earticle

영어

A significant number of South Korean television dramas from the late 2000s and early 2010s feature a creative youth gourmet who develops their taste (immat 입맛) for their self-development and for national honor. This article examines three such dramas—Coffee Prince (K’ŏp’i p'ŭrinsŭ il-ho chŏm 커피프린스 1호점, 2007), Bread, Love and Dreams (Cheppang wang Kim T’akku 제빵왕 김탁구, 2010), and Cinderella’s Sister (Sinderella ŏnni 신데렐라 언니, 2010). While by the mid-2010s reality and variety programs were more likely to feature young cooks and tastemakers than television dramas, youth on screen in the rapidly globalizing 2000s and early 2010s grappled with tensions between cosmopolitan and national consumption. The article further explores the dichotomy between rote learning and duty on the one hand, and creativity on the other, arguing that the focus on creativity connects to educational reforms and broader social policies of the time.