Healing family dynamics with K-Dramas

As a K-Drama fan, I never imagined these shows could help heal family dynamics the way they did for my mum and me.

I started watching K-Dramas as a relaxing past-time, enjoying the light-heartedness and predictability of rom-coms in particular. My mum, who never took on my recommendations, eventually started watching them too after listening to her sisters’ recommendations. Now, we occasionally watch K-Dramas together, and these shows have sparked some truly meaningful conversations between us.

Growing up, my mum was always busy, sacrificing her rest time to take care of the household. It was a surprise to see her sit down and enjoy K-Dramas, which may have coincided with her starting to slow down and give herself some time to rest as us kids got older. 

My love for rom-coms with love triangles (and the emotional turmoil of second-lead syndrome!) eventually led me to watch dramas about middle-aged women dealing with big life challenges. Somehow, these stories really resonated with me. I initially wondered whether it was because I was having an early mid-life crisis, but then I realised they reminded me of my mum’s struggles, sharing insights to her experiences I hadn’t ever considered. Sharing these dramas with my mum became a springboard for us to discuss our experiences and current dilemmas through the lens of K-Drama characters.

I’ve summarised a special list of K-Dramas and what topics they helped us work through:

Table 1. Summary of some fun K-Dramas and their conversation topics

We haven’t limited ourselves to just Korean dramas; we’ve also enjoyed Chinese and Japanese dramas. Next on our list is the Thai movie "How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies," which we expect will give us plenty to discuss—and probably cry about—together.

I’ve recommended this approach to clients as well. Improving relationships with parents can be challenging, especially with ingrained communication patterns and avoidance of sensitive topics. Finding neutral ground, like a shared interest in K-Dramas, can help spark flowing conversations and bring family members closer.

You too can explore the power of shared interests in enhancing family relationships—consider watching a K-Drama together!