South Korea’s Gen Z find solace in a past they never knew
Young Koreans struggling with generational anxieties are finding meaning and connections in retro period K-dramas set in times of upheaval
From the flutter of handwritten love notes to the gentle click of cassette players and the rustle of bus tickets tucked into pockets, many of the country’s top-rated television dramas are bringing a pre-digital age to life for a generation raised on smartphones.
These stories, set against the backdrop of social upheavals from the 1970s through to the 1990s, are captivating thousands of young Koreans trying to make sense of a rapidly changing society.
Streaming giants and cable networks alike are eagerly riding the wave of nostalgia. JTBC’s Reborn Rich and Netflix’s When Life Gives You Tangerines – the latter sweeping major prizes at this year’s Baeksang Arts Awards – are just two recent additions to a growing roster of retro K-dramas lauded for their emotional warmth and historical depth.
Industry observers argue that the popularity of these dramas goes beyond vintage aesthetics and period-specific slang. They resurrect a world that was built by communal grit, post-war recovery and political tumult – a world that, though distant, offers a strange reassurance to young viewers grappling with modern anxieties.