New directions in K-drama studies

Abstract

Just as the ‘K’ prefix in K-pop was starting to lose its novelty, K-drama has triggered a truly dramatic comeback for Korean cultural contents. As Squid Gamemade history as the most watched Netflix show of all times, K-drama has continued to grow in global popularity. No longer something only devout fans follow via (illegal) streaming websites, K-drama is now an integral part of most streaming platforms, evident in the multiple genre categories dedicated to K-drama on Netflix, such as ‘K-drama for beginners,’ ‘Most Bingeable Korean Television,’ and ‘Korean TV comedies.’ As repeatedly reported by news outlets and scholars alike, this surge in interest did not happen overnight. Korean broadcasters and producers have been honing in on their magic formulas that have been resonating with viewers across Asia for decades. Once international streaming platforms like (though not limited to) Netflix entered the Korean broadcasting landscape in the mid-2010s, the same formulas could be easily refurbished to capitalize on both the bigger budgets and new geographical windows, while newer, more experimental genres could also find investment and support through the global numbers afforded by these international financier-producers. It is an incredibly exciting time to study K-drama: new genres and creativity are pushing boundaries to new heights, while older familiar formulas are renewing their traditional conventions with a fresh innovation. Granted this is a relatively new phenomenon, the dearth of academic scholarship on latest K-drama developments has been particularly noticeable. While there has been a general increase in literature on Korean television trends in the English language over the past decade or so, it has tended to be a part of research into the hallyu wave. This point is elucidated by surveying a selection of edited volumes in the field. Youna Kim’s The Korean Wave: Korean Media Go Global from 2013 was one of the first books to delve into Korean popular culture and its then growing global awareness. Yet, by focusing on all of Korean popular culture, this collection of essays deals with topics that range from K-pop dancers to online gaming, and in doing so, it only includes a few K-dramas, such as the hit Boys Over Flowers (Kkotpoda Namja, 2009). More importantly, the overall research is framed by the Korean Wave and its growing popularity, which means emphasis is laid on the global popularity of dramas, rather than readings of the dramas themselves. Kyung Hyun Kim and Youngmin Choe’s The Korean Popular Culture Reader from 2014 combines textual readings with quantitative research, but it suffers a similar broadness in its scope, where only a couple of chapters are devoted to Korean television. While the book’s juxtaposition of contemporary phenomena like PC bangs and female idol stars against