MBC / tvN
Some of the most iconic trademarks of a classic K-Drama are swoon-worthy characters, gorgeous landscapes, and extraordinary plots that provide an escape from reality. If you've been a fan of K-Dramas for any amount of time now, you must have wondered how accurate the portrayal of Korean society and culture is in these dramas. Do all South Korean men give their significant others piggyback rides? Does wearing an all-black outfit with a black cap immediately make one a person of interest? Let's find out!
Here are 10 K-Drama tropes that actually exist in Korean society!
Backbreaking Student Life
An aspect of Korean culture that is amply represented in K-Dramas is the unbelievable pressure on students to achieve good grades and ultimately enter a prestigious university. K-Dramas like "SKY Castle", "Green Mothers' Club", "Uncle", and more recently, "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" have explored the great lengths to which parents would go to make sure their child has all the specs (specifications) necessary to "succeed" in life, regardless of the consequences. After-school academies that operate till late hours, study libraries, and private tutors are commonplace, and students often leave their home early in the morning and don't get back until midnight. Entrance examinations are presented as dire situations, and poor results are frowned upon. Medicine and law are preferred fields, and sending children abroad to study is also more typical than you'd think.
Company Dinners
Any K-Drama with a character that is an office worker will show them going to a company dinner ("hoeshik")
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