We believe Saeroyi challenges this new dichotomy of manliness in past times embodied because of the men protagonists within the Korean dramas and rather is placed from the a modern, progressive type of manliness. Rather than exerting dominance over Yiseo, Saeroyi commonly depends on and you will get assistance away from the girl on his journey to become the Ceo out of their own providers. Yiseo’s strength and you may identity do not fade Saeroyi’s manliness, but alternatively let him stand-up so you’re able to their own values off commitment, trustworthiness, and trust, and therefore all the sign up to his ultimate success. Also, We believe depictions regarding manliness inside Itaewon Class, in comparison to earlier in the day dramas, reflect the fresh new Korean society’s progressive flow for the sex equality on the current an 
is still mainly based upon Saeroyi’s success story, as well as the focus of the male lead’s tale more than compared to his spouse, is testaments for the persisting belief that the business business, and the business in particular, is actually a place kepted mainly for men and you will men’s room stories.
In this post, We draw up on one or two fundamental meanings out-of maleness: basic, one which centers around the male protagonist himself, and you may next, one that centers your in terms of the feminine protagonist. The initial meaning, extensively stipulated by the functions for the sex education, claims you to maleness are a fluid cultural framework thanks to “the newest repetition out-of conventionalized bodily shows for example acting, dressing up, and you can speaking.” Yet ,, existing literary works towards the icon from masculinity for the Korean dramas keeps advertised that there is an effective dichotomy between a couple of overarching kinds: the fresh hypermasculinity out of alpha males in addition to silky masculinity away from kkonminam. Based on Moonlight Seung-Sook, the new principal expression from manliness in South Korea was hegemonic maleness, a variety of patriarchal authoritarian manliness (duty to take care of the household), seonbi maleness (the fresh distancing of males of residential and you can home work), and unlawful masculinity (coming from Southern Korea’s necessary armed forces services for males). As Antony Easthope demonstrates to you, brand new prominent maleness (right here, the fresh hypermasculinity out-of alpha boys), operates while the an intercourse standard up against and that other kinds of manliness (the latest soft maleness off kkonminam) actions by themselves. Into the Korean dramas, the 2 stereotypes was posited because the fighting representations out of maleness one to cannot coexist-that emphasizes new compassionate and you can emotionally sensitive and painful edge of guys, given that most other symbolizes fuel, assertiveness, and you can popularity. The new hypermasculine trope out of “tough and macho” guys slowly ebbed on the 2000s following Rose Guy persona become popular in the Korean amusement business, and this implies that both stereotypes was extremely independent of 1 other consequently they are incapable of coexisting on top of that.
Although not, this new scholarly logo for the rigorous digital icon away from maleness within the Korean dramas contradicts our very first concept of masculinity because the an adaptable, long state. ” Following the popularization of one’s kkonminam image, there clearly was a worry regarding media in which ‘authentic’ Korean maleness was in threat of are ‘effeminized’ because of the the fresh soft manliness. While the a response, Korean dramas started to reintegrate endeavor views and you can launched torsos to possess male guides so you can assuage these suspicions. Of the phasing back specific hypermasculine properties, it is uncertain whether the dichotomy ranging from kkonminam and you may alpha men stays as well-defined as previous books and very early Korean dramas strongly recommend. If flaccid manliness and you can hypermasculinity should be drawn as the face-to-face representations from manliness, can there be a heart floor one to lays ranging from those two extremes? Or perhaps is here some other particular maleness that has never registered the newest scholarly conversation? On top of that, once the most from current books is inspired by the first 2010s, there can be a lack of analyses about the fresh new dichotomy will get connect with modern releases. This article aims to fill the new gap by the investigating Saeroyi’s maleness for the Itaewon Class in relation to the newest dichotomy away from kkonminam and you may alpha male tropes, as well as how the guy subverts the traditional representations of masculinity for the Korean dramas.