The South of Seoul featured K-drama for April is a popular series that aired in 2013, “The Heirs.” The drama’s compelling characters, complex relationships, and dramatic plot twists have kept viewers riveted from beginning to end. Therefore, this is a must-watch for anyone who loves a good coming-of-age story or romantic drama.
Breaking Down the Cultural Knowledge
When you watch a K-drama when living in Korea or plan to live in Korea, you may want to go deeper than just the show. In order to fully understand the context of entertainment and the world around you, plan on looking at not only experiencing the movie plot, but also at the actors, music, and cultural conversation.
In order to make it easier to maximize watching K-Dramas for cultural knowledge, I will provide you with some quick links each month related to the South of Seoul recommended K-Drama watch list. If you catch up on all these details you will become a K-pop culture master in no time.
Let’s explore April’s K-drama, “The Heirs.”
About “The Heirs”
“The Heirs,” also known as The Inheritors, a popular South Korean drama that premiered in 2013, quickly captured the hearts of viewers around the world. The series ran on the South Korean television network SBS (Seoul Broadcasting System) for 20 episodes. “The Heirs” was written by Kim Eun-sook, a popular South Korean screenwriter known for her work on numerous hit dramas such as “Lovers in Paris,” “Secret Garden,” “Goblin,” and “Mr. Sunshine.”
“The Heirs” tells the story of a group of wealthy high school students and the complicated relationships, power struggles, and love triangles that exist between them. The main characters are Cha Eun-sang, a girl from a poor family, and Kim Tan, the heir to the wealthy Empire Group. Despite their different social backgrounds, they fall in love and experience various obstacles, including family conflicts and disapproval, while trying to make their relationship work.
“The Heirs” is a coming-of-age drama that explores themes such as family, class, love, and social hierarchy. Due to its all-star cast, stunning cinematography, and gripping storyline, this drama has become a beloved classic.
About the Drama’s Success
“The Heirs” was a popular K-Drama series both in South Korea and internationally. Due to its star-studded cast, compelling storyline, and beautiful cinematography, it quickly gained a large following. The series had high ratings throughout its run. Additionally, it was one of the most-watched online dramas with a strong following in China.
In addition to its high ratings and online popularity, “The Heirs” received numerous nominations and awards. It won several awards at major Korean drama award ceremonies, including the SBS Drama Awards and the Korea Drama Awards. The actors and actresses from the drama also had many nominations and awards for their portrayals in “The Heirs.” Also, it was recognized internationally, winning the Outstanding Korean Drama award at the Seoul International Drama Awards in 2014.
“The Heirs” has since become a beloved classic and it continues to be popular with audiences around the world. Its success helped to solidify the careers of many of its cast members, including Lee Min-ho, Park Shin-hye, and Kim Woo-bin, who have since become major stars in the Korean entertainment industry.
About the Drama’s Themes
“The Heirs” explores several themes throughout its storyline including family, love, class, and social hierarchy. The overall theme of “The Heirs” explores the complexities and struggles of youth and coming of age. In particular, this drama focuses on challenges for young people who are born into privileged backgrounds. The drama portrays the difficulties of wealthy high school students trying to navigate social hierarchies, family expectations, and personal relationships and find their own identities and paths in life.
At its core, this drama tells a story about the human experience of growing up, falling in love, and facing challenges that can shape one’s character and future. “The Heirs” puts emphasis on the importance of family, friendship, and personal growth as key components of a fulfilling life. Also, it calls attention to the societal pressures and expectations that young people face in Korean society, particularly those who come from wealthier backgrounds.
“The Heirs” is a relatable and moving story for all ages and backgrounds, as it explores universal themes of love, identity, and personal growth.
The Music of “The Heirs”
Whenever a new, popular K-drama hits the screen you hear the music everywhere. Take the time to become familiar with the tracklist and maybe even memorize one for the norae-bang. Also, this will make you an absolute superstar at social gatherings.
Additionally, being able to sing the chorus when you hear the songs in the streets or be able to casually say to a new friend, “Oh, isn’t this the theme song for The Heirs?” creates a wonderful feeling of connectedness to the world around you.
Learn About the Cast of “The Heirs”
After watching the K-drama and becoming familiar with the songs, it’s time to also become familiar with the cast. You will see these actors and actresses in advertisements across the country or in new dramas. Therefore, knowing about the cast helps you create a language for understanding the visual world around you.
The Food of “The Heirs”
Food is a significant aspect of Korean culture. Therefore, it is often featured prominently in Korean dramas, including “The Heirs”. Some of the food items that are prominently featured in this drama include Korean street food, Korean barbecue, Ramyun, and Jajangmyeon. If you want to try cooking Korean dishes at home, check out our series “A Year To Learn Korean Cooking.”
Overall, food plays a significant role in “The Heirs”, not only as a way to showcase Korean cuisine but also as a way to bring the characters together and create a sense of community and comfort.
Catch Up on Show Related Gossip
Now that you have watched the show, listened to the music, and learned about the actors, it’s time to learn the tea. Check out this interview with some of the cast members and learn more about their time on set. This particular video discusses the wrap-up of the drama and the conclusion prior to it airing.
It has been 10 years since the show aired, check out this story to see where the stars are now.
2023 K-Drama 101-Recommendations
Each month in 2023, we will dig into each of our K-Drama recommendations to give you in-depth information about the series.
Last month, our K-Drama was “Moon Lovers, Scarlet Heart Ryeo.” Check out the March K-Drama blog post for more details on this series. Make sure to watch them all and get caught up!
In February, our K-Drama was “Itaewon Class.” Check out the February K-Drama blog post for more details on this series.
In January, our K-Drama was “Crash Landing on You.” Check out the January K-Drama blog post for more details on this series.
Lanae Rivers-Woods moved to Korea in 2011 where she lives in the countryside with her family, friends, and puppies. She holds a BSSW (Bachelor’s of Science in Social Work), a MAIT (Master’s of Arts in International Teaching), and registered by the Pyeongtaek Korean Times with the Korean government as a Cultural Expert.
Ms. Rivers-Woods used her 15 years experience as a social architect, UX/UI designer, and technology consultant to found South of Seoul in 2015. South of Seoul is a volunteer organization that leverages technological tools to mitigate cultural dissonance in multi-cultural communities.
Through South of Seoul, Ms. Rivers-Woods works with independent volunteers, non-profit organizations, businesses, local & federal government, universities, and US military organizations to develop solutions to support English speaking international residents in rural South Korea.
Additionally, Ms. Rivers-Woods founded the South of Seoul smart phone app available for Google Play and iPhone. The app provides information a resources for those living and traveling in South Korea.
When she isn’t in South of Seoul development meetings or working her day job, Ms. Rivers-Woods loves to be outside at skate parks, the beach, or playing in the mountains.
