K-Drama School – Ep 174: Queen of Tears and Visible Class Discomforts

Explicit

[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the K-drama series Queen of Tears (Netflix, 2024) starring Kim Ji-won and Kim Soo-hyun. Grace applauds Kim Soo-hyun’s comedic performance and Kim Ji-won’s knack for melodrama. But there is the question of how shows like this tend to humanize and fetishize heteronormative chaebol families while vilifying those on the margins like orphans, single mothers, and those who come from poverty. Grace ties this into her critique of Korean chaebol groups and their economic, political and socio-cultural influence which never point a finger at themselves for their own scandals, corruption and crimes. Grace’s new book K-Drama School: A Pop Culture Inquiry into Why We Love Korean Television is available everywhere now: