ENA's drama "Your Honor," which premiered on Aug. 12, stars actors Son Hyun-joo, left, and Kim Myung-min. Courtesy of ENA Average age of lead actors in new shows this month hits 51.
6 By KTimes ENA premiered its thriller drama "Your Honor" on Aug. 12, featuring seasoned actors Son Hyun-joo, 59, and Kim Myung-min, 51, in the leading roles. The thriller focuses on the respective paternal love of these two characters: one the father of a murderer and the other, the father of the murder victim.
JTBC launched its new weekend drama "Romance in the House" on Aug. 10, starring actors Kim Ji-soo, 51, and Ji Jin-hee, 53. Both actors, with 32 and 25 years of experience respectively, are taking on leading roles in one of the most competitive time slots for dramas.
The series revolves around the story of a divorced couple. Similarly, KBS's new Wednesday-Thursday drama "Perfect Family," which began airing on Aug. 14, features experienced actors Kim Byung-chul, 50, and Yoon Se-ah, 46, in the leading roles.
The drama revolves around a family caught up in a murder case, with the two actors portraying a married couple at the heart of the story. The average age of the six lead actors in these three newly launched dramas is 51.6 years.
The landscape of Korean dramas is quickly mirroring its aging society, with the voices of the youth fading and stories increasingly focusing on individuals in their 40s and 50s. Last month, the number of people aged 65 or older in Korea surpassed 10 million, edging the country closer to becoming a super-aged society. Korean dramas, like the nation itself, are aging.
JTBC's new drama "Romance in the House," which premiered on Aug. 10, features Ji Jin-hee, left, and Kim Ji-soo as a divorced couple leading the story. Courtesy of JTBC Aging population shapes drama casting trends The shift in drama content aligns with the changing demographics of the country.
According to Statistics Korea, the median age of the population has risen to 45.7 years, more than double the median age in 1980, which was 21 years. Yoon Suk-jin, a professor of Korean literature at Chungnam National University, said, "As aging progresses, the perception of being in your 50s as being 'old' has weakened.
This trend has influenced drama productions, with actors who began their careers 20 to 30 years ago continuing to play major roles." This trend is also evident in recent online streaming dramas, where lead roles are often given to established actors in their 40s and 50s, such as Yum Jung-ah and Cho Jin-woong for "No Way Out: The Roullete" and Kim Hee-ae and Sul Kyung-gu for "The Whirlwind." Kim Byung-chul, left, and Yoon Se-a star in the newly launched KBS drama "Perfect Family," which premiered on Aug.
14. Courtesy of KBS Youth-centric dramas decline as focus shifts to older generations Youth-centric dramas are becoming increasingly rare. It is difficult to find dramas where young actors voice the concerns and stories of their generation.
Even the most popular and talked-about dramas of the first half of this year have largely focused on the conflicts and relationships of older adults rather than the experiences of younger people. Dramas like "Queen of Tears," which explores the rekindling of love between a divorced couple, and "Marry My Husband," centered on revenge against an unfaithful husband, are examples of this trend. While there are traces of young romance in "Lovely Runner," the story mainly revolves around themes that resonate with viewers in their 30s and 40s, blending the experiences of teenagers into a broader narrative aimed at an older audience.
In recent years, youth-oriented dramas have been limited to a few titles like "Twinkling Watermelon" (2023), "Twenty-Five Twenty-One" (2022) and "Our Beloved Summer" (2021). Cultural critic Kim Heon-sik said, "As youth dramas have dwindled, the stories of young people have been absorbed into dramas aimed at viewers in their 30s and 40s. Meanwhile, those in their teens and 20s are leading the charge on social media and web dramas, where they prefer to consume content outside of traditional TV.
" The shrinking population of people in their 20s, combined with long-standing employment challenges, has further reduced the presence of young adults in mainstream dramas. Yum Jung-ah plays the role of the mayor in the Disney+ drama "No Way Out: The Roulette." Courtesy of Disney+ Newcomers struggle to find their place The shrinking drama market is accelerating these trends.
Production companies and broadcasters focused on catering to those in their 30s and 40s, are increasingly opting for "safe choices" by casting well-established actors who have proven their talent and marketability rather than taking risks on newcomers. As a result, the traditional pathway for new actors to rise through drama roles is deteriorating. K-pop idols venturing into acting, find that their success rate remains low also.
"The continuous casting of actors who have been active for decades is making it difficult for a new generation of actors to break into the industry," critic Kim said. "To expand both the pool of actors and the viewership, we need dramas that appeal to a broader audience, bridging the gap between generations." In the drama "Twenty-Five Twenty-One," which tells the story of youth in the 1990s, actors Kim Tae-ri, second from left, and Nam Joo-hyuk, center, are seen walking down the street.
Courtesy of tvN This article from the Hankook Ilbo, sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by staff at The Korea Times..
