Korean drama and film

There has been a trending interest of Korean films and dramas over the past decade. When Korean films started to gain attraction overseas. It boomed in popularity and was praised for being attentive to detail and for having alluring plots.

What's the difference between Korean film and Korean drama?

Korean drama and film are the same thing. However whilst being the same category, both of them are completely different and have their own charms. The main difference between Korean films and dramas is the length and timing of each one.

Dramas tend to have multiple episodes in one season which range from 30 minutes to an hour long. The dramas tend to have a slower pace with the plot and character development. The most common amount of episodes in one season tend to be 12 to 16 episodes, however it can range from having only single digit episodes to more than 100 episodes in one season!

Korean films are in basic words, movies. They range from 2 to 3 hours long. Because of the restraint of time, things tend to move faster.

What's the big deal about these films? 

Korean dramas have a special uniqueness to them. Compared to Western dramas, they tend to lean towards more romantic themes and many dramas have consisted of characters who were in a dynamic in which there was a rich guy and poor girl duo who fall in love. There are many funny inside jokes for those who are familiar with K-dramas. However due to the rise of Korean films and these films having a consistent theme of philosophical meaning and interest, more recent dramas have been going to that route of creating meaning towards the filming and production. In recent years starting 2021, Squid Game has been an international hit which was top ranking in many countries on Netflix.  

Korean films have been a recent liking to the Western world. Due to their mysterious manner and emotional scenes, it has been praised to have immaculate storylines. Bong Joon Ho is a famous Korean director and filmmaker who created the movie Parasite and in 2022 it received an Oscar for Best Picture. It was the first foreign film to receive an Oscar and it has been one of Korea's greatest achievements.  


K-drama and K-film recommendations

There are hundreds of thousands of K-dramas and films that are out there on the Internet. However here are some crowd and personal favorites that might be interesting to look into.:

The Glory : K-drama

"A young woman, bullied to the point of deciding to drop out of school, plans the best way to get revenge. After becoming a primary school teacher, she takes in the son of the man who tormented her the most to enact her vengeance."

Burning: K-film

"Jong-soo runs into Hae-mi, a girl who once lived in his neighborhood, and she asks him to watch her cat while she's out of town. When she returns, she introduces him to Ben, a man she met on the trip. Ben proceeds to tell Jong-soo about his hobby."

Goblin: K-drama

"In his quest for a bride to break his immortal curse, Dokkaebi, a 939-year-old guardian of souls, encounters a grim reaper and a student with a tragic past."

Think you know everything? Play the quiz!