K-Drama School
181 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 days ago - ★★★★★ - 34 ratingsK-Drama School is hosted by comedian, writer and media scholar Grace Jung who analyzes a new Korean TV drama every week and contextualizes it according to its social, cultural and historical significance. Let Grace school you in K-Dramas! Visit kdramaschool.com to learn more. Follow @kdramaschool on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and TikTok!
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Episodes
K-Drama School - Ep 30: Miss Korea and Drugs and Fireworks with Van Jazmin
July 26, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 78.1 MB[Spoiler Alert] In this episode of K-Drama School, Grace discusses the show Miss Korea (2013, MBC), its depiction of the 1997 IMF Crisis, Korean masculinity in “crisis,” Lee Chang-dong’s Peppermint Candy (1999), the film Mulberry (1986) starring Lee Mi-sook, Lee Sun-kyun, and Lee Yeon-hee. Grace then talks Van Jazmin (@vanjazmin on Instagram)—an LA-based visual artist, clown, and filmmaker. His film Hollywood Home Video won Best Documentary Short at the Berlin Underground Film Festival in 20...
K-Drama School - Ep 29: The Choe Show (최쇼) and The ABC’s with Julieta Degese Pt II
July 19, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 101 MB[Trigger Warning] In this episode of K-Drama School, Grace discusses The Choe Show (FX, 2021) hosted and produced by Korean American artist and former DVDASA podcast host David Choe while processing and working through her life events. Grace then continues her talk with guest co-host Julieta Degese (@dgcjulieta on Instagram) who shares a very vulnerable fact about herself. They go into Grace’s contentious relationship with her sibling, and Julieta talks about grieving her father while balanc...
K-Drama School - Ep 28: The Choe Show (최쇼) and You are/I am Enough with Julieta Degese Pt. 1
July 12, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 99.9 MB[Spoiler Alert] In this episode of K-Drama School, Grace discusses The Choe Show (FX, 2021) hosted and produced by Korean American artist and former DVDASA podcast host David Choe. Grace invites David Choe to be a guest on her podcast, then dives deep Choe-style and opens up in the most raw way about where her abandonment issues began, molestation, rape by boyfriends, gaslighting from a Korean American church, gaslighting from Korean immigrant parents, why han (한/恨) is contested by Korean st...
K-Drama School - Ep 27: All About Eve and the Easy Way with Rachel Abrahams
July 05, 2021 07:00 - 2 hours - 113 MB[Spoiler Alert] In this episode of K-Drama School, Grace discusses the show All About Eve (2000, MBC), and the theme of orphans, and Kim So-yeon from Penthouse. Grace also talks about feelings that came up after reaching her GoFundMe campaign goal, self-worth, a dream she had recently that taught her a lesson about judgment, leveling up, and her obsession with David Choe and The Choe Show on FX. Grace then talks to LA-based comedian Rachel Abrahams (@rachelbabrahams on Instagram) who drops k...
K-Drama School - Ep 26: Master's Sun and Allergies with Alexis Bradby
June 28, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 56.7 MB[Spoiler Alert] In this episode of K-Drama School, Grace discusses the show Master’s Sun (2013, SBS). Grace talks about how So Ji-sub tried to emulate Cha Seung-won’s persona from The Greatest Love (2011, MBC) in his role as Joo Joong-won in Master’s Sun but failed. Grace also processes some lousy news she received her alma mater UCLA; although they said they were going to pay for her postproduction costs ($2,000), they told her last minute that they will not. If you’d like to donate to her ...
K-Drama School - Ep 25: Thank You and Contrasts with Jackie Monahan
June 21, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 90.2 MB[Spoiler Alert] In this episode of K-Drama School, Grace discusses the show Thank You (2007, MBC). Grace talks about being in Idaho and the sights she's seen then has a chat with comedian and screenwriter Jackie Monahan who is the co-writer of The Foxy Merkins (2013, Madeleine Olnek) which played at Sundance Film Festival in 2014 and the Moscow International Film Festival that same year. The film was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award. Jackie’s comedy special “These Lips” is available...
Ep 25: Thank You and Contrasts with Jackie Monahan
June 21, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 90.2 MB[Spoiler Alert] In this episode of K-Drama School, Grace discusses the show Thank You (2007, MBC). Grace talks about being in Idaho and the sights she's seen then has a chat with comedian and screenwriter Jackie Monahan who is the co-writer of The Foxy Merkins (2013, Madeleine Olnek) which played at Sundance Film Festival in 2014 and the Moscow International Film Festival that same year. The film was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award. Jackie’s comedy special “These Lips” is available...
K-Drama School - Ep 24: Stairway to Heaven and a Good Dad with Christoph Schmid
June 14, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 81.9 MB[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses Stairway to Heaven (2003, SBS) and the show’s director Lee Jang-soo’s directorial imprint on the “heaven trilogy” shows he helms. Grace breaks down the meaning of “makjang” drama in the context of televisuality and political economy which affected Y2K socio-cultural habits such as spending and consumption in South Korea. Grace then has a chat with her dear friend and hilarious Berlin-based comedian Christoph Schmid (@topf52 on Instagram) about fatherhood to a ...
K-Drama School - Ep 23: Fated to Love You and "I am the Pudding" with Zack Chapaloni
June 07, 2021 07:10 - 1 hour - 95.4 MB[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses Fated to Love You (2014, MBC), and the nostalgic intertexts and callbacks the show includes from Jang Hyuk and Jang Nara's careers as singers and actors for nearly two decades as the Jang couple reunites 12 years after their first small-screen appearance together on Successful Story of a Bright Girl (2002, SBS). Grace talks about how she was mistaken for a medical doctor by another comedian in her scene, as well as the doubts her parents had of her abilities w...
K-Drama School - Ep 22: Reply 1997 and Never-ending Learning with Julayne Lee
May 31, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 102 MB[Spoiler Alert] Marisa Llamas (@llamedycentral on Instagram) makes a guest co-host appearance to answer some flashcard questions based on Reply 1997 (2012, tvN). Grace discusses Reply 1997, and how wrong it is that Netflix and Kocowa remove or replace music cues in certain Korean dramas they distribute. Grace then has a chat with Julyane Lee (@julayneelle on Twitter) who is the author of Not My White Savior. They talk about South Korea's adoption issue, racism from white adoptive parents, Mi...
K-Drama School - Ep 21: Hello My Twenties! and Cannabis Kimchi with LJ Kim
May 24, 2021 07:00 - 2 hours - 113 MB[Spoiler Alert] Tobias Hauser (@hahahouser) makes a guest co-host appearance to answer some flashcard questions based on Hello My Twenties! (2016, JTBC). Grace discusses Hello My Twenties! and the representation of believable female protagonists, as well as Minari (2020, Lee Issac Chung) and why Brad Pitt should kiss Youn Yuh-jung’s feet in addition to the polarized reception between Korean audiences and Korean American audiences. Grace reflects on her trip to New York, and the return. She t...
K-Drama School - Ep 20: Live and The Artist's Mind with Shinho Lee
May 17, 2021 04:00 - 1 hour - 79 MB[Spoiler Alert] In this episode of K-Drama School, Grace discusses the show Live (2018, tvN) and Noh Hee-kyung's impressive career and mother-obsession. Grace is still in New York as she reflects on her life as an artist and intellectual living in the United States where both careers are under-appreciated. Grace then has a chat with screenwriter Shinho Lee (@shinholee77 on Instagram) who co-wrote The Chaser (2008, Na Hong-jin) and teaches at NYU Tisch about the Korean television industry, pa...
K-Drama School - Ep 19: Personal Taste and Giving Our Mothers a Childhood with Moni Zhang
May 10, 2021 04:00 - 1 hour - 85.2 MB[Spoiler Alert] In this episode of K-Drama School, Grace discusses the show Personal Taste (2010, MBC) and its LGBTQIA+ theme. Grace continues to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month as well as picture-locking her film while in New York. Grace talks about acknowledging the celebration of mothers on Mother's Day but also being mindful and respectful of those who have contentious relationships or no relationship with their parents who might feel uncomfortable with such holidays. Grace then has a chat...
K-Drama School - Ep 18: All In and the Single Tear Strategy with Walter Hong
May 03, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 107 MB[Spoiler Alert] In this episode of K-Drama School, Grace discusses the show All In (2003, SBS). Grace celebrates the first week of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. All of May will include interviews from Asian American and/or Asian guests. In her opening monologue, Grace discusses the pachinko business run by Korean gangsters, male-centric narratives, passive female characters, and more. Grace then has a chat with comedian Walter Hong (@yellowsheki on Instagram) about C...
K-Drama School - Ep 17: Successful Story of a Bright Girl and the Power to Change Your House with Esra Karakaya
April 26, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 122 MB[Spoiler Alert] In this episode of K-Drama School, Grace discusses the show Successful Story of a Bright Girl (2002, SBS). Grace talks about Jang Nara and Jang Hyuk’s careers, their onscreen chemistry, and South Korea’s desperate need to create labor unions for the entertainment sect. Grace then has a chat with Berlin-based journalist and activist Esra Karakaya (@ms_blackrock on Instagram). They talk about Koreans’ obsession with weight loss, the importance of grassroots activism, how to man...
K-Drama School - Ep 16: Beautiful Days and Noble Things with Jaren George
April 19, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 77.4 MB[Spoiler Alert] In this episode of K-Drama School, Grace discusses the show Beautiful Days (2001, SBS). Grace goes into depictions of toxic masculinity, Lee Byung-hun's sex scandals, why leukemia is such a common trope in K-dramas, and another fan letter she received. Grace then has a chat with comedian Jaren George (@jaren.george on Instagram). They talk about IT, Oregon snow, Valentine's Day jokes that get too real, beefing up resumes, game life, Christianity versus magic, and more. Follow...
K-Drama School - Ep 15: Itaewon Class and "Don't Kill My Dad" with Ai Yoshihara
April 12, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 69.7 MB[Spoiler Alert] In this episode of K-Drama School, Grace discusses the show Itaewon Class. Grace goes into representations of Black-Koreanness and transgender identity on this show, as well as issues of diversity that South Korea has trouble addressing in mainstream television such as that of migrant workers from Southeast Asia. Grace then has a chat with comedian Ai Yoshihara (@aiyoshihara3 on Instagram). They talk about how Grace got stood up by her initial guest, pandemic-anxiety, meditat...
K-Drama School - Ep 14: Something in the Rain and Black Hearts with Ji-yoon An
April 05, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 95.5 MB[Spoiler Alert] In this episode of K-Drama School, Grace discusses the show Something in the Rain starring Son Ye-jin and Jung Hae-in. She goes into complex characters like Jin-a's mother on the show and what her significance is. She also talks about Son Ye-jin's chemistry with Jung Hae-in which she shares with Hyun Bin (in Crash Landing on You). Grace then has a chat with Dr. Ji-yoon An who currently teaches at the University of Tübingen. They talk about Korean history, "compressed moderni...
K-Drama School - Ep 13: Kingdom and Hot Baths with Dan Telfer
March 29, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 78.6 MB[Spoiler Alert] In this episode of K-Drama School, Grace discusses the original Netflix series Kingdom (2018- ) written by Kim Eun-hee. She breaks down the zombie allegory in the context of South Korean history, politics and culture framed around the Cold War, while also citing films like Train to Busan, Seoul Station and The Wailing. What is a zombie supposed to be in South Korea? What about ancient Choson Dynasty Korea prior to the Cold War and the dividing of the Kingdom of Korea? Grace t...
K-Drama School - Ep 12: Star in My Heart and Deep 1990s Korea Nostalgia with Hye Yun Park
March 22, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 97 MB#StopAsianHate and #StopAAPIHate. Stop Killing Asians. To all the people who were silent around this issue, open your eyes, ears and hearts. To all my Asian and Asian American family members, I love you. You are not alone in your pain, fear, anger and grief. Solidarity. [Spoiler Alert] In this episode of K-Drama School, Grace discusses the show Star in My Heart (aka Wish Upon a Star) starring Choi Jin-sil and Ahn Jae-wook. She discusses Choi Jin-sil's tragic life story and career, Ahn Jae-wo...
K-Drama School - Ep 11: It's Okay to Not Be Okay and BDSM Daddies with Kristen Lundberg
March 15, 2021 07:00 - 54 minutes - 50 MB[Spoiler Alert] In this episode of K-Drama School, Grace discusses the show It's Okay to Not Be Okay (tvN, 2020) starring Kim Soo-hyun and Seo Yeji. Grace goes into representations of disability on K-dramas especially PTSD stemming from the Vietnam War which South Korean mercenary troops were hired to fight in by the hundreds of thousands. Grace then has a chat with Los Angeles-based comedian Kristen Lundberg who sings a song on BDSM gay daddies, talks about her former roommate who broke int...
K-Drama School - Ep 10: Search WWW, Power Lesbians and Maseratis with Saundarya Thapa
March 08, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 84 MB[Spoiler Alert] In this episode of K-Drama School, Grace’s guest sidekick Julieta Degese (@dgcjulieta) makes a quick early visit to answer flashcard questions. Grace discusses the 2019 show Search WWW—the debut work of Kwon Do-eun. Search WWW is a solid queer text showcasing a lesbian love-triangle disguised as business affairs with a thin veneer of heteronormativity. This show reunites Im Soo-jung with Jeon Hye-jin from their I’m Sorry I Love You days but as strong female characters with de...
K-Drama School - Ep 9: Full House and a Golden Doodle with Natisha Anderson
March 01, 2021 08:00 - 55 minutes - 51.4 MB[Spoiler Alert] In this episode of K-Drama School, Grace discusses the hit 2004 drama Full House starring Song Hye-kyo and Rain when they were super young and adorable. Grace breaks down Full House's subtle critique of domestic labor shaped by Korean patriarchy, and how K-drama stars originally got their start in sit-coms. Grace then has a chat with Los Angeles-based actress, comedian and clown Natisha Anderson (@natishaanderson) who you've seen on Lady Dynamite, All That, CSI and Angie Trib...
K-Drama School - Ep 8: My Lovely Sam Soon and Costco Muffins with Ben MacLean
February 22, 2021 08:00 - 53 minutes - 49.6 MB[Spoiler Alert] In this episode of K-Drama School, Grace discusses My Lovely Sam Soon and its feminist protagonist which marks a shift in female character development for Korean dramas in the early 2000s which were notably different from heroines of 1990s shows. Grace talks about the pressures that Korean women face in society to conform to patriarchal heteronormative standards that determine what is acceptable in terms of weight, looks, and age. Grace then has a chat with Berlin-based Canad...
K-Drama School - Ep 7: The Greatest Love and “A” Minuses with Kimberly Clark
February 15, 2021 08:00 - 59 minutes - 54.6 MB[Spoiler Alert] In this episode of K-Drama School, Grace discusses The Greatest Love (2011, MBC) written by the Hong sisters. It is a romantic comedy starring Cha Seung-won and Gong Hyo-jin. Grace breaks down the K-pop ecosystem and where variety shows fit into the equation, cradle-rocking-perverts of Korean show business, and Korean models. Grace then chats with comedian guest Kimberly Clark (@clarkkimberlyl) who's been on NBC's Last Comic Standing and Lopez Tonight with George Lopez. They ...
K-Drama School - Ep 6: The World of the Married and Getting Stabbed by Your Girlfriend with Dante Chang
February 08, 2021 08:00 - 58 minutes - 53.6 MB[Spoiler Alert] In this episode of K-Drama School, Grace discusses The World of the Married. She goes into the declining number of South Korea's marriages, increase in divorce, negative stereotypes of single working women, and why Kim Hee-ae is the queen of K-dramas. Grace then has a chat with Los Angeles-based comic Dante Chang (@dantechang) who is originally from DC. They discuss girlfriends who get revenge by stabbing, self-care, emotional health, and violent Asian American and Korean mas...
K-Drama School - Ep 5: My Mister and Great Practicality with Erika Ratcliffe
February 01, 2021 08:00 - 50 minutes - 46.8 MB[Spoiler Alert] In this episode of K-Drama School, Grace discusses My Mister (2018, tvN) which stars K-pop starlet IU and Lee Sun-kyun of the Oscar-winning Bong Joon-ho film Parasite (2019). Grace goes into the #MeTooKorea movement's impact on My Mister's initial reception, sonic/auditory voyeurism, female agency, the "spycam" problem in South Korea, and fallen male K-pop stars like Jung Joon-young. Grace then chats with comedian guest Erika Ratcliffe (@erikaratcliffe) about noisy neighbors,...
K-Drama School - Ep 4: Crash Landing on You and Un-Tweeting with Will Hines
January 25, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 69.8 MB[Spoiler Alert] In this episode of K-Drama School, Grace discusses the hit K-drama Crash Landing on You (2019-2020, tvN, Netflix). She talks about the show's intertexts, Kim Soo-hyun's return from his military conscription, the chemistry between Son Ye-jin and Hyun Bin, the Korean War, orphans, Pretty Woman, and how this show turns gender tropes on its head. Grace is then joined by Los Angeles-based comedian and actor Will Hines (@williebhines) who you've seen on Brooklyn 99, Between Two Fer...
K-Drama School - Ep 3: What Happened in Bali & Voodoo Handj*bs with Erik Escobar
January 18, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 57.2 MBIn this episode of K-Drama School, Grace discusses a 2004 SBS winter classic What Happened in Bali starring So Ji-sub, Jo In-sung and Ha Ji-won. She links the young working-class female protagonist in K-dramas to its origins in modern Korean "factory girl" literature from the 1920s and through the Korean industrialization period from both the pre and post-Korean War eras. Grace is then joined by Los Angeles-based comedian guest Erik Escobar (@erikescobar). They discuss Erik's 100-pound weigh...
K-Drama School - Ep 2: Goblin/Guardian and Huevos Rancheros with Lizzy Cooperman
January 11, 2021 08:00 - 58 minutes - 53.5 MB[Spoiler Alert] In this episode of K-Drama School, Grace discusses the 2016/2017 "mega-hit" show by Kim Eun-sook called Goblin or Guardian: The Lonely and Great God which she contextualizes against the backdrop of the Sewol Ferry tragedy and other ghost/supernatural K-drama narratives. Grace then has a chat with comedian Lizzy Cooperman (@lizzycooperman) who you've seen on HBO's Crashing and Lights Out with David Spade. Her album Organism is available on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon and GooglePla...
K-Drama School - Ep 1: SKY Castle & Korean Siestas with Tobias Hauser
January 01, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 167 MBWelcome to episode 1 of K-Drama School podcast! Meet your host Grace Jung (comedian and PhD candidate in Cinema and Media Studies at UCLA) who is here to school you in Korean dramas every week followed by an interview with a guest comedian or scholar. In this episode, Grace analyzes the hit JTBC show SKY Castle (2018), the Korean school system, suicides, helicopter parenting, Christianity and decoloniality with her sidekick Julieta Degese (@dgcjulieta). Berlin-based Austrian comedian Tobias ...