▲ A poster of My daughter Geum Sa-weol. Provided by www.imbc.com.

A wife slaps her husband with kimchi. A mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship is reversed a few years after their husbands’ deaths. A main character simply puts a dot beside her eye and suddenly no one recognizes her. These hard to believe situations are all parts of popular Korean makjang drama—yes, it is getting worse and worse. Putting aside how much these provocative scenes lead to high ratings, many viewers ask a basic question—why do they have to go so far?

This January, the court ruled that broadcasting makjang dramas on weekend evenings was inappropriate and should be banned. The drama at issue, “Apgujeong Baek-ya,” was heavily criticized for its provocative scenes—the main male character’s sudden and outrageous death and a mother and daughter slapping and kicking each other, for example— but this is the first time a court has spoken up for specific restrictions. Considering this, TV dramas are no longer viewed, at least by some in Korea, as simple entertainment. They, especially makjang drama, can now be viewed as closely related to the overflow of anger in current Korean society.

The original meaning of makjang is “the blind end in the mine.” In other words, makjang is an idiom saying things cannot get any worse. This term is now most frequently used for a drama with an outrageous plot or setting after one netizen commented, “This is a complete makjang” in regard to the Korean drama “Seduction of Wife.” However, this first makjang drama and its provocative scenes succeeded in gaining viewers' attention, garnering a high viewer rating which averaged 30 percent. After this unexpected hit, the Korean drama industry soon started a game of chicken— each drama becoming more and more provocative, regardless of plot or logical necessity.

Most recently, the weekend soap opera “My Daughter Geum Sa-Weol” is giving viewers makjang drama fever. Its plot, the revenge of a woman on her husband, who killed both of her parents and deliberately embezzled their money, was criticized for lacking logic and exaggerating its tragedy. However, it scored the highest rating, 33.6 percent, among shows aired at the same time. “Makjang drama can be compared to junk food,” says Professor Choi Eun Kyung (Media and Communication). “People consume junk food even though they know it is unhealthy. Likewise, the viewers choose a makjang drama because even though they know it is harmful for their mental health, they just cannot stop watching it—they are already addicted to its provocative taste.”

▲ A poster of Apgujeong Baek-ya

Behind the success of makjang dramas hides a more significant social issue; they can be seen as signifiers of the excessive display of anger in current society. “One thing is clear—makjang drama does not contain commendable virtues, especially regarding excessive anger,” said Choi. In this society full of anger and pessimism—often referred to as Hell-Choseon—viewers tend to alleviate their stress by watching makjang dramas. From a certain point of view, they can be seen as one method of relieving anger accumulated in people's intense lives. Especially for housewives, a makjang drama is a gateway to a refreshing world where the characters unload their anger on their husbands or families without any restraints. 

However, a significant number of screenwriters, producers and viewers consider the rush of makjang dramas problematic. “If the viewers start to lose resistance to makjang drama, it is a signal that they are also breaking down,” said the famous writer Kim Soo-Hyun in an interview with Yonhap News. “Despite the reality, when drama constantly shows crude human nature every day, viewers start to believe this as an absolute truth.” As Kim stated, makjang drama works by distorting reality and building the anger and disbelief in viewers’ minds, whether they are conscious of it or not. For example, a drama constantly portraying extreme discord between a husband and wife can form a negative image of marriage in young minds who have not yet formed solid values about marriage.

▲ A Poster of Seduction of Wife. Provided by www.sbs.co.kr.

In the outrageous situations that form the core of makjang dramas, the intervention of nonrealistic measures is needed to solve the plot's conflict. Furthermore, such stories focus on each character's wickedness instead of looking at the inconsistencies of a system or society as a whole. Therefore, makjang drama is all about punishing the villain rather than changing a problematic system. In makjang dramas, for the common situation of a female protagonist being discriminated against because of her poverty, the solution is always for her to find love with a rich male character and rise dramatically on the social ladder—when the fundamental solution in real life has to be the removal of discrimination itself.

Due to the constant criticism and its problematic aspects, makjang drama is now undergoing change, even if involuntarily. On January 3, the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) demanded restrictions on drama plots subverting socially accepted morality or depending on outrageous situations. Furthermore, they insisted that the broadcasting industry establish more strict rules to prevent an overflow of makjang dramas. Considering these requests, the broadcasting industry and KCC are now working on plans to cutting funding for makjang dramas, with the ultimate goal of replacing them with healthier programs.

Broadcasting—especially public broadcasting holds more responsibility than maintaining rating and profit. It is true that makjang drama has some virtue in its recreational characteristic. High rating of makjang drama also proves why broadcasting does not give up these outrageous scenes despite severe criticisms. Yes, it might be an inviting and easiest offer for the broadcasting industry—but it cannot be a reason for justifying makjang dramas. Since television program has a broad spectrum of accessibility to people of all ages and backgrounds, they have to consider its potential negative influence on society. Therefore, it is highly recommended that the broadcasting industry play fair with meaningful and humanistic contents, professional and solid plots. No more makjang chicken game is needed—it is time to escape from the very end of dusky mine.