Are Korean movies lacking stories for young people?

According to the media, Korean films for young people are becoming increasingly rare.

According to Hankook Ilbo, the aging trend is clearly evident in the Korean movies recently aired - where the main roles are often given to established actors in their 40s and 50s.

For example, on August 10, JTBC launched a new weekend drama "Romance in the House" starring actors Kim Ji Soo (51 years old) and Ji Jin Hee (53 years old), revolving around the story of a divorced couple.

On August 12, ENA premiered the movie "Your Honor" starring veteran actors Son Hyun Joo (59 years old) and Kim Myung Min (51 years old) in the main roles, focusing on the love between two fathers.

Similarly, KBS's new drama "Perfect Family" began airing on August 14, starring Kim Byung Chul (50 years old) and Yoon Se Ah (46 years old) as a couple caught up in a murder case.

Hankook Ilbo estimates that the average age of the six main actors in the three newly released dramas is 51.6 years old. This shows that the content of Korean dramas is currently in line with the country's changing demographics - it is getting older.

The movie “Perfect Family” has the participation of 2 veteran actors. Photo: Producer

Earlier, Statistics Korea said that the median age of the population has increased to 45.7 years, double the median age of 21 years in 1980. In July, the number of people aged 65 or older exceeded 10 million, bringing the country closer to becoming a super-aged society.

This is also a new challenge for cinema. South Korea, where youth dramas are becoming increasingly rare. "It's hard to find dramas where young actors voice the concerns and stories of their generation.

Even the most popular and talked-about dramas in the first half of this year mainly focused on conflicts and relationships of older people rather than the experiences of young people," commented the Korean newspaper.

Accordingly, TV dramas such as "Queen of Tears", which revolves around the story of a divorced couple's reconciliation, or "Marry My Husband", which tells the story of a wife's revenge on her unfaithful husband, are examples of this trend.

Although there are still youthful romances in "Lovely Runner", "Twinkling Watermelon", "Twenty-Five Twenty-One", "Our Beloved Summer"... however, the stories mainly revolve around themes that are popular with audiences in their 30s and 40s.

“Twinkling Watermelon” is a rare Korean film that revolves around a youthful romance. Photo: Producer

Speaking about this, culture critic Kim Heon Sik said, "As youth dramas are becoming less and less, stories about young people have been incorporated into dramas aimed at audiences in their 30s and 40s.

Meanwhile, those in their teens and 20s - who are leading the trend on social media and online dramas - will enjoy watching content beyond traditional TV shows."

According to Kim Heon Sik, for youth dramas to be successful, in addition to producers paying attention to the selection process, the content of the projects needs to be new, attracting more viewers, thereby narrowing the gap between generations.

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