How Different Are K-Dramas From Real Life?

While it might be hard to find a real life oppa like Lee Min Ho or Hyun Bin in the streets of South Korea, there are some aspects of a K-drama that happen in real life. However, at the same time, there are situations better seen through the rose-tinted glasses of K-drama producers. To help you identify fact from fiction, in this article, we break down some of the most common scenarios we typically see in Korean Dramas. Keep reading!

Ever since, Koreans have put the concept of “family” on a pedestal. This means that families should be composed of a female wife, a male husband, and children. It’s no wonder why divorce and live-in couples are still considered taboo. For example, in “The World of the Married”, one of the most watched k-dramas of 2020, it was suggested that divorced women become outcasts in society and to a certain extent, seen as promiscuous. While a significant amount of Koreans still believe this, attitudes are slowly changing. With the divorce rate in Korea rising, there’s no doubt more people will start speaking up about the unfair standards their patriarchal society has been forcing on them for so long. 

All over the world, men and women are delaying marriage to focus on their dreams and goals first, and South Korean men and women are no exception. The younger generation now see marriage and bearing children as “unnecessary expenses”, with Korean women even focusing on becoming financially independent rather than finding a husband. In fact, at the end of 2018, South Korea recorded the lowest birth rate in the world. Common reasons for this decrease are financial instability and “overwork” culture. 

However, a woman can still dream to fall in love and this may be why noona (“older sister”) romance dramas are becoming popular and we’ve seen a budding love story in “Encounter” starring Song Hye Kyo and Park Bo Gum. 

Similar to how we gawk at Korean actresses with glass skin and try to emulate their routines - the rest of South Korea does, too. Obviously not everyone can have gorgeous pore-free skin, but the difference is that in South Korea, beauty standards are a lot more embedded in society and information about beauty products and services are more accessible to the public.

So, technically, no. Not all Korean women are blessed and born with flawless skin. Everyone has different skin types and conditions; however, the accessibility to beauty services encourage them to really work on their skin! We see this many times across many dramas, including Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo!

While in the Philippines, many companies allow employees to call bosses by their first names, we often hear Koreans call out higher-ranking officials by their positions. We can hear “Sajangnim” which refers to “boss”, or “Dae Pyo Nim” which refers to “CEO” or “President”, or the most popular would be “Sunbae” which you say to someone who has more experience. You can hear a lot of these in romantic comedy k-dramas like “Melting Me Softly” or “Touch Your Heart”.

Age is also important even in less formal gatherings. It is one of the things people would want to know about you during your first meeting with them because it will determine how they will call you. A good example of this is the classic “Aegyo Oppa” scene in “Fight For My Way”, which you can watch here!

In the highly acclaimed medical k-drama “Dr. Romantic 2”, we see Dr. Kim Saebu and his team of doctors save the day in almost any situation. But in real life, doctors don’t always shout out instructions to other people in the hospital because all medical professionals (like nurses, technicians, and more) know their parts and work together to save patients. Nurses, in particular, are usually underplayed in some dramas but they play a vital role in giving patients the best treatment in real life.

While romantic comedy K-dramas like “Extraordinary You” rarely show teens burning the midnight oil for exams, high school is a very critical time for Korean students. Being intensely competitive has been instilled in their minds since they were young! You can see their dedication to education in some dramas where students are shown having multiple tutoring sessions or being part of an “academy” after a full day of classes—this means that Korean students IRL clock in around 12 to 16 hours of studying each day.

Since they’re able to keep up with demanding school requirements, Korean students are known to be high-achievers—and this winning streak means they have to get into a good university. Getting into a prestigious university is seen as a status symbol especially for the upper-class. While international schools are gaining popularity in Korean society, the nation’s pride, Seoul National University, continues to be a top choice for high flyers. You can see the exaggerated lengths parents will go to to get their child into this esteemed university in the highest-rating cable TV drama “Sky Castle”. 

In 2019, part-timers were the driving force behind South Korea’s record high employment rate. Typical working students in Korea have 1 to 2 jobs to be able to pay for their tuition so the character of Park Shin Hye in “The Heirs”, working at both a pizza delivery store and a cafe, is normal for college students. It’s also common for international students to teach English (if it’s their native language) or work other part-time jobs in Korea to fund their education—now that’s something you don’t see much on K-dramas!

Physical appearances are important in Korea but at the same time, they like to eat a lot of junk food like ramyeon. This is especially true for the working class because it’s fast to prepare and affordable. Ramyeon is considered to be the “food of the people” and also serves as a pick-up line for someone who wants to spend time with a boy or a girl. If in the Philippines, the concept of “Netflix and Chill” is used to invite someone over, in K-dramas, they ask “Do you want to eat ramyeon?”

Revisit cheesy ramyeon moments in “My Love From The Star” and “Reply 1988”. 

We hate to be the one to break it to you, but if you have ever dreamt of living in Seoul, chances are the accommodations would be rather small. That is, if you've got the money. In K-Dramas like What's Wrong With Secretary Kim, Park Min Young's character lives in a spacious studio apartment with a separate kitchen, living room area and a lot of natural light. Perhaps, her boss did give her quite a salary, but this type of apartment for middle-class Koreans isn't typical. Many times, you'll get lucky with an updated shoebox apartment!

On the same note, the rich or chaebol heirs in South Korea don't live in remote areas like we see on TV - in fact, most times, they live in high-rise apartments in the city vacating the top floors. These are called 'bujajip' which literally mean rich people homes.