The K-kraze

A chronology of how the Korean cultural wave(s) managed to sweep global audiences

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IN the crowded dining hall of Korea University, Mi-rae (Im Soo-hyang) is pushed by Chan-woo (Oh Hee-joon) for rejecting his feelings. She trips in slow motion and graciously lands on Kyung-seok (Cha Eun-woo) avoiding an embarrassing fall. The background score plays: Something in your eyes/Tell me who I am/Something in my highs/Whenever you're near.

This scene from My ID is Gangnam Beauty (2018) captures the idea of a typical Korean drama. The rom-coms were a craze worldwide. Until 2021. The release and global success of the Netflix television series Squid Game altered the compartmentalisation of K-dramas—that they are rom-coms catering primarily to female audience—forever.

Squid Game is based on traditional Korean games with death as a consequence of losing. “Its raw themes of inequality and survival struck a chord worldwide, while its distinctly Korean backdrop made it stand out,” says Guydeuk Yeon, director, Centre for Korean Studies, Christ University, Bengaluru. “The show proved that K-dramas could tackle heavy, universal issues without losing their cultural identity. Its success opened doors for other K-dramas to find international platforms and audiences,” he adds.

Inspired by Netflix’s success, other major platforms started not only streaming but also creating original K-dramas. The popular releases of 2024 show how the diversification of genre is maintained. Marry My Husband is a do-over revenge tragedy and time-travel fiction starring Park Min-young, who witnesses her husband cheating on her with her best friend right before her death. She is sent back in time to before she was married, with the hope of changing her fate. Death’s Game is a mystery thriller featuring Parasite (2019) fame Park So-dam in the role of Death itself. Light Shop is a mystery horror that follows a group of strangers coping with tragic past experiences.