Exploring Diversity In Korean Dramas: Can Historical K-Dramas Have Multicultural Casts?

K-Dramas have been evolving with more interesting plots and storytelling devices added to the mix. K-Drama production crews are always trying to keep things fresh by adding new narratives, new locations, and new actors into the mix. In the past few years, one of the ways that they have done this is by including different cultures in K-Dramas, to show more of Korea's intercultural exchange. We've especially seen this in comedies, thrillers, and action-based K-Dramas. However, it makes one wonder if historical K-Dramas can also have multicultural casts. In the West, TV series lovers have noticed a shift in the diversity of casting for historical/period dramas. This is regardless of whether this representation is historically accurate or not. In Korea, so far, most of the multicultural casts that have been presented to the audience have been to emphasize historical accuracy. Today, we'll take a look at whether it will be possible for K-Dramas to also make this diversity shift at some point. The Importance of Diversity in Casting: Challenges and Opportunities Cultural Representation vs. Historical Accuracy In the case of Western historical dramas or period television series... in most cases, these dramas have shifted to diverse casting because of the importance of cultural representation. 'Representation' (in terms of culture/pop culture) is the phenomenon that focuses on accurately portraying a specific culture or group of people in media, especially pop culture. In the Western world of entertainment, it has become an essential part of the production process of many television series to prevent the following: "Media, entertainment, and other forms of popular culture play a significant role in shaping our perceptions of others. For many of us, popular culture is the primary way we learn about people who are different from us. The problem, though, is that many representations are based on cultural stereotypes, which tend to marginalize and caricature members of nondominant groups. Through these representations, we see a limited, and distorted, view of others." - Perception Institute As such, many Western TV series opt for accurate cultural representation as a priority over aspects like historical accuracy. For example, in Western programs like the hit Netflix show "Bridgerton" written by the legendary showrunner Shonda Rhimes, the cast is more diverse than what would've been possible in that setting during the specified time period. "Bridgerton" is set in and takes place in the 1800s Regency period in England. The series follows the Bridgerton family (an affluent family in London) as they debut their daughter onto the competitive marriage market. The cast stars diverse actors with people of color in powerful positions. For example, the duke is a black man, the queen is of mixed ethnicity, and in the second season, the female lead is of Indian descent. At first, the drama received mixed reactions to its colorblind casting as many felt that the diverse cast wasn't historically accurate. 'Colorblind casting is the practice of casting without considering the actor's ethnicity or race.' If "Bridgerton" was created years ago, with the same storyline, almost the entire cast would've been white. In fact, most old European court-based shows are cast this way. This is technically historically correct as historically white people held these positions of influence and power in London. However, the show challenges this ideal to make people of color feel represented as they watch. Despite the criticism, many viewers and critics praised "Bridgerton" for its inclusive casting and for reimagining a period drama in a more diverse and inclusive way. The show's creator, Chris Van Dusen, defended the casting choices, arguing that the show was intended to be a reimagining of the era rather than a historically accurate portrayal. Ultimately, "Bridgerton" has sparked an important conversation about representation and diversity in period dramas, and its impact is likely to be felt in the genre for years to come. If we look at this, it shows that it's possible to abandon historical accuracy if it means that representation will prevail. However, can the same apply to K-Dramas? The Necessity of Multicultural Casts in Question: Is Representation of the Viewer or of the Origin Demographic More Important? Firstly, all things considered, one must keep in mind that Korea is still very much a homogenous society. There are a fair amount of foreigners living in the country with just less than 2 million foreigners out of a total population of nearly 52 million people (Koreans making up the rest), as of 2022. However, looking at this statistic, foreigners don't even makeup 5% of the South Korean population. As such, it's not going to be a K-Drama production company's first priority to represent a minority group. Whereas the production company of a show based in the city of London, which is currently super-diverse, will have different priorities. If we look at it with a different lens, one could justify a need for representation in K-Dramas through the fact that K-Dramas have gained a more-than-huge international audience with hoards of viewers from all over the world. From this perspective, one could argue for more representation in K-Dramas thanks to its global appeal. If you'd like to read more about how K-Dramas could better represent international audiences, read the article below. Exploring Multicultural Casts in Popular Non-Historical & Historical K-Dramas Non-Historical K-Dramas That Have Had Diverse Casts So Far Many K-Dramas have boasted diverse K-Drama casts so far. Some representative diverse K-Dramas (regardless of genre) include "Itaewon Class", "Squid Game", and "So Not Worth It". However, if you look at all of these dramas, they mostly have non-Korean cast members in settings that are probable spaces for them to take up. "Itaewon Class" is quite literally based in the foreign district of Seoul, South Korea. Similarly, "So Not Worth It" takes place at a university dorm with a number of international students. "Squid Game" represents some of the foreigners that make up the workforce of Korea. For example, the character Ali (played by Abdul-Mateen Mahmoud) is a cleaner and migrant worker from Pakistan, and the character Abdul Ali (played by Anupam Tripathi) is a financial analyst from India who can't seem to find work in South Korea. None of these dramas necessarily challenge the idea of where diversity should take place. They still deserve praise for showing off diversity, however. Historical K-Dramas That Have Had Diverse Casts So Far In the same way, historical K-Dramas that have managed to have multicultural casts have done the same. Non-Korean characters are only found in historically accurate settings. For example, one of the best examples of a multicultural historical K-Drama is "Mr. Sunshine". The drama is set during the early 1900s and follows a young Korean boy who was born into slavery but escapes to the United States and returns to Korea as a US Marine officer. The cast includes Korean, American, Japanese, and Chinese actors. The multicultural cast in "Mr. Sunshine" was well-received by both audiences and critics, who praised the show for its bold and progressive approach to representation. By casting actors from different countries and cultural backgrounds, the show helped to create a more authentic and inclusive portrayal of historical events, while also promoting greater awareness and understanding of different cultures. Moving Forward: What Can We Expect From Future Historical Dramas? Can Historical K-Dramas Have Multicultural Casts? Some may ask themselves whether multicultural historical K-Drama casts will only be able to exist in historically accurate drama portrayals. Will it be possible to see a black character as the queen consort? A white character as a crown prince in the future? A Latina character as an admiral? Is there space in the K-Drama world for a multicultural cast regardless of historical accuracy? With the above considered, the possibility of such a K-Drama being created is not impossible. There has been a recent trend toward more diverse and inclusive casting in K-Dramas. So, at this point, anything is possible. It's just a matter of how soon it will happen. Can this become a norm though? This is less likely, but once again not impossible. Factors That Might Work Against A Historically Inaccurate Multicultural Historical K-Drama South Korea, especially now, is trying its best to represent its history (even with details in fictional dramas) as accurately as possible globally. As there is such an emphasis on this in general, anything that distorts the truth or challenges historical accuracy is less likely to be produced (at least for the time being). This is due to the regulatory environment. Korean broadcasting regulations are relatively strict, and producers may be required to adhere to certain standards of historical accuracy or cultural sensitivity in order to obtain funding or approval for their projects. This kind of K-Drama would perhaps be more likely if funded by an OTT platform like Netflix. Additionally, it's important to consider the reason why 'representation' in media has been emphasized in recent years. Representation was created to highlight the stories of minorities who are often misconstrued in pop culture. Not to erase their stories and replace them with others. Koreans are also a minority that deserves to have their stories told. By casting a crown prince of another race/ethnicity in a K-Drama, you take away the opportunity for a Korean actor to tell his people's story - which is the opposite of what representation aims to do. So, if a multicultural historical drama is made, it's important that it doesn't overshadow the story that's being told nor should it erase the roles of the native actors in the production. Naturally, this is different in the case of pure fictional works. The representation of multiculturalism in historical dramas has become a topic of increasing interest in recent years, both in Korea and in other parts of the world. While some productions, such as the Western show "Bridgerton," have faced backlash for their diverse casting choices, others, like the Korean shows "Mr. Sunshine" and "Squid Game", have been celebrated for their nuanced portrayal of multicultural characters. While historical accuracy remains an important consideration for many producers and viewers, there is growing recognition that diversity and inclusivity can enhance the storytelling of historical dramas and help to break down stereotypes and increase understanding between different cultures. So, hopefully, we can see at least one from Korea soon, too. Do you think that historical K-Dramas can have multicultural casts? Share your thoughts in the comments!