What I have learned about Korean culture from Korean dramas

[RSHALLIES]

I recently have taken up watching Korean dramas to learn more of Korean everyday life. I know that these dramas are not always true to everyday living. I am just hoping that someone from Korea could comment on some of my observations based on my television viewing.

--Korean men have very few real friends and if they have friends, they were not made as an adult. They have co-workers and drinking buddies, but very few peers to talk to on a personal level.

-It okay for a Korean man to abruptly drag a woman by the wrist/arm.

-People will watch a woman (especially his mother) hit a man, but not stop her.

-Alcoholism is a problem as nobody seems to stop with one or two shots of soju. Also alcohol is available almost everywhere. Parents teach their kids to drink when they are of age.

-Late night, the odds will be good that you will see somebody giving another adult a piggy back ride.

-Yelling is more common in Korea than in the US for everyday communication.

-You can walk from one end of Seoul to the other and not be tired. Although I have a feeling that this is not true, is Seoul an easy city to walk around?

-The green transit buses of Seoul have nobody on them most of the time and the buses come frequently so you don’t wait long.

-People may be at work for a long time, but they do actually very little work and they can leave at anytime if they have something important to do.

-Younger children can be left without adult supervision for hours on end and without the parents being reported.

I have yet to figure out what men 20-40 years old watch on TV besides sports and news. Most of the dramas are geared for women unless a lot of men like romance as the focus of their drama.

[Cperkins916]

I've learn quite the opposite, as you stated everything on these dramas aren't always as accurate as they should be but in my opinion, they are true to life experiences that can/could happen. What I have observed is that Koreans are the most polite people known anywhere, and that's says a lot about them as a people, given the times we live in. It's refreshing to actually see this in effect. I have also observed that eventhough most the characters are full grown adults, they still pocess a sense of self as well as respect for the elders of their respective families. Also when there is conflict, as we all must face from time to time; they have unique ways of dealing with it. Now, what I have trouble with is the fact that in some, not all of these dramas when a single mom is involved she has been or is being ostracized by the community...I do take issue with this. Also, why is it that the main characters eventhough they are adults have to submit to the decisions of their elders in personal matters involving the opposite sex. I take issue with that. For the most part, whatever the situation is, I find that Koreans are truly family oriented, fun loving, happy people, with moral standards...but what I can't get my head around is the ancestor worship...I read the bible and I'm sorry but when you're dead...your done! It's okay to visit the graves of dead love ones out of respect for their passing. But as for the dead; they have no conscience at all, they do not talk, they do not think, so the revenge thing really doesn't work for me! [/b]

[imaBALLER]

@Rshallies,

I have no idea, but your post made me laugh . I will suggest this though - if we were to take American family dramas etc and assume that that was what life was like in the US, I think we would be largely misguided.

TV is TV, while there may be some reflections of real life, it is not real.

[dtymazda]

that's funny and all, but think about this. Watch your average american sit com or drama and think to yourself if your life is anything like that.

At least from my point of view, they're funny because they have a grain of truth, but seriously exaggerated. I'd suspect that Korean dramas aren't that different.

[lukedoyle]

--Korean men have very few real friends and if they have friends, they were not made as an adult. They have co-workers and drinking buddies, but very few peers to talk to on a personal level.
>>I Agree

-It okay for a Korean man to abruptly drag a woman by the wrist/arm.
>>I see it often at my gym when the male trainers take/drag the very agreeable young ladies by the wrist from station to station - often!

-People will watch a woman (especially his mother) hit a man, but not stop her.
>>Yep...Usually along with the whiny declaration of "오빠!!! 왜????"

-Alcoholism is a problem as nobody seems to stop with one or two shots of soju. Also alcohol is available almost everywhere. Parents teach their kids to drink when they are of age.
>>I'm Aussie and I thought we were a nation of alcohol lovers but most Koreans I know take it a little further...not all of course, but on average...

-Late night, the odds will be good that you will see somebody giving another adult a piggy back ride.
>>I've given more piggybacks since I came to Korea than ever before...

-Yelling is more common in Korea than in the US for everyday communication.
>>don't think so...but I've never lived in the US

-You can walk from one end of Seoul to the other and not be tired. Although I have a feeling that this is not true, is Seoul an easy city to walk around?
>>get a scooter - it's a very big city.

-The green transit buses of Seoul have nobody on them most of the time and the buses come frequently so you don’t wait long.
>>I think you mean the little, one door 마울버스... most of the time few passengers but not during peak hour (depending on which area you're in)...

-People may be at work for a long time, but they do actually very little work and they can leave at anytime if they have something important to do.
>>does seem a bit that way...depends on your job i guess...

-Younger children can be left without adult supervision for hours on end and without the parents being reported.
>>disagree

I have yet to figure out what men 20-40 years old watch on TV besides sports and news. Most of the dramas are geared for women unless a lot of men like romance as the focus of their drama.
>>probably studying/sleeping/working/drinking/playing Starcraft or watching movies...no time for TV!!! This is a good question...I wonder what 20-40 dudes watch on TV if anything.

[javiskefka]

I have yet to figure out what men 20-40 years old watch on TV besides sports and news. Most of the dramas are geared for women unless a lot of men like romance as the focus of their drama.
>>probably studying/sleeping/working/drinking/playing Starcraft or watching movies...no time for TV!!! This is a good question...I wonder what 20-40 dudes watch on TV if anything.

I for one (non-Korean male) find variety shows and gag concerts much more entertaining than dramas.

[RSHALLIES]

The reason I wrote this post was to get away from my preconcieved ideas that I had developed watching Korean TV. I was just reading a book called “Culture Shock!: China” by Kevin Sinclair and he mentioned that a lot residents of China thought people from the US were violent and sexually promiscuous based on what they had seen from television and movies from the US. Many Chinese from the mid and western part of the country had never seen a person from outside of China so they had formed most of their opinions from US media and never questioned whether it was true. Based on what I have read, I believe that this is true of many Koreans as well.

I have met a few Koreans, but mostly I have met Korean Americans who have never lived in or been to Korea. I have become interested enough in Korea after watching dramas, eating Korean food, trying to learn the language and talking to tourists from Korea, that I hope some day I can have an extended stay in Korea and explore a people with a culture very different than mine.

And yes I still want to know what Korean men watch on TV. Hopefully it isn’t violent and promiscuous programs from the US. They would be getting the wrong impression of what my life is like.

[winnieheejin5289]

hahaha...Rshallies, your post is so funny. I do agree that a lot of korean dramas are as you depicted but I don't think that's really the case in real life. lol. What I do observe though is that Koreans tend to be quite loud? I live in Singapore and I've been seeing this sudden proliferation of Koreans here. From what I observe, they tend to speak quite loudly and quickly (that's why I know they're koreans!). I have a korean friend who is quite soft-spoken though..so I may be wrong

[timandyou]

Thanks for the debate.
I don't have much to say about... since I usually don't watch tv.
But you guys... are debating about something very interesting...
thanks for the comment and debate.
cheers,
Tim

[trutherous]

(breathe deep boys and girls -- the smell of bundegi is beginning to boil)

Haven't we also learned from Korean drama that:

*There is furniture in all Korean houses.

*There are only pretty girls and boys in Korea.

*Unlike strong people in other countries, most Korean parents and grandparents are weak and almost always collapse when faced with even a tiny amount of emotional distress... and when they do all the children come running to their bedside.

*However, a Korean guy will not become emotionally upset until he is driving fast enough to make an abrupt stop, then he will pound his hands on the steering wheel and say "Ah Shiiiii!"

*Korean parents almost always hate the person their children want to date.

*More people are carried into hospitals than walk in on their own.

*An "IV" is standard treatment for almost every distress.


..oh this is fun I could go on and on

*Of course we can easily see by K-drama that Korea is a country of clean streets, and a nation of people that take pride in the beauty of their land ---- cities and towns are not heavily littered by cigarette butts, trash, garbage, and vomit piles

*Last (for now) but not least: We know by k-drama that all toilets in Korea are western style sit-down type, there are no rectangle hole-in-the-ground toilets, and there is toilet paper in every stall.

[timandyou]

Hahaha~~ thanks for the comment, George~~
I have to agree with George what he just mentioned of the 'true face of Korea'.
Yes... guys... all the tv shows, dramas, movies, and even celebrities are 'fake'.
I guess it's a common phenomenon that every media does in their countries, in order to allure many other foreigners with 'fake and cool images'.
This phenomenon happens all over the world - USA, Canada, Japan, Korea, China, England, and many many more...
So what can we do about that!? "NOTHING!" It's their(politicians) job to disguise their 'true face' as 'fake & cool' face. What's more, that's what they are very very good at!
There is ONLY one thing I (or each single person) can do about...
Discern oneself from those 'fake images' and never conceived by those images. WHY? becasue... as you (George) just mentioned, those are 'faked' or 'NOT REAL'.
It's good to enjoy movies or other tv shows but, never confuse those fake images with REAL LIVES.
Can we blame at only Korean society? NOPE! Korean society is just one of victims; so do Korean people.
There is very little thing I can do about that. I - myself - found a way of living in this 'faked' world. Enjoy simple life and appreciate small things that happen in my life. "In those small things, the purpose of life lies..."
Thanks for your comment and thought,
cheers,
Tim

[trutherous]

하하하하 그래도 아이 을러브 코리아! 내 나하라고 생각해요... 우리나라로 관광하로 오실래요? 한잔 할까요? -우리랑? 노래방 가는 게 어떨까요?

[timandyou]

하하하~~
저도 "아이 러브 아메리카!"
관광이라...!?? sounds good to me! hahaha~~
저는 (정직히 말해서) 술을 잘 먹는 스타일은 아니지만 솔직한 친구(한국의 오랜 친구(벗))와 맥주 한잔하는 시간을 너무 감사히 여깁니다.
술을 마셔서 기분이 풀리는게 아니라 '누구와 술을 함께 마시느냐'에 따라서 기분이 풀리지요...
영훈님도 노래 잘 부르시고 노래 부르는 것을 좋아하시니까... 노래방 '콜'입니다. 저도 좀 하거든요...ㅎㅎㅎ
Thanks for your invitation....
cheers,
Tim

[trutherous]

I have also learned from Korean drama that:

*All Koreans, even in the ancient times, have perfect pearly white teeth with no obvious dental work.

*All girls from poor family backgrounds are so beautiful anyway that any man on earth would be deemed insane to refuse their affection.

*Thugs with no conscience are cheaply available.

* Magic happens and dreams come true ㅋㅋㅋ ..구역질 나

[manyakumi]

아시는 분도 있겠지만...
미국, 일본, 한국 드라마에 대한 비교분석.
(물론 웃자는 얘깁니다 ^^)


미국 드라마는...

경찰이 나와서 수사를 하고,
의사가 나와서 진료를 하며,
변호사가 나와서 변호를 한다.


일본 드라마는...

경찰이 나와서 교훈을 주고,
의사가 나와서 교훈을 주며,
변호사가 나와서 교훈을 준다.
(시청자를 가르친다는...)


한국 드라마는...

경찰이 나와서 사랑을 하고,
의사가 나와도 사랑을 하며,
변호사가 나와도 역시 사랑을 한다.