Actually, about the '70s, although I wasn’t around, my understanding is that the “sexual liberation” was mostly about men (again). Girls were just passed around and if they didn’t want to they got served with the “liberation” card. Most of the things I’ve read about the subject say it actually set women’s rights on the subject back, because they were in a way obligated to be “available” and “willing”. They were more toys than people.
Nah, even if there was this sort of pressure, most of us didn’t go for it anyway. There was this talk of liberation, but most of the time it was just wishful thinking. The atmosphere wasn’t conducive to much freedom generally. Remember, it was the dictatorship years and in the province you had to wear school uniform even outside school (just like in Korea), boys had to have short hair and girls’ skirt length was monitored, anything out of the norm could get you a suspension; if a teacher saw you at a cinema or elsewhere he had the right to reprimand you for stuff… In the capital things were not as extreme, but still long hair was frowned upon. I, being an Italian citizen, had the right not to wear uniform, and I led a whole campaign to be able to wear pants too.
A guy I knew had gone swimming for the day, for some reason a policeman stopped him asking for his ID and as he didn’t have it on him, he spent THE WHOLE NIGHT at the police station. Of course people did have sex and stuff, as it will always happen, no matter what the circumstances. But Greece of the '70s had nothing to do with the US or England in the same time period. From what I see, it was more or less like Korea in the '80s - in films like Love Rain, there was a scene where a policeman holding tape measures measure skirt length in the middle of the street.
Double standards? Yes, totally.
Once I found myself in a situation with a boy I was head over heels in love with. We were coming back from Santorini, a 12-hour trip in those times. Overnight, in the same cabin. Well… I resisted, because I had decided I wanted to finish school first. It was extremely difficult but I managed to stick to my guns.
Morning finally came and he said admiringly, “Wow, I can’t believe you refused till the end; most girls I know would never have been able to be that strong”.
See what I mean? The guys tried what they could but, if you gave in, they thought poorly of you.
I meant where the movement was more prominent (mostly the US), not in Greece. I should have included that. That’s why I mention things I’ve read only.
I always find parallels between Greece and SK. Maybe it’s the similar political situations, being in a crossroads of sorts, centuries-old occupation by neighbors and US funds.
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I say you must watch across the ocean to see you.
I like you is the same as I like you here? It may be a cultural thing, but I love you has a lot more weight to me. (and I don’t mean in English either).
Ahhh I did and it made the all time favorites list! Such a great show!
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There are parallels in the “middle chunk” of their history. Not the really ancient times (when Greece shone so brightly) and not the present ones (where Greece has hit rock bottom and S.Korea is booming).
I wish our own politicians saw the S.Korean example and fuelled advancement as they did, through technology on one hand, performing arts on the other. We have some really wonderful artists: instead of having to go abroad to have a good career, they could be nurtured, promoted, financed and then “exported”, thus benefitting their career as well as the country. The Korean person who thought of that was a genius.
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I’m sometimes so annoyed by the love stuff n Kdrama. I totally get it that it’s not as western series and it doesn’t have to be like that. But… it’s weird that you know 2 people must love each other but you don’t feel or see it at all as they even barely hold hands. Like those married couples sometimes: they more look like brother and sister and quite a few times they do have their own bedroom or separate beds too.
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Yes, I agree. Actually sometimes it’s not only the lack of physical contact, but also things like looking at each other adoringly, smiling with the eyes, saying sweet nothings… They confessed they liked each other, maybe shared one kiss and are now officially dating, and then… they act just as before. I understand that in Asia public displays of affection are frowned upon, but at least when they are alone together?
It also depends on the actors capability, but it’s not the only factor.
In this respect, Weightlifting Fairy So and So was more realistic, the two acted like real youngsters in love, couldn’t take their hands off each other - well, maybe it was because, as it turned out, the two actors were into each other in reality and started dating after the shooting of the show - but also the director allowed it.
In Strong Woman So and So, too, the couple looked in love, too, they were believable.
Adult relationships are realistically depicted in Another Oh Hye Young.
But there are so many examples of the opposite…
For instance, in Emergency Couple, the two have been married for one whole year. Then they divorce, and after a while bump into each other again, start liking each other again, and one night, they get drunk and… The next morning, they look at the scattered underwear and… what? They start SCREAMING on the top of their lungs, as if they had seen a murdered body. And then they act so shy with one another, as if they hadn’t been sleeping together for 12 frigging months in the past. I understand the awkwardness, since they had become estranged since, but that shock was so ridiculously exaggerated.
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I’m afraid this is completely wrong. As I’m watching both Korean and Chinese dramas, I can say that Korean dramas are actually the more conservative ones when it comes to the display of physical contact (there are always exceptions of course, I’m only talking in general here). I think Chinese dramas are actually the most open dramas in East Asia in this aspect, but of course, you still can’t compare it to Western dramas.
Censorship in China has nothing to do with the display of physical contact, but more with politically sensitive topics, as well as some other sensitive topics like homosexual love, time-travelling (the issue here lies in religious beliefs), etc.
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You may be right, as I said I’m not a fan of the genre, I wrote that based on the few c-dramas I’ve attempted to watch and what the online gossip about it said.
Joahae literally means “I like you/it” but when it comes to relationship, it means a lot more than just “I like you.” It could means I am attracted to you, I like you not as a friend but as a man/woman, I have fallen for you, etc. It can actually mean the same thing as I love you. But since there is another word/phrase Saranghae (I love you) in Korean, we don’t translate Joahae as “I love you.” The phrase Saranghae is reserved for much more serious confession and to express one’s deep love for another where as Joahae is more casual like I’m in love with you. But if you ever see a man/woman confessing “Joahae” in k-drama, you can pretty much mentally translate it as I love you.
Also, Koreans buy something called a “couple ring” to symbolize that they are dating. Unlike a typically expensive diamond engagement ring, couple rings are normally simple gold, silver, or other metallic rings that match. They could have simple matching designs as well.
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Thank you for this explanation! I always wondered about this and thought it was a matter of the subber’s.
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This makes me feel uncomfortable… and…I am “imminently wise” so taller than me is good enough! Cranning my neck is painful please no one over 180cm! Is a preference 
I asked another girl about the tall thing and she said it corresponds to masculinity.
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I pay for my own food, tickets, etc when I go on dates since I dont think the guy should have to pay for everything and that way if the date is bad then he didn’t waste a lot of money… Now if I am in a serious relationship then I may let the guy pay some times ( birthday, anniversary) but I will pat for his birthday and other ocassions too
I beg to differ about the public display of affection in Korea. During the Yeouido Spring Festival (to coincide with the blooming of the cherry blossums), I was at a large shopping mall very close to Yeoido Park (which adjuoins the National Assembly and KBS headquarters. On the “moving sidewalk” I literally saw hundreds of couples from young to middle age holding hands within the shopping mall and in very close contact on the Metro! I not a voyeur – I just took a couple of pictures to share with my class at the Unvercity on the issue of public displays of affection in Korea.
The couples seem to be beyond the “some” stage and definitely in the 좋아요 or beyond category.
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I wouldn’t know, as I haven’t been there, I’m just based on what other people say. Maybe it’s been changing in the past decade, especially in the young urban crowd.
In India too, where in 1991 you never saw any couple holding hands, nowadays you see much more public display of affection. But it’s mostly in the big cities. In other places, even married couples are very restrained.
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True. When I lived in Korea long time ago, no one ever displayed affection publicly. You’d only see same sex people holding hands as friends or putting their arms across their friends’ shoulders. But I rarely saw any opposite sex holding hands, let alone hugging or kissing. Even on TV, I’ve only seen a couple kissing just ONCE and I was really SHOCKED that the actors actually kissed. Usually a man and a woman’s face comes close to each other as if they are about to kiss and then the scene changes, leaving kissing scene to our imagination. That one kissing scene that I saw on TV was a clean peck on each other’s lips but it was still shocking for me to watch it.
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