Korean dramas and K-pop celebrities frequently offer an alternative to the toxic masculinity prevalent in Western and even Indian pop culture. As a result, it should come as no surprise if a Korean drama lover tells you that they want to fly to South Korea right now to find their ideal companion.
Korean dramas, idols, and films have a unique effect since it translates into Hallyu tourism, which brings many optimistic women hoping for the man they saw in their favorite Korean drama. Min Joo Lee, Visiting Lecturer in Women’s and Gender Studies at Wellesley College, discovered that a large fraction of Hallyu visitors was particularly interested in finding love in her study. These visitors are captivated to the personalities they see in dramas and begin to question if real-life South Korean males look and act like the male characters in K-dramas.
Korean celebrities and actresses have portrayed masculinity in a way that is very different from what is often seen. Siwan, for example, who played the main character in the 2020 Korean drama Run On, was not your average male protagonist. When it came to their romance, it was the female character, portrayed by Shin Se-kyung, who took the lead. While Siwan wowed the audience with his “soft masculinity,” which was devoid of the “saviour complex” that many leads have, it was Se-kyung who demonstrated how various relationship dynamics can be.
Male K-pop superstars are required to work as the ideal lover that their fans never had, hence they have a no-relationship policy. As the Korean drama Her Private Life depicted, an idol’s life is committed to his admirers, and he or she is frequently forced to regard his or her fans as lovers. K-pop idols are frequently spotted flirting with their fans and staring deep into their eyes at fan meet-ups.
It should be emphasized, however, that Korean dramas may not accurately depict the lives of Korean males. Although the dramas succeed in impressing the ladies with their careful gestures and delicate demonstrations of love, it is possible that not all Korean men are like this, as grey characters do appear in Korean dramas.
