customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

summary

updatedDate

knowledgeQuestion

disableOffPlatformContent

published

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

The Korea Times

By The Korea Times
Korean broadcaster ENA premiered its thriller drama Your Honour on August 12, featuring seasoned actors Son Hyun-joo, 59, and Kim Myung-min, 51, in the leading roles.
The thriller focuses on the respective paternal love of these two characters: one the father of a murderer and the other, the father of the murder victim.
JTBC launched its new weekend drama Romance in the House on August 10, starring actors Kim Ji-soo, 51, and Ji Jin-hee, 53. The actors have 32 and 25 years of experience respectively, and are taking on leading roles in a series about a divorced couple.


KBS drama Perfect Family, which began airing on August 14, features Kim Byung-chul, 50, and Yoon Se-ah, 46, in major roles. The drama revolves around a family caught up in a murder case, with the two older actors portraying a married couple.
Last month, the number of people aged 65 or older in South Korea surpassed 10 million and, according to Statistics Korea, the median age of the population has risen to 45.7 years, more than double the median age in 1980, which was 21 years.
Korean dramas are beginning to mirror its ageing society and are focusing on individuals in their forties and fifties.
Yoon Suk-jin, a professor of Korean literature at Chungnam National University, said: “As ageing progresses, the perception of being in your fifties as being ‘old’ has weakened. This trend has influenced drama productions, with actors who began their careers 20 to 30 years ago continuing to play major roles.”


This trend is also evident in recent online streaming dramas, where lead roles are often given to established actors in their forties and fifties, such as Yum Jung-ah and Cho Jin-woong for No Way Out: The Roulette and Kim Hee-ae and Sul Kyung-gu for The Whirlwind.
It is becoming increasingly difficult to find youth-centric dramas, and the most popular and talked-about dramas of the first half of this year have largely focused on the conflicts and relationships of older adults rather than the experiences of younger people.
Dramas like Queen of Tears, which explores the rekindling of love between a divorced couple, and Marry My Husband, centred on revenge against an unfaithful husband, are examples of this trend.
While there is portrayal of young romance in Lovely Runner, the story mainly grapples with themes that resonate with viewers in their thirties and forties, blending the experiences of teenagers into a broader narrative aimed at an older audience.
In recent years, youth-oriented dramas have been limited to a few titles like Twinkling Watermelon (2023), Twenty-Five Twenty-One (2022) and Our Beloved Summer (2021).


Pop culture critic Kim Heon-sik said: “Those in their teens and twenties prefer to consume content outside of traditional TV.”
A shrinking drama market is accelerating these trends. Production companies are increasingly opting for “safe choices” by casting well-established actors who have proved their talent and marketability rather than taking risks on newcomers.
As a result, the traditional pathway for new actors to rise through drama roles is deteriorating, and K-pop idols venturing into acting find that their success rate remains low.
“The continuous casting of actors who have been active for decades is making it difficult for a new generation of actors to break into the industry,” Kim said. “To expand both the pool of actors and the viewership, we need dramas that appeal to a broader audience, bridging the gap between generations.”
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by staff at The Korea Times.
Read the full story at The Korea Times


Perfect Family’s Park Ju-hyun linked to coming thriller, and more K-drama casting news

Actress Han So-hee’s mother charged over gambling; actor Yoo Ah-in jailed for drug use

K-drama Queen Woo Part I review: Jeon Jong-seo, Ji Chang-wook in turgid period drama

7 of the best new K-dramas to watch in September 2024, including The Judge from Hell

K-drama news

Where are the young people in K-dramas? South Korea’s TV mirrors its ageing population

Romance in the House features Ji Jin-hee (left) and Kim Ji-soo, both in their fifties, as a divorced couple. K-dramas about young people are becoming less common as South Korean society ages and young people abandon traditional media. Photo: courtesy of JTBC

Mine actress Lee Bo-young offered lead in Mary Kills People, and more K-drama casting news

Lee Bo-young in a still from Mine. She is being eyed for K-drama Mary Kills People. Photo: Netflix

Kim Seon-ho in a still from The Tyrant. He could join Bae Suzy in vampire-themed K-drama Delusion. Lee Jae-wook, Choi Sung-eun and Kang Ki-young among other names in our round-up of the latest Korean drama casting news. Photo: Disney+

Han So-hee in a still from My Name. Photo: Netflix

Choi Soo-young in a still from If You Wish Upon Me.

Lee Jae-wook in a still from The Impossible Heir. Photo: Disney+

Lee Bo-young in a still from Mine. She may take the lead role in a drama series called Mary Kills People.

Netflix K-drama The Frog review: stylish mystery favours philosophy over reason

Go Min-si as the mysterious Yoo Sung-a in a still from The Frog, a Netflix original K-drama thriller series that also stars Kim Yoon-seok, Yoon Kye-sang and Lee Jung-eun. Photo: Netflix

Yoon Kye-sang as Koo Sang-joon, the proprietor of a rural holiday home where 20 years ago a woman is found dead, in a still from The Frog. Photo: Netflix

Kim Yoon-seok as Jeong Young-ha, proprietor of a rural Korean holiday home in the present day, in a still from The Frog. Photo: Netflix

Lee Jung-eun in a still from The Frog. Photo: Netflix

Go Min-si as the mysterious Yoo Sung-a in a still from The Frog. Photo: Netflix

Who is Park Ju-hyun, feisty actress known for K-dramas Perfect Family and Extracurricular?

Korean actress Park Ju-hyun. Photo: Instagram/@charmgirl_1005.

Korean actress Park Ju-hyun, star of new K-drama series Perfect Family, who is known for her roles in dramas Mouse and Extracurricular and appears regularly in big-screen roles. Photo: Instagram/@charmgirl_1005.

Park Ju-hyun in a still from Perfect Family.

Park Ju-hyun in a still from Extracurricular (2020).

Park Ju-hyun in a still from Mouse (2021).

Park Ju-hyun in a still from Zombie Detective (2020).

Park Ju-hyun as Park Yoon-hee in a still from Seoul Vibe (2022). Photo: Song Kyungsub/Netflix

Park Ju-hyun (centre) in a still from Project Silence (2023).

Park Ju-hyun and Jaehyun of K-pop boy band NCT in a still from You Will Die in 6 Hours.

Can Squid Game season 2 halt Netflix’s Korean viewer decline?

Lee Jung-jae in a still from Squid Game season two. Photo: Netflix

Lee Jung-jae in a still from season two of the Netflix Korean drama Squid Game. Photo: Netflix

Lifestyle

K-Pop

K-drama

Entertainment

Culture

Film & TV

Youth-centric Korean dramas are giving way to ones about middle-aged people, reflecting changing tastes and the country’s ageing society


K-dramas tell stories about young people less often than they used to. That reflects changing demographics and shrinking audiences for TV that cause producers to play safe by casting established actors.


Ageing society

South Korea

TV shows and streaming video

Korea Times