Are Sex And One-Night Stands Ruining K-Dramas?

According to a report by The Korea Times, popular K-Dramas such as Good Partner and My Sweet Mobster drew significant criticism for their portrayals of one-night stands.

In Good Partner, two characters spend the night together after drinking, while in My Sweet Mobster, a one-night stand results in an unplanned pregnancy and marriage. Both shows are rated 15+, targeting audiences aged 15 years old or older. As such, some Korean viewers worry that the normalization and portrayal of one-night stands could “instill unhealthy sexual values” in a young audience–and there might be some evidence to back that claim up.

Before going any further, though, it’s worth noting that K-Dramas created and aired by some global streaming platforms, such as Netflix and Disney+, are not bound by the same broadcasting restrictions as series made to air on Korean television. Section 35 of the Korea Communications Commission’s regulations states that broadcasts–not just 15+ rated K-Dramas–should not “focus primarily on immoral or unhealthy relationships.”  

You might recall watching a K-Drama or two where a character lights a cigarette but never smokes it. According to The Korea Times, smoking rates for both teens and adults decreased after smoking was removed from public broadcasts, including K-Dramas. This suggests that some real-life lifestyle habits and norms, including one-night stands, could potentially be influenced by fictional portrayals. Hence, the reason for some viewers’ concerns.

This isn’t the only reason, however, why not everyone is a fan of seeing one-night stands in K-Dramas. Some viewers criticized Good Partner, for example, for including a one-night stand that seemed to contradict the protagonist’s personality and values for the sake of the plot. Others are simply tired of watching “cliché” one-night stand storylines.

Some international fans agreed that the age of the intended audience should be taken into consideration for 15+ rated shows. Others pointed out that the portrayal of sexuality tends to depend on the age of the show’s protagonists, not just the rating.

Some found the portrayal of adults “acting like adults” in relationships to be “refreshing.” Others agreed that one-night stand plotlines could be the result of “lazy” writing while pointing out other potentially problematic content, such as heavy drinking.

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