In this blog post, I will analyze how Korean romantic comedies established their genre conventions and revealed gender and social conflicts through representative works from the 1990s onward (e.g., ‘Marriage Story’, ‘My Love, My Bride’, ‘My Sassy Girl’) and relevant theories.

Genre Films and the Meaning of Romantic Comedy

“Genre films” systematize typical narratives within a single framework. Genre films represent a collective cultural expression of the masses; in the past, Hollywood built a genre system by repeatedly producing formats favored by the public for commercial purposes. The fact that a particular genre gains popularity means that it represents the public consciousness or resonates with the audience. Therefore, the production of genre films reflects the demands of those who engage with the culture of that era, and the act of watching them also becomes a form of cultural expression. In this regard, the study of genre films is a meaningful way to understand contemporary audiences, society, and culture through film.

Definition and Early Examples of the Romantic Comedy

The romantic comedy is a subgenre that combines the narrative characteristics of romance with the stylistic elements of comedy. It also bears some influence from melodrama. “Marriage Story,” often cited as an early example of Korean commercial cinema, is also a film that exemplifies the classic form of the romantic comedy. This film vividly depicted the lives of a new generation of newlyweds and garnered attention for its bold sexual content, becoming the top-grossing Korean film of 1992. That same year, ‘Mr. Mama’ and ‘The Woman Downstairs and the Man Upstairs’ also ranked among the top films, demonstrating that romantic comedies gained widespread popularity in the early to mid-1990s and established themselves as a central genre.

Themes and Gender in Romantic Comedies

Romantic comedies primarily center on love and marriage, which are of particular interest to female audiences in their 20s. At the same time, they create drama by using potential issues between men and women—such as the imbalance between work and love, marriage and divorce, and sex life—as sources of conflict. These elements distinguished the genre from earlier, simpler romance films and served as sources of tension that kept audiences caught between reality and the film.

Research Subject and Period Classification

The subject of this study is Korean romantic comedies from the 1990s onward. However, the experimental phase of Korean romantic comedy actually began as early as the mid-1950s, as strongly satirical works such as ‘The Day I Get Married’ and ‘Youth Hyperbola’ were produced during that period. The “classical phase,” during which the genre conventions of romantic comedies were fully established, can be traced to the 1990s and beyond. Following hit films such as ‘My Love, My Bride’ and ‘Marriage Story’, romantic comedies consistently ranked among the top box office hits every year, and the genre remained prolific through the mid-to-late 1990s. However, after a brief lull in the late 1990s, the genre made a major comeback in 2001 with ‘My Sassy Girl’.

Theoretical Perspective: Romantic Melodrama and Romantic Comedy

According to Steve Neill and Frank Krutnik, the romantic comedy emerged as a combination of heterosexual romance (which they refer to as “romantic drama” or romantic melodrama) and comedy. Here, “romantic melodrama” refers to a romantic drama that incorporates melodramatic elements. This theory posits that romantic comedies possess the characteristics of “women’s films,” which reveal the compromises or conflicts between women’s desires regarding romance, marriage, and family in a patriarchal society. In other words, even when combined with elements other than romance and comedy, romantic comedies incorporate into their narratives the compromise between the status assigned to women and their desires within the context of marriage and family.
The differences between romantic melodrama and romantic comedy, as proposed by Neil and Krutnik, are as follows: 1) In romantic melodrama, love either leads to marriage, is thwarted by marriage, or presents the possibility of both; whereas in romantic comedy, the story invariably culminates in a union (marriage). 2) Melodramas focus on the female protagonist’s desires and frustrations, whereas romantic comedies center on the courtship plot and primarily focus on the male and female protagonists as a couple. 3) While melodramas tend to explore pleasure through a cyclical structure of desire mediated by cultural constraints, romantic comedies engage with the female lead’s desires within the confines of heterosexual union.

Korean Plot Patterns and Common Characteristics

The plot in which “the protagonists go through trial and error due to misunderstandings before eventually coming together” is a recurring core narrative in romantic comedies. As romantic comedies became established in Korea, one media outlet summarized the characteristics of the genre as follows: (1) The protagonists are often young men and women who are financially independent. (2) Both the man and the woman have jobs, and when conflicts arise due to their strong sense of self, the outcome does not result in a one-sided victory for either party. (3) They have an open mindset and tend to discuss personal issues with those around them rather than bottling them up alone. (4) The primary focus is on couples living in urban areas; there is little interest in or understanding of other social classes. (5) The ending is usually a happy one.
These characteristics accurately highlight the common traits of Korean romantic comedies that emerged in the early 1990s and generally apply to works produced through the late 2000s as well. More specifically, the following patterns are frequently observed: – A man and a woman encounter conflicts—ranging from minor to major obstacles such as personality differences, social status, or gender—during the courtship process, but ultimately overcome them to reach a happy ending. – The protagonists are of marriageable age. – At least one of the protagonists is professionally or sexually attractive. – The protagonists have strong personalities and are assertive. – The protagonists are independent from their parents. – In addition to the male and female leads, a supporting couple appears, providing comic relief while serving as allies. – Rival characters form love triangles or quadrangles. – The primary setting is a modern city, with frequent depictions of high-rise buildings and glamorous cityscapes. – The protagonists’ apartments, studio apartments, workplaces, and studios are depicted as modern and sophisticated spaces. – At least one of the protagonists is a contemporary star who serves as a trendsetting icon.

Differences Between Hollywood Screwball Comedies and the Korean Context

Hollywood screwball comedies follow a formula in which capitalist class relations between men and women lead to conflict and ultimately reconciliation. However, in Korean society, a long history of Confucian culture and patriarchal lifestyles has already created class differences between men and women; therefore, imbalances and conflicts between the sexes exist even without necessarily being tied to capitalist conditions. These historical and cultural differences lend a unique flavor to the conflicts and resolutions depicted in Korean romantic comedies.

The Intersection of 1980s Youth Films and Romantic Comedies

In the 1980s, youth films were consistently produced as a subgenre of romantic comedies. Here, “youth” encompasses university students in their late teens to early twenties, as well as young adults of marriageable age. Notable works that appeared particularly frequently in the late 1980s include ‘The Era of Individuality for the Yalsuk Girls’, ‘Mimi and Cheol-su’s Youth Sketch’, ‘Our Joyful Youth’, ‘The Age of Youth’, ‘Campus Love Seminar’, ‘Love Like a Blade of Grass’, and ‘Sweet Brides’. While these youth films often dealt with tragic situations caused by illness or accidents based on melodramatic elements, they also raised issues regarding the growing voices of women and gender roles, and by showcasing diverse approaches to romance and ways of thinking, they formed an intersection with romantic comedies.

Formulas from the Classical Phase and Box Office Hits from the 1990s Onward

The formulas and characters standardized during the classical phase of Korean romantic comedy are clearly evident in the films produced steadily from the early to late 1990s. Although this was a brief period, romantic comedies were produced frequently and enjoyed by audiences. The romantic comedies that ranked in the top 20 at the box office following ‘My Love, My Bride’ are summarized as follows:
1990 — ‘My Love, My Bride’ (Director: Lee Myung-se) — No. 2 at the box office 1991 — None 1992 — ‘Marriage Story’ (Director: Kim Eui-seok) — No. 1; ‘Mr. Mamma’ (Director: Kang Woo-suk) — No. 2; ‘The Woman Downstairs and the Man Upstairs’ (Director: Shin Seung-soo) — No. 8 1993 — ‘That Woman, That Man’ (Director: Kim Eui-seok) — No. 2; “The Man with Breasts” (Director: Shin Seung-soo) — No. 4; “The 101st Proposal” (Director: Oh Seok-geun) — No. 6; “The Woman I Want to Love, The Woman I Want to Marry” (Director: Yoo Dong-hoon) — No. 7 1994 — “The Man Who Can’t Even Kiss” (Director: Jo Geum-hwan) — No. 14; ‘Coffee, Copy, Nosebleed’ (Director: Kim Yu-min) — No. 16; ‘Killing My Wife’ (Director: Kang Woo-suk) — No. 7 (1994), No. 2 (1995) 1995 — ‘Dr. Bong’ (Director: Lee Kwang-hoon) — No. 1; ‘Who’s Driving Me Crazy?’ (Director: Koo Im-seo) — No. 10; ‘My Mom Has a Boyfriend’ (Director: Kim Dong-bin) — No. 17; ‘The Man Who Flirts’ (Director: Heo Dong-woo) — No. 19 1996 — ‘The Park Bong-gon Runaway Incident’ (Director: Kim Tae-kyun) — No. 5;
‘Corset’ (Director: Jeong Byeong-gak) — No. 9; ‘7 Reasons Why Beer Is Better Than a Boyfriend’ (Director: Kim Yu-jin et al.) — No. 13; ‘Ghost Mama’ (Director: Han Ji-seung) — No. 15 (1996), No. 7 (1997) 1997 — ‘Mr. Condom’ (Director: Yang Yun-ho) — No. 11; “Second Chance” (Director: Lee Kwang-hoon) — No. 15; “Baby Sale” (Director: Kim Bon) — No. 18; “Fate” (Director: Lee Hwang-rim) — No. 17 1998 — “Steamed” (Director: Han Ji-seung) — No. 10; ‘The Zoo Next to the Art Museum’ (Director: Lee Jeong-hyang) — No. 9 1999 — ‘Jaguimo’ (Director: Lee Kwang-hoon) — No. 6 2000 — No films listed 2001 — ‘My Sassy Girl’ (Director: Kwak Jae-yong) — No. 2; ‘The Gangster’s Wife’ (Director: Jo Jin-kyu) — No. 4; ‘I Wish I Had a Wife’ (Director: Park Heung-sik) — No. 16 2002 — ‘The Glory of the Family’ (Director: Jeong Heung-soon) — No. 1; ‘Color Is Emptiness’ (Director: Yoon Je-kyun) — No. 6 (2002), No. 16 (2003); ‘The Dream Diary’ (Director: Jeong Cho-shin) — No. 8; ‘Zero Behavior’ (Director: Jo Geun-sik) — No. 13 2003 — ‘Same Age, Different Class’ (Director: Kim Kyung-hyung) — No. 2; ‘Singles’ (Director: Kwon Chil-in) — No. 8; ‘First Love Defense Rally’ (Director: Oh Jong-rok) — No. 10; ‘Conquering English’ (Director: Kim Seong-su) — No. 18 2004 — ‘The Young Bride’ (Director: Kim Ho-jun) — No. 9; “Let Me Introduce My Girlfriend” (Director: Kwak Jae-yong) — No. 13 2005 — “Kwang-sik’s Younger Brother Kwang-tae” (Director: Kim Hyun-seok) — No. 11; “A Dancer’s Pure Love” (Director: Park Young-hoon) — No. 13; ‘The Purpose of Love’ (Director: Han Jae-rim) — No. 15; ‘The Art of Seduction’ (Director: Ha Ki-hwan) — No. 17; ‘The Beast and the Beauty’ (Director: Lee Gye-byeok) — No. 18; ‘Type B Boyfriend’ (Director: Choi Won-seok) — No. 19 2006 — ‘Beauty Is a Pain’ (Director: Kim Yong-hwa) — No. 7 (2006), No. 3 (2007); ‘Sweet and Deadly Lovers’ (Director: Son Jae-gon) — No. 10; ‘Youth Comic’ (Director: Lee Han) — No. 15; ‘The Savior’ (Director: Kim Jeong-woo) — No. 18;
‘The Gangster’s Wife 3’ (Director: Jo Jin-kyu) — No. 13 2007 — ‘Color Is Emptiness Season 2’ (Director: Yoon Tae-yoon) — No. 11 2008 — No films listed 2009 — ‘7th Grade Civil Servant’ (Director: Shin Tae-ra) — No. 3 2010 — “Cyrano: The Love Manipulators” (Director: Kim Hyun-seok) — No. 8; “A Petty Romance” (Director: Kim Jung-hoon) — No. 12

Conclusion

Korean romantic comedy is a genre that has reflected both a consistent formula and its social and cultural context, from its early experimental phase through the classic era of the 1990s to the variations that emerged in the 2000s and beyond. Through themes such as love, marriage, gender roles, class, and images of urban life, this genre reveals the desires and anxieties of its contemporary audience, evolving to reflect the unique characteristics of each era even within its recurring narratives. Moving forward, romantic comedies will continue to depict the clash between women’s desires and social norms in new ways as times change.

Major Romantic Comedies by Year (1990–2010)

1990: “My Love, My Bride” — Director: Lee Myung-se, Box Office Rank: 2.
1991: No films released.
1992: “Marriage Story” — Director: Kim Eui-seok, Box Office Rank: 1; “Mr. Mama” — Director: Kang Woo-suk, Box Office Rank: 2; “The Woman Downstairs and the Man Upstairs” — Director: Shin Seung-soo, Box Office Rank: 8.
1993: “That Woman, That Man” — Director: Kim Ui-seok, Box Office Rank: 2; “The Man with Breasts” — Director: Shin Seung-soo, Box Office Rank: 4; “The 101st Proposal” — Director: Oh Seok-geun, Box Office Rank: 6; “The Woman I Want to Love, The Woman I Want to Marry” — Director: Yoo Dong-hoon, Box Office Rank: 7.
1994: “The Man Who Can’t Even Kiss” — Director: Jo Geum-hwan, Box Office Rank: 14; “Coffee, Copy, Cough” — Director: Kim Yu-min, Box Office Rank: 16; “Killing My Wife” — Director: Kang Woo-suk, Box Office Rank: 7 (1994), 2 (1995).
1995: “Dr. Bong” — Director: Lee Kwang-hoon, Box Office Rank: 1; “Who’s Driving Me Crazy?” — Director: Koo Im-seo, Box Office Rank: 10; “My Mom Has a Boyfriend” — Director: Kim Dong-bin, Box Office Rank: 17; “The Man Who Flirts” — Director: Heo Dong-woo, Box Office Rank: 19.
1996: “The Park Bong-gon Runaway Incident” — Director: Kim Tae-kyun, Box Office Rank: 5; “Corset” — Director: Jeong Byeong-gak, Box Office Rank: 9; “7 Reasons Why Beer Is Better Than a Boyfriend” — Directors: Kim Yu-jin and 6 others, Box Office Rank: 13;
‘Ghost Mama’ — Director: Han Ji-seung, Box Office Rank: 15 (1996), 7 (1997).
1997: ‘Mr. Condom’ — Director: Yang Yun-ho, Box Office Rank: 11; ‘Second Chance’ — Director: Lee Kwang-hoon, Box Office Rank: 15; ‘Baby Sale’ — Director: Kim Bon, Box Office Rank: 18; ‘Fate’ — Director: Lee Hwang-rim, Box Office Rank: 17.
1998: ‘Jjim’ — Director: Han Ji-seung, Box Office Rank: 10; ‘The Zoo Next to the Art Museum’ — Director: Lee Jeong-hyang, Box Office Rank: 9.
1999: ‘Jaguimo’ — Director: Lee Gwang-hoon, Box Office Rank: 6.
2000: No films listed.
2001: ‘My Sassy Girl’ — Director: Kwak Jae-yong, Box Office Rank: 2; ‘The Gangster’s Wife’ — Director: Jo Jin-kyu, Box Office Rank: 4; ‘I Wish I Had a Wife’ — Director: Park Heung-sik, Box Office Rank: 16.
2002: ‘The Glory of the Family’ — Director: Jeong Heung-soon, Box Office Rank: 1; ‘Color Is Emptiness’ — Director: Yoon Je-kyun, Box Office Rank: 6 (2002), 16 (2003) ; ‘The Dream Diary’ — Director: Jeong Cho-shin, Box Office Rank: 8; ‘Zero Behavior’ — Director: Jo Geun-sik, Box Office Rank: 13.
2003: ‘Same-Age Tutoring’ — Director: Kim Kyung-hyung, Box Office Rank: 2; ‘Singles’ — Director: Kwon Chil-in, Box Office Rank: 8; ‘First Love Rally’ — Director: Oh Jong-rok, Box Office Rank: 10; ‘Conquering English’ — Director: Kim Seong-su, Box Office Rank: 18.
2004: ‘The Young Bride’ — Director: Kim Ho-jun, Box Office Rank: 9; ‘Let Me Introduce My Girlfriend’ — Director: Kwak Jae-yong, Box Office Rank: 13.
2005: ‘Kwang-sik’s Younger Brother Kwang-tae’ — Director: Kim Hyun-seok, Box Office Rank: 11; ‘A Dancer’s Pure Love’ — Director: Park Young-hoon, Box Office Rank: 13; ‘The Purpose of Love’ — Director: Han Jae-rim, Box Office Rank: 15; ‘The Art of Seduction’ — Director: Oh Ki-hwan, Box Office Rank: 17; ‘Beauty and the Beast’ — Director: Lee Gye-byeok, Box Office Rank: 18; ‘Type B Boyfriend’ — Director: Choi Won-seok, Box Office Rank: 19.
2006: ‘My Sassy Girl’ — Director: Kim Yong-hwa, Box Office Rank: 7 (2006), 3 (2007); ‘Sweet and Deadly Lovers’ — Director: Son Jae-gon, Box Office Rank: 10; ‘Youth Comic’ — Director: Lee Han, Box Office Rank: 15; ‘The Savior’ — Director: Kim Jeong-woo, Box Office Rank: 18; ‘The Gangster’s Wife 3’ — Director: Jo Jin-kyu, Box Office Rank: 13.
2007: ‘Color Is Emptiness Season 2’ — Director: Yoon Tae-yoon, Box Office Rank: 11.
2008: No films.
2009: “Level 7 Civil Servant” — Director: Shin Tae-ra, Box Office Rank: 3.
2010: “Cyrano: The Love Manipulators” — Director: Kim Hyun-seok, Box Office Rank: 8; “A Petty Romance” — Director: Kim Jung-hoon, Box Office Rank: 12.

Narrative Models: Type A, Type B, Type C

Type A Model (Couple – Conflict – Breakup – (Re)union)

The archetypal Type A model centers on a married (or soon-to-be-married) couple and follows a structure that progresses from a sweet beginning, through escalating conflict, to a breakup and eventual reunion.
(1) The protagonists get married.
(2) The protagonists enjoy a sweet honeymoon period.
(3) Conflict begins to arise between the two.
(4) The conflict continues to escalate.
(5) The two separate.
(6) While apart, they feel the void left by the other.
(7) The couple reunites.
(8) They get back together.
(9) Epilogue
Examples of representative works of the Type A model: ‘Marriage Story’, ‘The Man Who Can’t Even Kiss’, ‘The Woman Downstairs and the Man Upstairs’, ‘Killing My Wife’, ‘Mr. Condom’, etc.

Type B Model (Meeting – Conflict – Union) and Type C Model (Meeting – Conflict · Union · Recurring Conflict)

The Type B model is a classic pattern that progresses from an initial meeting and conflict to the gradual development of affection, the resolution of obstacles, and union.
(1) The male and female protagonists meet for the first time or begin a personal relationship following a specific event.
(2) The two protagonists, who have different personalities, frequently argue or harbor negative feelings toward each other.
(3) As they spend more time together, they grow fond of each other and fall in love.
(4) However, unable to express their feelings, they gradually drift apart.
(5) The obstacles (misunderstandings/rivals) between the protagonists are resolved.
(6) The two reunite and confess their love.
(7) Epilogue/Happy Ending
Examples of Type B: “Mr. Mama,” “Ghost Mama,” “Second Chance,” “The Zoo Next to the Art Museum,” “Chim,” etc.
Type C features a multi-layered structure consisting of meeting, initial conflict, union, secondary conflict, separation, and reunion.
(1) The first meeting between the male and female protagonists.
(2) The two frequently clash over trivial matters and argue.
(3) Due to a special turning point, the two become close.
(4) The two protagonists fall in love and begin dating.
(5) During their relationship, the two face another obstacle.
(6) After frequent arguments, the protagonists break up.
(7) The two miss each other.
(8) The two reunite by chance.
(9) Resolution of the conflict and a happy ending.
Examples of the Type C model: “That Woman, That Man,” “Singles,” “A Dancer’s Pure Love,” “Type B Boyfriend,” etc.

Characters and Gender Portrayal

Female characters in the Type A model of the 1990s were primarily portrayed as working women who placed a high priority on their careers and self-care and were independent.
At the time, women were also depicted as strong even in scenes involving physical force; scenes where they fought back even when a man attacked first were common. This reflects a societal shift in which the female archetype in romantic comedies became more proactive and self-determined than before.
Furthermore, female characters from the “classic” phase displayed frank and proactive attitudes toward sex. Scenes where women expressed sexual desire just as men did, along with candid conversations about sex, were depicted in ways that actually heightened interest.
Thus, classic female characters were characterized by proactive and strong personalities, financial independence, sexual openness, and sophisticated appearances. These traits are clearly evident in representative works.
In works depicting newlyweds, while male characters are shown sharing household chores, their inner mindset often remained traditional, failing to fully shake off patriarchal biases.
Such male characters realistically reflect the psychology of men at the time. Although the practical sharing of responsibilities had begun as dual-income households became more common, it is frequently revealed that male expectations—hoping for a wife to fulfill her traditional role—still persisted.
Supporting characters—whether as romantic interests close to the protagonists or as couples who influence their emotions—are portrayed as attractive figures with good looks and financial stability. This contrasts with the ordinary protagonists, creating a competitive dynamic that adds dramatic tension.
‘My Sassy Girl’ is noted as a case that sparked a revival of the genre. Unlike the “Type A” reunion tropes of the 1990s, works from the self-conscious formalism phase featured protagonists of various age groups and experimented with different narrative approaches.
In the self-conscious formalism phase, male characters tend to model themselves after Kyun-woo from ‘My Sassy Girl’. Kyun-woo is a timid and devoted type, a character with the包容力 to adapt everything to his partner’s needs.
As for female characters, figures like “her”—who appear innocent but behave unpredictably—have had a significant influence. Her bold and “sassy” attitude is portrayed in a way that overwhelms or dominates the male protagonist.

Changes in Endings and Genre Prospects

One of the core identities of the romantic comedy is the expectation that it guarantees a happy ending. In the classical stage, this formula was followed almost without exception.
However, upon entering the stage of self-conscious formalism, even happy endings are increasingly replaced by question marks. Works began to emerge that presented endings where the conflict was not fully resolved due to external factors, such as the protagonist’s death or physical disability.
Examples of works where conflict lingers due to external factors include ‘First Love Defense Rally’, ‘Let Me Introduce My Girlfriend’, ‘A Dancer’s Pure Love’, and ‘Youth Comic’.
On the other hand, there are also works where love fails to materialize due to the protagonists’ choices or misunderstandings, without any specific external factors. ‘Singles’, ‘Kwang-sik’s Younger Brother Kwang-tae’, ‘The Art of Seduction’, and ‘Sweet and Deadly Lovers’ are examples of this.
Since a film’s ending shapes both the work’s worldview and the audience’s final impression, changes in romantic comedy endings offer insight into the genre’s evolutionary direction. There is a growing need to first challenge the fantasies and stereotypes surrounding happy endings in order to better understand the genre moving forward.
One of the notable changes since the 2000s has been the lowering of the protagonists’ age range. Unlike the early 1990s, which featured many stories about newlyweds, the 2000s saw an increase in works targeting audiences in their teens through early 30s.
This shift in age range, coupled with the trend of delaying marriage, has led to a decline in “Type A” relationships—particularly remarriages. Furthermore, the intensity of bedroom scenes—which were common in 1990s romantic comedies—has gradually diminished, with a tendency for them to be replaced by kissing scenes.
Ultimately, it can be argued that as the genre sought to broaden its audience, the narrative tone, level of sexual expression, and the age of the protagonists all underwent transformation. ‘My Sassy Girl’ is a representative work that catalyzed these changes and had a significant influence on subsequent male and female character archetypes.
To understand romantic comedies in the future, it will be necessary to reexamine the traditional fantasy of a happy ending and adopt a perspective that embraces diverse ending formats and thematic variations.