Emergence of New Male Leads in Korean Dramas
Abstract
Korean TV production has been greatly influenced by the arrival of a wave of feminism in South Korea and the subsequent wave of anti-feminism. Moreover, writers and directors have taken the opportunity to update the main male and female characters of the series. The aim of this paper is to introduce two new types of male heroes that we notice in contemporary Korean dramas: an “underdog” and a “dream-like hero”. Through a narrative analysis that focuses on the personality development of characters within a narrative, we examine two heroes – Park Sae-ro-yi from Itaewon Class and Ryu Sun-jae from Lovely Runner. Park Sae-ro-yi introduces the character of an underdog whose life became worse after a tragedy and was left marked by the inaction of his surroundings when he entered this unfortunate situation. He can succeed despite adversity. The adversity in question can be aided by illegal practices, which is why the underdog often becomes a vigilante as well. Ryu Sun-jae embodies a dream-like hero, but he should not be understood as a person who exists solely for the heroine, and loses himself. He is a character who is mature but willing to give the heroine anything she desires. In doing so, he fulfills feminist views, sentiments and expectations of actualization that came to Korean television production after 2012. At the same time, he does not have to be a selfless character because the character may not only be positive, but may also have certain negative character traits.
Key words
Female fantasy. Feminism in South Korea. Korean drama. Main male characters. Male hero. Narrative analysis.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.34135/ejmap-24-02-08
Francistyová, B., & Novanská Škripcová, L. (2024). Emergence of New Male Leads in Korean Dramas. European Journal of Media, Art & Photography, 12(2), 122-129.