahn Pan-Seok furthers the idea of a woman’s troubles and discusses the ongoing cultural changes in South Korea.

3 Itaewon Class (2020)

Starring Park Seo Joon as Park Sea-Ro-Yi, Itaewon Class is a show that is one of a kind. It tells the story of an ex-convict who tries to change his life around and avenge the murder of his father by becoming a direct competitor of the privileged family who killed him. Though it may seem like a very straight-forward plot, Itaewon Class touches deeper into themes of racism, classism, and LGBTQ+ rights. The show depicts the power the elite hold in society and how they can topple anything that comes their way unfairly. Additionally, it shows how racism is still intact in traditional South Korean culture through the character of To-Ni, who is not allowed inside a club despite being half-Korean. Another major aspect of the show is one of the biggest taboos avoided in South Korean. The character Hyeon-Yi is a transgender person who is working to collect the money she needs for her transitions. They depict these characters in a compassionate and humane way, which was very well received internationally and showed a more progressive side to K-Dramas.

2 Extracurricular (2020)

When ideal student Oh Ji-Soo (Kim Dong-Hee) gets caught up in serious crimes, which challenge morality, his classmate Seo Min-Hee (Jung Da-Bin) takes an interest in his life. This drama is extremely unique, not because of the high school gory action, but because it discusses teen prostitution in a non-judgmental tone. Additionally, it shows the mental pressures on kids from well-off families having to live up to their parents’ standards through Bae Gyuri’s (Park Ju-Hyun) rich mean girl character. Extracurricular gained its popularity because of exceptionally highlighting the current state of teenage crimes and prostitution all around the world. It highlights the impulsiveness in a teenager’s behavior just to aim for the goal of entering a good college and living a normal life. Looking deep into the motives of these children, the show makes adults question just how much at fault these kids are and digs deeper into the wound that adults do not acknowledge.

1 Sky Castle (2019)

Written by Yoo Hyun-Mi, Sky Castle is a show about residents of a luxurious gated community, where the wives would do anything to make their husbands even more successful and to get their kids into the most prestigious colleges. The main highlighted theme is the obsession with being the best because these wives spend millions to get the best education coordinators for their kids. Sky Castle is a twisted game of becoming the best, which are attributes that can be seen being imprinted on the kids in the show. These result in episodes of depression, visible stress, and anxiety in kids, fraud, murder, and child abuse. The show also touches upon societal standards and the suicide of a former resident, who kills herself after her son runs away from home for not being able to handle the stress of being the best student. The main question Sky Castle makes everyone ask is: do these women care about their child’s wellbeing, or are they only doing this for their own greed?