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One of the joys of K-Dramas is the (sometimes) over-the-top storytelling. In our heads, we know they (most likely) will never happen, but we still can’t help watching. And sometimes, things that happen in Korean dramas seem like they’re made up — but they actually are a part of real Korean life.
Here are some of our favorite K-Drama moments that we love … or love to hate.
Food tents:
South Korean street food is a treat. There are many pojangmacha (포장마차)– small tented stalls with tables and seats — and locals and tourists find them to be an affordable and delicious way to unwind with some comfort food and a glass of soju or two. In this scene from “She Was Pretty,” Hwang Jung-Eum is spilling her woes to Choi Si-Won, unaware that he has a crush on her. Many K-Drama heroines get a little tipsy at a pojangmacha and end up being the recipient of a piggyback ride.
Piggyback rides:
Speaking of which … Have you ever seen a K-Drama that didn’t have the male lead giving the female lead a piggyback ride? (Or, in some cases — like in “Coffee Prince” — the female lead (who’s pretending to be male) giving the male lead a piggyback ride.) I haven’t. At some point, I know it’s going to happen, like in this photo op from “Weightlifting Fairy, Kim Bok-joo,” where Nam Joo-Hyuk carries Lee Sung-Kyung. After a night out drinking, this is a common scene. But some characters rush their loved ones to the hospitals on their back as well (instead of hailing a cab). So are Koreans doing this in Korea? I don’t live in Korea anymore, but during all of my visits, I don’t recall seeing this even once (except for parents giving their small children piggyback rides). So why do they do it? It serves as a plot device to get the man and woman closer together — literally. And in K-Dramas — where it often takes a dozen episodes before the lead couples share a chaste peck on the lips — the piggyback ride kind of moves the romance along.
Students cleaning:
Many students of a certain generation grew up in the U.S. helping their teachers out by maybe cleaning the chalkboard or clapping together the erasers to get excess chalk off of them. But students in some Korean schools are assigned tasks like sweeping, dusting and taking out the trash (like in the above photos from “Extra-Ordinary You“) to help keep their schools clean and tidy.
Ramen as code for hooking up:
Speaking of food, some Westerners get grossed out during meal-time scenes where family members (or close friends) are sharing the same pot of spicy jjigae without bothering to put them into individual serving bowls. That’s how I grew up (except when someone was sick, of course), so it’s natural to me. But when we had guests — especially non-Koreans — they always got their own bowls
Where are the pajamas?!:
In so many K-Dramas, characters go to sleep regularly in their street clothes. Is this the norm in real life? No. So whyyyyyy? It makes sense in this scene from “School 2013,” where high school students Kim Woo-Bin and Lee Jong-Suk fall asleep after a long day of school and fighting common enemies. But in some K-Dramas, you have very wealthy characters who’ll wake up wearing street clothes and a coat. This is something you don’t see in U.S. dramas. (If you have seen this on a regular basis, let me know which shows in the comments below!)
Hospital humidifier:
In just about every K-Drama I’ve ever watched, there has been a hospital scene. And in each hospital room, there has been something I’ve never seen in a U.S. medical procedural: a humidifier. Whyyyyyyy? It is true that dry air isn’t necessarily the best when you’re sick, but these humidifiers don’t look hospital grade, but more like something you’d pick up at Target for a child’s room — like this one in the Lee Jong-Suk / Park Shin-Hye series, “Pinocchio.”
How about you? What have you noticed in K-Dramas that are foreign to you? Share your thoughts in the comments below! And if you want ideas on what to watch while you’re spending all this extra time at home, check out the options on KOCOWA!
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43 Comments
.i notice in kdramas when their is a person who been lock up in a prison..when about to release..people who meet them outside the prison facility..give them TOFU…😁😁.
So are the waking up in street clothes and the humidifier in hospitals for real?
Why are the rails on hospital beds never up for sick/injured patients? Also, are Korean women really that surprised by a kiss that their eyes remain open? 😂 I’m so curious and thank you for this article!
I been watching K-dramas for a couple of years know and there are a few things I noticed. The pinky promise which is done but not as frequently as in dramas. Rock paper scissors is played for all decision making. The drinking games. The required company outings. One that I still haven’t figured out the yellow umbrella.
What about the beatings? The one that stands out the most is the one Kim Bok Joo received from her coach for not telling the truth about the diet clinic in “Weight Lifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo? I was definitely taken aback especially since this was from an adult outside of her family and she was not a child. Great article by the way!
Is it true that people really have to kneel to apologise to the wealthy like in My Golden Life, where the main actress was forced to kneel to a wealthy client by her employer ? Or is it in drama only.
Not just to the wealthy in general, kneeling is part of Korean culture that shows a person’s sincerity…
i wonder if it is sort of ordinary for korean women to make her feelings so obvious, chasing after a man to the point of embarassment to women viewers and make a corny love confession. i do not know if this is a culture or mores thing because in my country women are not supposed to make the first move more so make a confession for normally it should be the man chasing the girl….. maybe this is just for the sake of putting in depth to the drama……
I’ve watch the drama and yes it’s happen in real life (in Korea). There’s one real life event where this woman who’s born in a rich family ask a stewardess to kneel down because the stewardess don’t serves her snack in a bowl 😕
Thank you so much for the humidifier point! That was something I was so curious about because it is literally there in every hospital shot esp when it’s not a medical drama! On similar lines, is it the same concept behind putting snow inside a kettle and placing that on the heater in the room? Like how it was shown in all of the North Korea scenes in CLOY?
I have been binge watching K-Drama for a while now, i kind of find all the dramas with the same story background.
There is nothing unique or different story to portray, except that the characters are beyond beautiful /handsome. And their fashion sense is top notch.
I don’t understand, why in Korea the rich brats are sad and depressed, and the poor are are always overburden for paying their school fees by working excess? Is this a thing in Korea? And always two guys fall for the same girl? Hahaha something soo unusual..
Thanks for the insight, I’ve wondered about these things too! Other things I wonder is it normal for a 30 something to still live with their parents, are Korean Mothers so dramatic and are Koreans really that stylish! I also noticed that when filming in the winter eventhough the characters are indoors you see the condensation come out when they are speaking (LOL)!
Many Koreans do live with their parents. “Running Man” star Song Ji-Hyo lives with her parents and younger brother. During an episode of “Home Alone” earlier this year, Park Seo-Joon called his friend (and “Itaewon Class” co-star) Ahn Bo-Hyun, who mentioned that Park lives at home with his parents.
Hey the article was really nice❤also if anyone pays attention to Asian culture most of this exists in a lot of Asian countries so I didn’t find in that difficult to believe. Also may I please know which drama is the first picture from? The first pic on the page after which your article starts🥺the actor is my favorite 😭
Why is the shinbone of male being kicked when punished or to inflict discipline? I notice this many times in kdrama scenes…In our country we are pinched or slapped as a gesture of discipline
I notice Koreans load up their mouth with food, so much so they can hardly chew. Is this normal?
What about the way Koreans inhale noodles??? They put 3 times a normal amount in their mouth and then suck up another huge amount. In Western culture we would never have food hanging out of our mouth, never slurp, and never talk with our mouth full! It took me a while to not be grossed out by beautiful women with noodles hanging out of their mouths.
That is so right. It is considered rude to slurp while eating but in Korea, that is considered showing how good the noodle tastes. LOL
Do all korean students stay till midnight in their uniform? Do they really sleep with their shoes in the bed?
This is how many Koreans feel when we see people wearing shoes in their homes… LOL!
That’s true, my friend is not even Korean but Indian so Asian but she always gets annoyed whenever I wear shoes in my room so I am starting to accommodate her culture😄😄
Brenda im with you why do they eat like that i cant handle it my ma would kill me if i eat like that whenever i watch a k-drama i get so mad the way they are eating
I dont know if in real life they do but i found it refreshing to be stuff your mouth and no gain weight i wish i can do the same hahaha love Kdrama and a lot of them shown awareness of what’s going on in real life even if it look to perfect in the drama we get the message
Also sleeping with every light on in the bedroom. I know they need light in the scene, but surely Koreans don’t sleep light that IRL.
yes, why don’t they turn off the lights ever?
It seems there’s always a scene with a close-up of a clenched fist to indicate anger or tension. Why?
I have long wondered about these things. Especially the wearing of coats indoors, and street clothes to bed. Thanks for the info.
I want to try drinking and eating in pojangmacha…
I’ve just started watching K-dramas on March, totally wondered about all of these.
I also wonder about the whole confession scenario. It’s that a thing?
Are you talking about the love confessions? Koreans tend to do that a lot ahahaha
I love the practice of leaving the shoes before entering a home. I am slowly copying that practice, and providing slippers for me or my guests.
I also notice that they do not keep cups in cabinets, but rather on a tray with a pitcher of water ready to serve.
I also like that schools have handwashing stations for students outside. I think this is a clever addition so that we can constantly wash our hands or face without entering the public restrooms.
i wonder if it is sort of ordinary for korean women to make her feelings so obvious, chasing after a man to the point of embarassment to women viewers and make a corny love confession. i do not know if this is a culture or mores thing because in my country women are not supposed to make the first move more so make a confession for normally it should be the man chasing the girl….. maybe this is just for the sake of putting in depth to the drama……
Porque con solo agarrarle la mano ya es como si tuvieran una relación, y que pasa con los besos de solo pegar los labio,es muy raro ver una esena de sexo, sera así en la vida real en corea. lo he visto en todos los k-dramas
I have often wondered about all of these. We did a watch party last week with DramaChitChat and discussed the pojangmachas and if any existed here in the States. I think the street clothes in bed is the drama sighting I have been most puzzled by. In that same theme, wearing the jacket around the house or inside for extended periods. Is that really a thing or just a drama thing?
Haha! I hope other people will chime in, but I’m sitting here with a shawl on and it’s basically summer. I don’t live in South Korea, though. Maybe it’s a Korean thing? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
That’s just in dramas, people don’t wear coats indoors LOL
I’ve noticed less face-slapping over the years, but they still do it to some extent in kdramas. Do they really slap people’s faces that much when they’re upset? And especially within families, it seems even more “acceptable “. Here in the US we’d be calling CPS in no time.
I’m going to send this to my friend who has recently started watching K-Dramas, thank you for the insight!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it and are sharing! Thank you!
Thank u author for the effort 😬😬well I wanted to ask is that Bob cut an all time for all the Korean female and that nosebleed thing… I don’t understand when male leads nose bleeds on seeing their love interests and if they are in public they get embarrassed.. like dude isn’t it an emergency if u r nosebleeding.
That is a hilarious point. Nosebleeding when seeing loved ones are considered as being ‘shock’. It is an overly exaggerated expression to show that he or she is nervous & in shock to see his or her crush 🙂
I live in South Korea. The pajama and piggy back thing are less common. Asking to eat ramen is outdated, and more of a joke now.
Very nice article n i did feel these points many times. Also i see in many dramas is that marriages n blind dates things is quite funny and family background too much emphasised.
Also the face mask part is also quite popular.
Also marriage for female after 30s is quite an issue….