The Cultural Frontline: K-drama
The Documentary Podcast
BBC
4.3 • 2.7K Ratings
🗓️ 26 November 2023
⏱️ 28 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Korean drama, or K-drama, is enjoying phenomenal worldwide success. South Korea is now one of the largest content providers in the world. Actress Min-ha Kim, star of Pachinko, explores how K-drama is evolving. She hears from: K-drama critic Joan MacDonald and Korean script writer Hong Eun-mi on how streaming is changing K-drama; Doctor Cha star Uhm Jung-hwa on how women’s roles have changed; Minyoung Alissia Hong on why webtoons - comics made for smartphones – revolutionised K-dramas; screenwriter Melis Veziroglu Yilmaz on adapting K-drama for a Turkish audience. And superfans Deema Abu Naser and Jeanie Chang visit K-drama locations.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Sport, but not as you know it. |
| 0:03.0 | Nothing is ever quite as expected. |
| 0:05.0 | Amazing sports stories from the BBC World Service. |
| 0:08.0 | If the story is wriggly, contentious, or hard to tame, I'll cover. |
| 0:13.0 | Listen now, wherever you get your BBC podcasts. |
| 0:16.0 | Hello, Anjia Sayo. |
| 0:22.0 | Welcome to the documentary The Culture Front Line from the BBC World Service, |
| 0:27.0 | the program that explores the world through the work and the voices of artists. |
| 0:33.0 | In this episode we ask what's the future for South Korean drama? |
| 0:38.0 | I'm Minha Kim. I'm a South Korean actress and currently I'm stirring in Pachinko a drama based on the best-selling novel. |
| 0:46.0 | It's one of many stories about my country that is gaining global popularity. |
| 0:50.0 | TV dramas said Korean studios are producing, known as K-drama are now one of the |
| 0:55.8 | country's biggest exports. The effect is nothing short of a worldwide phenomenon. |
| 1:00.8 | And the rise of K-drama, why is a hyper-violent Korean TV thriller expected to knock |
| 1:06.8 | Brigitte on off the top spot. |
| 1:08.3 | Tonight we are talking about K-drama's, the whole phenomenon of people watching Korean dramas. A K-drammas the whole phenomenon of people watching Korean dramas. |
| 1:14.0 | A K-drama, a Korean series called Squid Game. |
| 1:17.0 | The show was its most popular, having been viewed by more than 140 million people. |
| 1:24.0 | So let's hear from some of those international fans. |
| 1:27.0 | Hello, my name is Dima Abunosser. |
| 1:32.0 | I run Dima Love's Drama, a Korean drama fan |
| 1:35.0 | community where I recommend dramas. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.

