The Dark Side of Korean Drama

credit: http://www.hancinema.net

It's no big mystery, by now, that celebrities are having it rough in Korea. Singers and actors alike. These problems are also present in the kpop industry, but others are better equipped to talk about those than I. So I will be focusing on actors for this article, especially those who work in television. A tough place to be, for an artist. I will also talk about these issues in general, as well as in relation to the actors.

The problems with television are indeed many and they all have their reasons, their guilty parties and their own impact on the lives of the people they touch. They also have ways to be dealt with and people who can do that. People with power to effect change and improve both actors' lives and the industry as well. But I will talk a bit about the major problems in this post. The working conditions, the issue of quality, censorship and playing it safe and the spoiled and cruel audience.

Working Conditions

Not limited to television only, but this is extremely and disturbingly common there. You have surely heard about such things before. Words like "IV drip", "collapsed", "car accident", "fainted" and such are pretty common in the news about series and actors in Korea.

And these come every few weeks. One of the really big ones was the Han Ye-seul "scandal", when the woman up and left the series "Spy MyeongWol" because she couldn't take the filming conditions, lies and abuse anymore. Of course, she paid for it and the ones who drove her to it are the poor victims of her arrogance. She demanded to be treated like a human being and left when they didn't comply. How scandalous of her! What a horrible person, to care for her well-being more than she does for spoiled brats who watch the show and a crew/cast which would sooner hang her than support her in something they themselves must be suffering from. Lack of respect from peers and being treated like a slave on set is one issue that exacerbates filming for many actors. Or did you think those smiley faces in NGs and behind the scenes footage are what the filming is always really like?

She apologized, in front of cameras, for the trouble she caused. But did anyone apologize to her?

Another very disturbing event lately was Song Ji-hyo's severe reaction to stamina boosting drugs. She could not cope with filming "Gyebaek" and had to drug herself up to handle it. I know the defenders of this inhumane way of doing things will say "It's just vitamins and legal medications", but let's face it; they are drugs to boost your stamina and make you burn yourself out later, rather than sooner. So, because she probably took one too many of those, she developed an allergy to them. She ended up with an oxygen mask, hospitalized and in terrible condition because of it.

Ha Ji-won recently used a slightly more tactful and light way to talk about this issue. She said she often faints on set and has to secretly do IV drips in order to cope. She may not be one to complain too much, but saying such things with a smile is really sad. It's sad that she has to say them that way in order to not get in trouble with anyone. And we're talking about an actress who has won awards for her work and should demand and be given respect.

These are not issues which should be brushed off as "just another day in the job"

Car accidents is another plight brought upon productions due to the hectic schedule. When you attempt to drive to the set in a rush and without sleep, such things happen. Accidents, be they traffic ones or on set, happen and when people are dead tired, they happen more often. When money and attention are being channeled to surface treatments and not the safety and well-being of the people involved, they happen. Very often. We've seen plenty of such articles, many of which can be found at the end of this one.
These are the problems of live filming and unfinished work. Series in Korea are being filmed while being aired. Why? Because if netizens don't like something, the production can change it right away. To heck with the integrity of the story or creative team behind the series. Fangirls don't like "oppa's" hair so we have to change it. Halt the filming! Korean series are 2 hours of content each week and filming never stops. Most leads are lucky to grab a couple of hours' worth of sleep, usually while on standby for a scene, in a car or even during filming. And because of this fatigue and other reasons, they have to do scenes over and over again, causing their physical condition and emotional well-being to deteriorate further.

Don't even get me started on the "filming in winter with spring collection clothes on" issue...

Quality, Censorship and Playing it Safe
Well, that one has been quite the theme and issue with many of us lately. There are many ways in which the quality of most Korean dramas suffers, but censorship, going cheap and the unwillingness to break cliches because they sell are definitely among the biggest issues.
Overly zealous control happens in many forms. From the more obvious ones, like censorship, to downright trying to pass off one's values as the truth or what should be right. From not allowing gay couples to be married on-screen or blurring a blade because all the death and terminal illnesses and betrayal and abuse don't matter as long as we just don't show a knife or much blood, to "guiding" the entire theme and behaviors of the characters to paint the picture that is "acceptable" by those in charge of making the series "socially acceptable".

"Drama Special - The Daughters of Club Bilitis" got heavy abuse for portraying lesbian characters

How many times have we witnessed the "respect" for parental and family authority over people's lives? How many leading men treat the women they love and many others like dirt because their mother, father, grandaunt or second cousin thrice removed does not approve of their marriage or relationship? A divorced woman being presented as impure and tainted is also nothing unknown to Korean dramas. Abusing women is certainly acceptable there, as it seems men have the right to pull and push and shove them as long as they do it with "passion". And women are allowed to torture men by demanding they are always Mr.Perfect and not even taking care of their human needs by denying any contact until marriage or almost-marriage status. Just like men who aren't rich and haven't gone to a fancy school can be shown as useless or hicks.
But this is not how people living in any modern society should be encouraged to function. Especially people of younger ages like the audience. Neither are they silly innocent kids that need or want protection from something. Also, trying to raise a generation by the rules of the previous one is generally a mistake. The world changes fast. Furthermore, no matter what your values are, you have no right to force them upon any series maker, actors who have to act them out or even the audience. Especially when you allow things to happen which flat out contradict your own preaching of "innocence" and "protecting pure viewers".

Protecting viewers by means of stripping every hot guy in every drama, to boost sales

But it is not all censorship though. It's also true that some things have been done so much and have had bored audiences hooked so badly that they just keep being used by writers or productions just because they work and bring ratings. Because ratings seem to be all that counts in Korea. That is how a channel will support a series. If the ratings aren't good, they don't get support. The writers and directors are also being blackmailed, in that sense, by the audience and channels.
So, we end up with the rich chaebol type and the spunky girl, we end up with every family drama going down the same "family and intrigue bring problems to the union" road and everything seems to be lacking originality and any kind of attempt to say something worthy or do something unforgettable.

My Girl Over Flowers, You're Beautiful anyone?

Actors are told to act a certain way because it will "sell" and they are forced to sometimes limit themselves so that someone else will shine (someone the series is trying to promote) or so that the audiences will get more of what they are used to, what their brain doesn't need to process and what they demand.
For any actor who loves their work and wants to be the best they can, it's a torture not letting them do just that. For any person who is an artist, limiting them and forcing them to give less than what they feel they need and want to give is like clipping their wings.

But there is also another culprit in all these problems. The audiences. 
In this second and final part of my thoughts on the issue, I talk about the third big "culprit" of these problems, the audiences, and give a little closure and some ideas on how Korea could go about changing things for its entertainment.

The Spoiled and Cruel Audience

Possibly the biggest culprit here, even if they were brought to such a state by the industry and its lust for money. Because it's their demands, lack of understanding and caring and sometimes plain mental and emotional disability that cause many issues which are making television filming difficult for all those involved but them and those who sit back and cash in. This is a chicken and egg situation. Did the industry spoil them or were they the ones who drove the industry to this point? I don't know and I don't think we should care at this point, as the problem is here and how it started is no part of the solution in this twisted industry/audience relationship.

Like I said before, the reason why filming is done live is because audiences have been spoiled. They have been spoiled by being given control over many aspects of any given series. They may be the ones a series is made for, but a series is still the creation of a team made for them, not by them. That is the way things should be and audiences should be encouraged to accept that. They would love any series that is pre-produced had they not been so spoiled. There is a reason people study or train to do these things and just because you think you know better does not mean you have the right to change said things.

So, that arrogance and demand is what causes actors to overwork themselves. Furthermore, there is the issue of them receiving the script only hours before the shoot, most of the times. This is done to avoid leaking the story. But it is also done because the changes netizens demand can be written into things or things they don't like be written out. It's also pressure for the writer, having to create a story within days and hours. Have you ever noticed some directors or writers suddenly get changed after a while? Or a character's style and way of dressing suddenly changing radically for no reason? That is "their" work. Netizens who don't have a life so they feel they need to control the "life" they see on television. Power at the hands of sociopaths.

"Lie to Me" is one of the many dramas which suffered through a writer switch due to ratings

Having a series which is 2 hours per week is also due to that demand. I have not heard of this in any other country. Japanese shows are even only half an hour a week and no one complains. I know the masses' attention span is short, but a whole season of a series ending in 2 months is just crazy. It raises the need for more shows and also tougher filming. Would a 16 episode series spanning over 4 months be that bad? I mean, people do or should have lives, school, university etc. I am pretty sure an hour a week from the 4-5 series they are watching would do just fine.

It would do fine for me and even if I myself am spoiled now, I would gladly settle for one hour less if it meant not working the actors I respect and admire and the crew of a show half to death. I'd also gladly settle for a pre-produced series and just accept that some things might not be as I like them. Heck, there are plenty of things people hate in these live filmed series as well. That cannot change, no matter what you do and any audience which is hooked will still be hooked if you don't obey their every command and take that power away. Or is displaying some simple human decency and not ordering people to get sick and tired for their sake too much to ask of these netizens?

Lee Da-hae fell asleep while filming "Miss. Ripley"

We also see the way in which they contribute to actor abuse directly. They demand more of an actor or less of an actor, they demand that popular actors appear in variety shows and fan meetings and events all the time, just because they don't like their dolls taken away from them. Because that is how these "fans" treat actors and actresses. Like dolls, puppets and imaginary characters that should always be available for them and doing what will please them and save them from having to actually face a real world which will not always give them everything they want.

As for the more disturbing ways in which "fans" can abuse actors, I will not go there as it is too big of an issue. From stalking to "antis", verbal abuse when their dollies don't do what they like to downright blackmailing an actor to chose you over something or someone important to them, these form a very frightening side of Korean entertainment and also paint a scary picture about the state of Korea's youth (and not only). Looking at actors through rose-tinted glasses and forcing a Prince Charming image on them is also an issue when it comes to fans. I've talked about this before and it's true for women as well. Actors and celebrities in general are seen as Gods, as perfect creatures who should not have a life or flaws. They are stripped of their humanity by those who are too deep in denial to admit that people have flaws and that perfection cannot be determined or achieved.


What Can Be Done

"Union" is the word du jour. We've been screaming that word at the top of our lungs for a while now and having worker unions is a pretty common thing in most modern countries. There are people that care, in Korea. Of course there are. But why are they then not forming a union to protect their own rights? Is it that they don't feel it will help? Are they right to feel that way? Are they perhaps not allowed to form one?
A union would solve a lot of things indeed. It would give actors their own authority, through which they could fend for themselves and also fellow actors who might not have the power to do so without support. They're not all as powerful.

Many actors joined in protest over the rights of their movies. Why not over their own?

But as much as a union would help, not much would change unless that union did have power. And that power can only be given by a change in mentality. By an internal change in how these industries treat their actors, which at this point is a bit higher than a bath towel, and also how they treat audiences. "A client is king". I beg to differ. A King (or at least those who "guide" him) knows what he is doing, knows his subject better than anyone and does it well. Clients know what they demand and can squeeze out of something, regardless of the fact that it may be unreasonable, not doable or even not good for them or good in general. Especially the "clients" of Korean dramas.

Another major problem and potential solution is media. Unfortunately, they only serve to enable these obsessions and the cruel industry and audiences. A lot of people know I have an issue with Jang Geun-seok's shot to fame during these last two years and mind you, I was his die hard fan for a few months and until I saw this change for the worse. A lot of it is due to media. Where was this media back when he was doing good movies and series and giving very nice performances? Why did they start paying attention when all that quality went out the window in favor of non-stop promotion and little substantial work? They reward buzz with more buzz, instead of helping the good things surface.

They spoil audiences by only paying attention to and attracting more attention to celebrities who "get around" and some times don't even create anything of value, while hardworking talented people cannot get some news on them because they prefer to focus on doing something well and don't go around spreading "love" 24/7 to obsessed girls who need their fix. But the buzz sells. And these media make a lot of money out of the popular trends so they make sure to keep them popular. But by doing so, they harm both the audiences and the quality of their country's works and image.

Forgive me if I don't find this "big news"

They also don't highlight problems enough. If someone talks about IV drips, they call them "hard-working" and create an air of admiration around that fact in their articles. If there is a Han Ye-seul - like issue, they mostly present the people in charge and with influence as saints while completely ignoring the flip-side (although there are always exceptions). The media treat such issues so nonchalantly, as if they're something normal that can just keep happening or then they put the blame on things and people that netizens and the industry want the blame to be placed on, without much regard to not picking sides and actually investigating something a bit. They make a big deal out of things that aren't dire and belittle the real problems.

Last, but not least, it's the fans. I am not talking about the fangirls, pedophile "aunties" or all these categories of those disturbed and socially awkward, but about the proper fans. These fans can help by being vocal about these issues. About the quality of television, the actors and how they have it hard. It must be very daunting to be a normal fan and person in such a country. We do understand that. The internet is filled with the brainless type of fans a bit too heavily. But more mature fans can get organized. They can form communities and unite in their cries for some decency, quality and respect for the works and people involved. Maybe such communities do exist. They should keep doing their best.


Closing Comments

There are things which have been left out in this article. As I mentioned, I would be talking about these bigger issues that are more visible to us. There are things which don't get a lot of publicity and which are so dire and "big" that I don't feel I am equipped to talk about and also don't have enough of an image for the "behind the curtain" side of. Agencies abusing and forcing actors and actresses to work like slaves while not protecting them when things go badly is one problem that could be mentioned. From slave contracts, to forcing actresses into sexual favors, this side is too deep into the category of crime to be really investigated by the "paint a perfect image" media.

Jang Ja-yeon's death was one case that got attention. But how many have not?

Also, I'm not implying actors and actresses are saints and poor hurt kittens here. That is only one side. There are celebrities who do this work because they love it/need it, have no other qualifications or have been lured into it with false promises, but there are also those who do it simply because they want fame and easy money. Those are worthy of their fate and they are the "diva" category which frankly has no right to complain. A lot of celebrities are less-than-holy, I assure you. They manipulate people, commit crimes, misuse what they have. Those exist too and they don't make things easier for anyone, including the decent people and professionals.

Did you know "Spy MyeongWol"'s Jo Hyeong-gi is a murderer who only got 1 year in jail?

A lot of us here in the ignored West can see how great Korean works can be and what wonderful actors they have. There is no denying it. Koreans have the proper amount of talent, potential, creativity and skills to compete with even Hollywood; the most over-hyped of institutions in entertainment. They even surpass it in so many ways. But the culture of their entertainment is what is holding them back.

Greed keeps them from realizing their potential. Greed of the industries for less expenses and effort with more profits out of the work done, greed of certain entertainers who create a bad image and environment for the rest, greed of the audiences who overestimate their skills and importance while ignoring what is best for all and not just for "me".

But we should still hope and still voice our opinions on those issues. One person can't lift an entire wall unit by themselves, but many of them together, no matter how weak individually, can do it. But if having many people working hard is not an option, then having the few right people for the job working on it is an alternative. As a fan who can see how great Korean entertainment can be (movies and series alike) I sincerely hope that, even if little by little, things shift towards the better.