Episode 2 consists a series embarrassing and awkward moments for the group of friends: Yu-jeong reveals she plans to get breast augmentation; a village of people (including Shi-won) asks Yun-je about his circumcision; Shi-won hands a maxi pad to Yun-je, and Tae-ung walks into Yun-je washing his knickers; Yun-je doing backflips naked in front of the all-girls’ high school after losing a bet; Yun-je pushes Shi-won’s chest… the list goes on!
However, most importantly we see several relationship strains between our favourite characters, including Shi-won with Yu-jeong, Dong-il (dad), and Yun-je, as well as Dong-il and Il-hwa (mom).
The strain between Dong-il and Il-hwa is already building in the first two episodes, and I predict it will continue in the later episodes, considering how often couples bicker in reality. This is especially amplified during their intense game of Go Stop with Tae-ung. However, I realize Dong-il and Il-hwa have incredibly different parenting styles, thus their unique relationships with their only daughter also differentiate. Il-hwa appears to be the typical stay-at-home mom/housewife that does most of the cooking and cleaning. She’s also incredibly lenient towards Shi-won’s extreme dedication for H.O.T. Meanwhile, Dong-il is the typical, hot-headed working father. After discovering Shi-won’s grades are last in the class due to her overwhelming dedication for H.O.T instead of focusing on her studies, he sabotages her room, ripping posters off the wall furiously and threatening to disown her. Shi-won runs away from home as a result. Dong-il and Il-hwa think of Shi-won’s actions very differently. Il-hwa sees it as a
normal thing for most teens, and she appears to be indifferent about it. Meanwhile, Dong-il is infuriated and bothered by the whole situation. The roles they play as mother and father are stereotypically represented in other TV programs, in both Korean TV and elsewhere. Last week, we read an article stating that Korean TV dramas have an affect on people’s conceptions on the single life, I wonder if we can say the same about gender roles in the family in Korea? Do people strive to assume the same stereotypical gender roles as housewife/mother and breadwinner/father that they see on TV in their own respective lives?
T
he friendship between Shi-won and Yu-jeong is complicated by the end of this episode. After running from home and having nowhere to go, Shi-won goes to Yu-jeong’s house only to find out she has Sechskies posters and pictures plastered all around her wall. Shi-won instantly feels betrayed and upset. There’s nothing more shocking than knowing your best friend is fan of the rival group! In tears, Yu-jeong tries to call Shi-won and attempts to gain her trust back. Their friendship is hot water; will Shi-won forgive her for being untruthful? I reckon this is a reality for many K-pop fans, especially considering the number of “fandom wars” that exist on the internet and also at outdoor fan activities. For example, anti-fans executed a “black ocean” against Girls’ Generation (소녀시대) during the 2008 Dream Concert. Here’s a link of them discussing this infamous incident:
Episode 2 continues to explore more on Korea’s (idol) fandom culture.
For Yun-je and Shi-won, their relationship continues to be filled with ups and downs, especially during this episode. As mentioned earlier, several embarrassing incidents occur between the two. Their friendship is put to the test, when Shi-won needed an excuse for not doing her homework. She attributes her reasons to Yun-je, but he quickly denies it, resulting in Shi-won being punished for not completing her homework and also lying. Shi-won is upset and annoyed because Yun-je did not consider the situation she was in. He ultimately apologizes, but Shi-won disregards his apology and pulls prank on him. Sometime later, Yun-je realizes he has developed a crush on Shi-won and they share a kiss with one another. However, Shi-won is still unsure and retaliates. How will this kiss place a strain on their already unstable friendship?
This episode was viewed on Netflix.
Edited by Kelly
I find it interesting how, as Kelly mentioned, Il-Hwa and Dong-Il have parenting styles that parallel typical asian parenting styles. The part where Il-Hwa and Dong-Il are fighting because Dong-Il cut Shi-Won’s hair represents stereotypical parenting roles in the past. In past Korean households, the husband had the authority to decide most family issues while the wife was subordinate in all affairs. However, the wife had authority over household issues and family relations. Furthermore, the relationship that children had with their mothers and fathers were different. Fathers were expected to be somewhat emotionally distant and give guidance to children, demanding obedience and discipline from them. Mothers acted as the mediator within the family, allowing for more intimacy between mother and child. This is seen when Il-Hwa gets furious when Dong-Il cut Shi-won’s hair. Dong-Il expects obedience and discipline from her daughter, expecting her to study and work hard and not fall head for heels over H.O.T. Il-Hwa, on the other hand, understands that her daughter’s behaviour is typical for a teenage girl and defends her daughter. I believe that more authority rests on the mother in present day Korea. High priority is given to children’s education, so power relations have changed from father-to-mother dominance because the mother is mainly in control of the child’s education and academic career. It seems now as if mothers, more than fathers, are extremely concerned with their children’s education. That makes me wonder, if Shi-Won’s family lived in Korea presently, will Il-Hwa still be as lenient as she is in the drama?
An article and video on Korean “tiger moms.” In Korea, “tiger moms” are called “pig moms” as pigs are a symbol of wealth, representing the financial investments parents make on their children.
http://www.neonbutmore.com/korean-tiger-parenting/
Good points Ashley, if longer than you need to write (don’t overwork!). I think that wives/mothers have always been in charge of children’s education– in this way Ilhwa is not being a stereotypical mother. Their relationship is NOT standard, their parenting is NOT standard. You can see their frequent tiffs are related to being from Yeongnam (mom) and Honam (dad) and they even mention about this in the episode (“you’re going to vote for Kim Daejung!”). So introduce regionalism into your understanding here.
It’s interesting to note the clash of personality difference between Dong-Il and Il-Hwa. Dong-Il is originally from Jeonrado which is considered to be part of Honam while Il-Hwa is from Gyeongsangdo which is considered to be part of Yeongnam. As we had discussed in class, cultural disconnection has always existed between Honam and Yeongnam due to geographical divisions in landscape. Aside from cultural differences, Honam and Yeongnam have never been in good terms with each other when it comes to political ideologies. Nonetheless, it is amusing to watch the couple bicker about the smallest things such as Dong-Il complaining about Il-Hwa cooking seaweed soup with fish instead of beef.
In Decentralization and the Restructuring of Regionalism in Korea: Conditions and Possibilities, Kang discusses the how territorial management may be a way to interpret regionalism in Korea. He also explains some reasons which may have led to regionalism in Honam and Yeongnam.
That leads me to wonder if couples like Dong-Il and Il-Hwa were common back then despite regional differences. What are the statistics of marriages between different regions of Korea?
Kang, Myung-goo. “Decentralization and the Restructuring of Regionalism in Korea: Conditions and Possibilities.” Korea Journal 43, no. 2 (2003): 81-108. https://www.ekoreajournal.net/issue/view_pop.htm?Idx=3250.
역시 도희 잘~~~했어요. Great comment. Good job finding that article, and attributing this to regionalism (which I also agree is a huge part of it). Your in text should say Kang (2003) rather than using the name of the article, though. Don’t forget, because you need to do it the right way for the paper^^
In my opinion, both Dong-il and Il-hwa’s parenting style is not a common one that can be seen Korea in the past or the present. Normally, the father (Dong-il) would be a figure that has less influence on the children than the mother (Il-hwa). However, in the episode, the stereotypical roles of Korean parents have been switched. Also, as I mentioned in the discussion for Ep1, most moms are very caring about their children’s education, enforce strict rules. The social problem of helicopter moms describes the extent of what moms in the ROK do for their children. Secondly, Like Do Hee said the clash in personality differences is likely due to regional differences. As Dong-il who is from Honam and Il-Hwa who is from Yeongnam, the differences in those regions including politics, food, personality, and language is what triggers arguments between the two sides. Historically, the competition and disputes between the two regions escalated since Pak Jeong-hui’s presidency. Pak Jeong-hui showed favoritism to his origin (Yeongnam) which initiated various projects in the region. Such projects were outsourced to corporations like Samsung, where the founder is also from the same region. Although, not a proven fact, there are cases that claim that it was nearly impossible for someone from the Honam region to succeed at the time as important political and military positions were filled by the people from the Yeongnam region.
This can be applied to the current ongoing dispute regarding Pak Geun-hye’s impeachment and trial. Some people known as 친박 (Chinpak), mainly consisting of Yeongnam people disfavor her impeachment due to the benefits the people received from her father (Pak Jeong-hui) as president. However, people of the Honam region and majority of other regions favors her impeachment very heavily.
For your question on whether people assume the same stereotypical gender roles they see on Reply 1997, I think the drama represents an accurate portrayal of the gender roles that were expected in the 1990s as it was not too after the government passed the Equal Employment Act (1987). However, in present South Korea, the established gender roles are almost non-existence and are opposite in many cases. Both females and males are entering professional careers and both sides when married are expected to contribute income in many cases.
The following video shows an example of where the male is a stay at home dad currently due to no work, whereas the female is the working mom. This would have been a rare scene in Korea in the past and show an example where the stereotypical gender roles have changed in present ROK. It is a video clip from 동상이몽2.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zQyM4eZl5I
Nice comment, 규훈. I also agree that this is NOT AT ALL stereotypical family life. And great job bringing in the Equal Employment Act, etc.
Hi Kelly thank you so much for your post, I think it’s really interesting to see how much K-pop has evolved now through the lens of this drama. This drama allows the viewer to easily appreciate and imagine these early beginnings. Moreover, I enjoyed the points that were made about education. I agree with Ashley that education has taken the forefront of pretty much every parents’ mind. I’m currently tutoring this individual who is visiting Canada for business purposes and we frequently talk about how the competition for a job is fiercer and tougher than ever. Unsurprisingly, education is one of main things that is evaluated by employers, hence why there is such a fixation within parents and students alike. Additionally, I remember one of things that Dr. Saeji had said previously in another class that the notion of a lifelong, stable job had disappeared with the IMF crisis (another reason why education is more important?). One of the reasons that I thought there were opposing reactions by Shi-won’s parents was because of their economic stability. I know I’m speculating here but based on what I’m seeing, I would think that a household with a father who is a semi-well known sportsman wouldn’t be quite as worried about economic difficulty (or that their daughter would grow up destitute). What do you guys think?
Finally, I was reminded of this BBC programme called School Swap which I believe really embodies the lengths to which parents are willing to provide their children with a good education. In regards to Ashley’s question about Il-Hwa’s leniency, I think that if anything, Il-Hwa would be happy because how of much higher she would be ranking within her class! Admittedly while these children depicted within the programme are in the upper ranks of society, I would think that the sheer amount of cramming and tutoring that they receive would make it nearly impossible for a student even the likes of Shi-won to be placed in a low rank amongst their classmates.
Aforementioned link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZsYdesxVCg
Nice job 예찬. And reading this 1997 drama through the lens of the IMF crisis is absolutely crucial. Great to bring that up. At this time everyone is losing their job, their retirement, their life’s savings. That this family still has an employed father is a great thing, but signs that they are worried about money are also present during the drama in later episodes.
Hey Kelly, thanks for the summary and analysis. In my opinion, I do feel that the points brought up by the previous comments bring about a different way we perceive character dynamics (especially between Shi-won and Yun-je) in Reply 1997.
While it is evident that historically men were seen as the main authoritative figure of the household, the video brought up by Edward had me thinking about the question you posed. Though the word ‘strive’ would come off as too strong a word to describe the reactions of the public, it is not arguable that these stereotypical gender roles have communicated and influenced the minds of many through their use of media. In the case of Reply 1997, Dong-il’s strict father model emanates through his actions and the emotions he portrays due to his disappointment towards his only daughter that comes from her undying commitment towards H.O.T; resulting in her academic life to suffer.
Though the dynamic nature of Dong-il’s relationship with his wife (Il-hwa) and daughter (Shi-won) have been explored by the previous comments, I want to bring to attention the relationship between Shi-won and Yun-je. Throughout the first two episodes, it can be seen that while Shi-won and Yun-je may share a sibling-like relationship through their antics and the way they talk to each other (early scene about Yun-je’s circumcision) , it is interesting to see Shi-won present herself as the more authoritative figure in later interactions with Yun-je which seem like a toned down but oddly similar relationship with her father. While this could be because of her frustration coming from always being compared to Yun-je, the nature of this relationship flips around the idea of an authoritative male figure and eventually leaves the audience wondering how this relationship will change after the episode closes out with its kissing scene.
Raymond, those are interesting points. I never thought of their relationship as echoing Siwon’s relationship with her dad, but yes, I think you’re right in a way.
Kelly’s summary of the episode + starting discussion is well done, if awfully long (don’t overwork!). The one thing that should def. be changed, though, is that since you clearly are referring to our article from last week by Jin and Jeong, why don’t you put a citation for it? Citations enrich and strengthen your points and are good academic practice. This will also be something you can turn back to later when you’re writing your paper.
Are Navneet and Alex not participating in discussion?
Ashely ends her discussion with a question “. . .if Shi-Won’s family lived in Korea presently, will Il-Hwa still be as lenient as she is in the drama?”. Tiger moms are becoming increasingly relevant in Korea. Korea is now being dominated with education stimulating parents, cram schools and highly authoritarian teachers, which are resulting overachieving students. An average daily schedule of an elementary student includes school, English academy, Math tutoring, piano lessons and one or two extracurricular activities. As they get older they are forced to study more. Of course, the outcome of excessive hard work of these students is health issues. But the idea here that success is the most important factor of all. Because of the current demanding society, even Il-Hwa wouldn’t want her daughter to fall behind. This will also cause Dong-il to be more serious about Shi-Won’s education.
The following article shows parenting methods in contrast to Korean parenting.
Choi, Amy S. “How cultures around the world think about
parenting.” TED Ideas. http://ideas.ted.com/how-cultures-
around-the-world-think-about-parenting/ (accessed Sep 24,
2017).
Please don’t share things from online rather than your own analysis. What did you YOU think of the episode? What was new/surprising/engaging for you? Hagwon are more regulated and less prevalent today than in 1997, and some parents have realized the mental damage inflicted by this system, so contrary to online commenters who are unaware of ongoing changes in Korea, what you’re written above is incorrect. Also, try to rely on academic sources.
p.s. this is your one chance to have me look at late uploads
Thank you for your synopsis Kelly. In particular when I was watching Shi-won and Yue-jeongs relationship strain is all due to bad timing-as if Yue-jeong had known Shi-won was on the way she probably would have hidden the posters or readied the room for her? I felt the anticipation as Yue-jeong didn’t answer the phone and knew it would be a big deal. I was not aware that the fandom culture was that extreme in real life-as the black ocean against girls generation was. It is also apparent that for Shi-won anything is willing to be sacrificed, whether school or family events to see H.OT.
In response to the question of how the kiss between Shi-won and Yun-je will affect their relationship it seems like these 2 could make an interesting if awkward couple. However Yun-je seems so shy compared to Shi-won and does not express his feelings well! He is definitely more physical with expressing his feelings than emotional toward Yun-je. Looking forward to seeing what happens with these two.
http://i1192.photobucket.com/albums/aa324/girlfridaydb/drama/2012/1997/answer02/answer02-00237a.jpg
It’s a light comment. Try to go a bit deeper next time. This is also your own chance to have me read a late blog post.