K-DRAMAS: A WINDOW TO THE KOREAN CULTURE
K-DRAMAS: A WINDOW TO THE KOREAN CULTURE

Summary/Abstract: Real immersion into the Korean society is not that feasible for a European, given the huge cultural and spatial distance between Europe and Asia. Despite the tremendous economic and social development of Korea, this country's culture (as well as the entire Asian culture) is still very much influenced by the teachings of Confucius, the famous ancient Chinese philosopher, who preached on filial piety, respect towards elderly people, loyalty, personal morality, and courage. Korean dramas (K-dramas) can help us bridge this gap by offering us, the Europeans, the chance of meeting 'the other' and, at the same time, acknowledge our own 'otherness', which often leads to comparisons that reveal differences and similarities between cultures. In the present study I am trying to offer a perspective on the Korean culture by revealing some aspects that Europeans might find very different from those in their own culture. To this aim, one recent K-drama, 'The Other Miss Oh' (2016), will be subjected to a minute analysis in terms of both verbal and nonverbal elements. The theoretical framework along which the analysis will be conducted is Hofstede's (2009) model of cultural dimensions, with a focus on power distance.Understanding these differences between the Korean and the European cultures will help us avoid any misunderstandings or tensions once we have the chance of meeting 'the other' face-to-face, and, in the long run, become better citizens of the world.

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