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Boys Over Flowers: Korean Soap Opera and the Blossoming of a

New Masculinity

Article · September 201

5

DOI: 10.18278/pcr.26.2.1

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2

Popular Culture Review

– Volume 26, Number 2 – Summer 2015

W
hen it premiered on South Korean television in 2009, the Korean
drama (or “K-drama”) Boys Over Flowers became a ratings
sensation, mostly among females between their mid-teens to thirties

(AGB Neilsen Media Research, n.d.). Originally a Japanese manga (comic
book), the Korean television version became the third iteration of the story
of teenage love and romance, following Taiwanese and Japanese television
versions. Boys Over Flowers�VHUYHV�DV�RQH�RI�WKH�PDMRU�VWDUWLQJ�LQÀXHQFHV�RI�
the kkonminam�RU�³ÀRZHU�ER\´�FUD]H��-XQJ���������,Q�LWV�OLWHUDO�WUDQVODWLRQ�kkot
PHDQV�³ÀRZHU�´�ZKLOH�minam means “handsome man.” Merged together, these
WHUPV� FUHDWH� ³ÀRZHU� ER\´� �0DOLDQJND\�� ������� 4XDOLWLHV� RI� WKH� kkonminam
are frequently linked to characters in Japanese manga stories of teenage
schoolgirls and their romantic relationships with their bishonen (“beautiful
ER\´��ER\IULHQGV��-XQJ���������([WHQGLQJ�EH\RQG� MXVW�.RUHD��RQH�FDQ�¿QG�
HYLGHQFH�RI�D�VWURQJ�UHFHSWLRQ�RI�WKH�³ÀRZHU�ER\´�FUD]H�JOREDOO\�YLD�ZHEVLWHV�
such as YouTube, ViiKii, and Dramabean (Jung, 2010).

� 6HW�DW�WKH�¿FWLRQDO�SUHVWLJLRXV�6KLQKZD�+LJK�6FKRRO��D�VRUW�RI�³+DUYDUG´�
of South Korea for the country’s richest and most elite children, Boys Over
Flowers follows the trials and tribulations a clique of boys who “rule the school”
and the young working-class girl named Jan Di who becomes a transforming
force in their lives. The narrative of Boys Over Flowers centers on the themes
of love and friendship as experienced by Jan Di, her best friend, and the group
of four Shinwa male students known as the “F4,” or Flower 4 (Boys Over
Flowers, n.d.). Jung (2010) noted that Boys Over Flowers is a retelling of the
classic fairy tale Cinderella, with the addition of a love triangle and emphasis
on materialism.

� 5HJDUGLQJ�WKH�PHDQLQJ�RI�WKH�SKUDVH�³ER\V�RYHU�ÀRZHUV�´�WKH�RULJLQDO�
Japanese title, Hana Yori Dango, literally translates as “dumplings rather than
>RYHU@�ÀRZHUV´��-XQJ���������D�-DSDQHVH�SURYHUE�LQVSLUHG�E\�IDPLOLHV�JRLQJ�
to festivals that celebrated Hanami��WKH�YLHZLQJ�RI�FKHUU\�EORVVRP�ÀRZHUV��
when they enjoyed eating sweet dumplings more than viewing the blossoming
RI�WKH�FKHUU\�WUHHV��6RVQRVNL���������,Q�D�¿JXUDWLYH�VHQVH��hana yori dango
means that one should enjoy and aspire to attain tangible happiness rather

Colby MiyoseA and Erika EngstromA

Boys Over Flowers:
Korean Soap Opera and the

Blossoming of a New Masculinity

A University of Nevada, Las Vegas

3

Colby Miyose and Erika Engstrom

than aesthetics (Jung, 2010). From this idea, the creator of the manga series
replaced the literal meaning of the word dango from “dumplings” to mean
“boy,” resulting in the adage that women should choose men for their character
rather than for their looks (Jung, 2010).

This study investigates how the popular Korean version of Boys
Over Flowers offers portrayals of both hegemonic and counterhegemonic
PDVFXOLQLW\�� DQG� KRZ� WKLV� SDUWLFXODU� PDVV� PHGLD� WH[W� WUHDWV� DQG� UHGH¿QHV�
culturally held notions of masculinity within the Korean culture (though
still connected through a historically common original culture prior to the
separation into north and south, “Korea” hereafter refers to South Korea).
$�WH[WXDO�DQDO\VLV� LGHQWL¿HV�RYHUDUFKLQJ�WKHPHV�WKDW�DSSHDU� LQ�FKDUDFWHUV¶�
storylines and portrayals, which, taken together, evidences how this K-drama
offers a new version of masculinity that challenges traditional masculinity and
recasts the “ideal guy” for its mostly female audience.

Hegemonic Masculinity in Korean Culture
Garde (2003) suggests that Western hegemonic masculinity
encompasses four dominant norms featuring masculinity: power, opposition
WRZDUG� IHPLQLQLW\�� GRPLQDWLRQ� DQG� REMHFWL¿FDWLRQ� RI� QDWXUH�� DQG� WKH�
avoidance of emotion. Major similarities emerge when comparing hegemonic
masculinities of Western societies to South Korean society, especially
regarding heteronormativity and patriarchal ideology. For example, Moon
(2002) noted that Confucian tradition, militarization, and compressed
industrialization serve as the bases for Korean notions of masculinity. The
patriarchal ideologies of Confucianism can be traced to the Sam-Kang-Oh-
Ryun �WKH�WKUHH�)XQGDPHQWDO�DQG�)LYH�0RUDO�/DZV���ZKLFK�KDV�LQÀXHQFHG�
Korean socio-political society for most of the country’s history (Kim & Hahn,
2006); it maintains a patriarchal base of power for both the state and the
family. Confucian patriarchy later transformed into modern industrialized
patriarchy, which adopted the normative Western dichotomy of gender roles
into its dominant gender ideology, with South Korea’s mandatory military
service (due to the continued confrontation between North and South Korea),
adding another element of Korean hegemonic masculinity, (Moon, 2002).

Moon (2002) further suggested that gender dichotomy in Korea can
be traced to the idea of seonbi (the term for a Confucian scholar seeking
wisdom) masculinity, from the Joseon dynasty of 1392-1910 CE. Seonbi
masculinity dictates that men are not to engage in daily domestic labor, which,
though absolutely necessary for the maintenance of society, is degrading and
should be performed by women (Moon, 2002). Though blatantly sexist, seonbi
masculinity is still regarded as an ideal model of Korean masculinity, because
it represents traditional values such as virtue, faithfulness, and loyalty (Geum,
2000).

4

Counterhegemonic Masculinity:
The Budding of the Kkonminam

� 0HGLD� GHSLFWLRQV� RI� PDVFXOLQLW\� PD\� EH� UHÀHFWLQJ� WKH� WUDQVIRUPLQJ�
gender norms that are occurring throughout various cultures, such as the
introduction of the “new man” (Frederick, 2006). The “new man” persona
forwards a revised masculinity that promotes traits such as being sensitive,
expressive, and domestically savvy (Beyon, 2002). The metrosexual serves
as another version of new masculinity; it refers to the image-conscious man
who spends a considerable amount of time and resources on his appearance
and lifestyle (Pompper, 2010). According to Aldrich (2004), the metrosexual is a
heterosexual who is in touch with his feminine side, though others may consider
him to be gay or bisexual. Merging these perspectives on masculine scripts
together creates the overarching notion of “millennium masculinity,” whose
major features include: (a) the pursuit of good health and appearance; (b) the
absence of being a father; (c) the disassociation from violent behaviors; and
(d) a personality consisting of vulnerability and incompetence (Beyon, 2002).
The “new man” persona thus increasingly depends on matters of style and self-
presentation, diverging from the traditional models of masculinity centered on
reputation and work.

� 7KH�FKDUDFWHULVWLFV�RI�WKH�³ÀRZHU�ER\´�UHÀHFW�VRPHZKDW�WKH�³PLOOHQQLXP�
masculinity” in Western societies. The requisite attributes of a kkonminam are:
(a) girl-like pretty looks, (b) toned and hairless body, (c) a vulnerable heart, and
(d) an inconsiderate and immature personality (Jung, 2010). The emergence of
kkonminam parallels the changing socio-political atmosphere in South Korea
following an economic downturn related to the International Monetary Fund (see
Cho, 2013) and the subsequent loss of women in the Korean workforce due to
OD\RIIV��’HFDGHV�RI�VLJQL¿FDQW�JHQGHU�LQHTXDOLW\�LQ�WKH�ZRUNSODFH��FRPELQHG�ZLWK�
the patriarchal idea that women should be secondary to men, contributed to the
emergence of a softer male image (Maliangkay, 2010). This counter-hegemonic
version of masculinity forwards the image of a more androgynous male, and has
the potential to make the opposite sex (women) look more powerful, bringing
both sexes closer to a level of egalitarianism (Maliangkay, 2010).

The kkonminam image began its popularity in the Korean entertainment
industry in the late 1990s, with television commercials, dramas, and billboard
advertisements featuring pretty boys with smooth skin, silky hair, and a feminine
demeanor (Jung, 2010). This new vision of masculinity soon began to displace
the hegemonic notion of macho, aggressive masculinity, with the Korean
³WRXJK�JX\´�ORRN�VWURQJO\�FRQWHVWHG�E\�WKH�³ÀRZHU�ER\´�WUHQG��-XQJ���������7KH�
kkonminam syndrome has developed not because of males having become
more feminized, but as a consequence of deconstructing the male/female
GLFKRWRP\��.LP���������7KXV��FKDUDFWHULVWLFV�RI�WKH�³ÀRZHU�ER\´�DUH�DEOH�WR�
satisfy both feminine and masculine qualities.

Popular Culture Review

5

Textual Analysis of Boys Over Flowers
The present study used textual analysis to examine the representation
of masculinity and male gender roles in the Korean drama Boys Over Flowers,
DYDLODEOH�LQ�VHULDO�IRUP�RQOLQH�DW�1HWÀL[��KWWS���ZZZ�QHWÀL[�FRP�:L0RY�LH�����
13130?sod =search-autocomplete). An initial viewing of the series allowed
for familiarization with the show’s characters and general plotlines; this was
IROORZHG�E\�D�FORVHU�YLHZLQJ� LQ�ZKLFK�VSHFL¿F�DVSHFWV�RI� WKH�VHULHV�ZHUH�
noted, with attention paid to visuals (physical appearance and costuming,
VHWWLQJV�� DQG� DFWLYLWLHV��� VSHFL¿F� GLDORJXH� �LQWHUDFWLRQV� EHWZHHQ� WKH� PDLQ�
characters, and main characters with peripheral characters), and overarching
storylines. Evaluated here is the composite picture that emerges regarding
the portrayals of the four major male characters within the F4 group, because
they are the most prevalent male characters, and they are the most important
characters that form the male image in the series. The text, in terms of
dialogue, imagery, and scenes, is thus assessed using the aforementioned
frameworks of: (a) hegemonic Korean masculinity (based on Moon, 2002),
(b) millennial masculinity, and (3) the kkonminam�³ÀRZHU�ER\´�FKDUDFWHULVWLFV���

The Girls and Boys of Boys Over Flowers
Jan Di is a teenager who throughout the series works at multiple jobs
to help her working class family to make ends meet. During Episode 1, she
JRHV�WR�GHOLYHU�ODXQGU\�WR�D�6KLQKZD�VWXGHQW��DQG�¿QGV�KLP�VWDQGLQJ�RQ�WKH�
rooftop of a building, battered and bloodied, ready to jump. This student had
been tormented by the F4 for being a lower status than everyone else. As
he attempts to jump, Jan Di reaches out and grabs him, ultimately saving his
life. Her own life is changed dramatically when she is offered a scholarship to
Shinhwa for her actions. Though the relationship between her and F4 starts
out contested, she later becomes close friends with them. A love triangle
develops between herself and two of the F4 members, Jun Pyo and Ji Hoo.

Ga Eul is Jan Di’s best friend who aspires to become an elementary
school teacher. After getting over her relationship with her cheating boyfriend,
she soon falls for an F4 member, Yi Jeong, but the feeling is not reciprocated.
In the concluding scenes of the series, four years have gone by and Yi
Jeong returns to Korea and visits Ga Eul at the elementary school where she
teaches. Though not shown onscreen, their becoming a couple is alluded
to, hinting at a happily ever after for them. Throughout the series, Ga Eul is
shown to be caring, a loyal friend to Jan Di, and a strong believer in notions
RI�URPDQWLF�ORYH��$V�WKH�GUDPD�SURJUHVVHV��VKH�KDV�D�VWURQJ�LQÀXHQFH�RQ�
the “blossoming” of the object of her affection, as Yi Jeong transforms from a
playboy to a more egalitarian man.

Colby Miyose and Erika Engstrom

6

The “Flower Boys”: The F4
The most prominent male character of Boys Over Flowers is the leader
of F4, Jun Pyo, who is the heir to the Shinhwa Group, the most successful
corporation in South Korea. Jun Pyo’s grandfather established the Shinhwa
schools so that Jun Pyo had a safe environment in which to grow up and receive
a high quality education from the world’s leading scholars. Jun Pyo’s physical
attributes combine macho masculinity with kkonminam traits. Oftentimes he
is shown shirtless, with a slim body, six-pack abs, and smooth skin. He wears
clothing that would be considered in the “Beau Brummel” style: dressing
elegantly, and using accessories to showcase that a person may belong to
an upper, more luxurious class (Crawford, 2006). Jun Pyo displays this type
RI�IDVKLRQ�E\�ZHDULQJ�ÀRZHU�SULQW�EXWWRQ�GRZQ�VKLUWV��VFDUYHV��SHDFRDWV��DQG�
tight pants, all in pastel colors. However, counter to his clotheshorse image,
-XQ�3\R�SOD\V�UXJE\��GULYHV�UDFH�FDUV��DQG�SDUWLFLSDWHV�LQ�VZRUG�¿JKWLQJ�DW�
a martial arts studio. Jun Pyo appears to be high maintenance, pretentious,
immature, and stuck-up in the beginning of the series, but as his relationship
with female main character Jan Di progresses, his attitude slowly becomes
more compassionate and caring.

Ji Hoo is another member of the F4; he is grandson to the former
president of South Korea, who became a physician after his term. When he
was four years old, Ji Hoo’s parents were killed in a car accident he himself
instigated when he playfully covered his father’s eyes while his father was
GULYLQJ��3K\VLFDOO\��-L�+RR�VKRZV�VWURQJ�³ÀRZHU�ER\´�FKDUDFWHULVWLFV��KH�KDV�
long, straight, shiny orange-dyed hair, groomed very well; and often wears
vests, sweaters, scarves, and earrings, all in light pastel colors that are nearly
transparent at times. Ji Hoo’s pastimes and hobbies include both masculine
and feminine-typed activities. For example, when he hangs out with his F4
friends, he tends to do what they do, and has a masculine-like competitive
mentality while he partakes in those activities. However, when Ji Hoo hangs
out with Jan Di, he is oftentimes seen nurturing her, displaying a somewhat
feminine-typed persona, such as cooking an elaborate breakfast to cheer
KHU�XS��$W�¿UVW��-L�+RR�VKRZV�FRPSDVVLRQ�EHFDXVH�KH�SLWLHG�-DQ�’L��EXW�KH�
later falls in love with her, creating the love triangle between him, Jan Di, and
Jun Pyo. Ji Hoo’s personality is portrayed as being sincere and empathetic,
TXDOLWLHV� WKDW�¿UVW�DWWUDFWHG�-DQ�’L� WR�KLP��EXW� WKHLU� UHODWLRQVKLS�XOWLPDWHO\�
results in a close friendship instead of a romance.

Known as the “Casanova” of F4, Yi Jeong is skilled in all areas of the
¿QH�DUWV��HVSHFLDOO\�SRWWHU\��DQG�XVHV�WKHVH�VNLOOV�DV�D�WDFWLF�IRU�SLFNLQJ�XS�
(or “hooking up” with) beautiful girls. His family owns the most prestigious art
museum in South Korea. In terms of physical appearance, Yi Jeong wears
very dark colors and a lot of tight clothing. His hair is well groomed and
straightened quite frequently. He often wears scarves and ascots, along with

Popular Culture Review

7

ODYLVK�ORRNLQJ�EXWWRQ�GRZQ�YHVWV��+LV�ERG\�¿JXUH�LV�VKRZQ�WR�EH�IHPLQLQHO\�
slim-like, but muscular at the same time, conveying a sense that men are
WR�EH�¿W��EXW�VWLOO�KDYH�PXVFOHV�WR�EH�FRQVLGHUHG�PDVFXOLQH��

Woo Bin is also a playboy, but instead of being a smooth talker, he
is known as the “macho man.” Woo Bin’s family runs a very successful
construction company, which also has ties to gang-related activities. In terms
of physical appearance, Woo Bin is shown to be the most overtly masculine
member of F4, usually wearing dark colors and button-down shirts that reveal
parts of his chest. He is often seen hanging out with Yi Jeong more than any
of the other F4 members, and the pair regular play sports such as soccer or
hockey, or attempting to pick up women at dance clubs. His role in the series
is more limited than the other male characters. In terms of personality and
behavior, Woo Bin appears tough and fearless. As described by Jan Di in the
concluding episode, Woo Bin is the “backbone” of F4 who uses his physical
strength to protect all of its members, as well as Jan Di.

The Blossoming of the “New Korean Man”
Character depictions and development as well as story arcs in Boys
Over Flowers combine to suggest to viewers that the main male characters in
the F4 transform from displaying characteristics associated with hegemonic
Korean masculinity to exuding a more counterhegemonic masculinity that
UHÀHFWV� DVSHFWV� RI� WKH� QHZ� PLOOHQQLDO� PDQ� DQG� WKH� ³ÀRZHU� ER\´� SHUVRQD�
depicted in the kkonminam subgenre of the Korean soap opera. Results of
this textual analysis of the major storylines of the male characters who get the
most airtime and narrative emphasis point to three themes that characterize
the “new man” in Boys Over Flowers: (a) men as egalitarian, (b) men as
expressive best friends to women, and (c) men as protectors of women. With
the exception of F4 member Woo Bin, each theme corresponds with a male
character’s transformation over the course of the series. In a sense, the F4
JURZ�IURP�ER\V�ZKR�UHÀHFWHG�DVSHFWV�RI�KHJHPRQLF�PDVFXOLQLW\�LQWR�PHQ�
ZKR�UHÀHFW�D�QHZ�YHUVLRQ�RI�WKH�GHVLUHG�DQG�GHVLUDEOH�³.RUHDQ�PDQ�´

The New Korean Man as Egalitarian
The transformation of a traditional version of Korean hegemonic
masculinity to a more egalitarian-like male was found in Yi Jeong’s storyline,

Colby Miyose and Erika Engstrom

8

through his progressively growing relationship with Ga Eul. A dismissive
attitude toward women that marks the traditional masculinity of Korean culture
is illustrated by the F4 in Episode 1, when three of its members, Jun Pyo, Woo
Bin, and Yi Jeong, are watching Jan Di getting harassed by other students on
a television. While they are watching this, Woo Bin and Yi Jeong make a bet
with each other to see how long she could endure the poor treatment. If Woo
Bin wins, then Yi Jeong has to give one of his handcrafted bowls to a girl that
Woo Bin had been trying to “hook-up” with. If Yi Jeong wins, Woo Bin needs
to give him the numbers of girls that he names the “super” girls. This scene
shows Yi Jeong’s initial feelings about women as being mere prizes.

Another example of Yi Jeong’s patriarchal and dismissive attitude
toward women occurs in Episode 4. While talking with Ga Eul at his house, Yi
Jeong tells Ga Eul that it would be best that Jan Di breaks-up with Jun Pyo,
because their relationship is impossible. Ga Eul then leaves Yi Jeong’s house
angrily. Woo Bin then arrives at Yi Jeong’s house and sees Ga Eul angry and
asks Yi Jeong if she was mad because Yi Jeong tried to “hit” on her. Yi Jeong
smiles and says, “She is not my genre. I really don’t like tacky things” (referring
to Ga Eul). This scene shows Yi Jeong’s tendency to typify girls as objects of
sexual desire who exist to please men.

As the series continues, however, Yi Jeong’s view of women slowly
shifts. After seeing his divorced, professor dad kissing yet another beautiful,
younger girl student, he drives off ferociously. While driving around the city, Yi
Jeong sees Ga Eul sitting on stairs on the sidewalk in tears, sobbing over the
fact that her boyfriend cheated on her. Yi Jeong pulls over, picks her up, and
brings her back to his house. He grabs one of his hand-crafted cups and drops
it, but it doesn’t break. He tells her, “To become strong this is what you have
to go through, just like what you went through today” (Episode 9). This scene
shows that Yi Jeong is starting to see women as more than objects, and, indeed,
VKRZV�KLV�FDSDFLW\�IRU�HPSDWK\�DQG�QXUWXUDQFH��,Q�(SLVRGH�����D�ÀDVKEDFN�
PHPRU\�UHYHDOV�

The denouement of Yi Jeong’s journey toward the new man persona
occurs in Episode 23, when Ga Eul goes to visit Yi Jeong at his house. Yi
Jeong is stepping on clay, when he apologizes to her for his actions when they
went to meet his father. Then he asks Ga Eul if she wants to try and step on
the clay with him, and she does. This simple image encapsulates Yi Jeong’s
main storyline: he no longer believes in women as objects, but as equals to
men as they step on the clay together, symbolizing his new egalitarian beliefs.

Popular Culture Review

9

Men as Best Friends to Women
Another part of Korean hegemonic masculinity is a strong belief
in traditional Confucian teachings regarding gender inequality and the
inappropriateness of male-female friendships. This idea is debunked through
Ji Hoo’s narrative, as he becomes transformed from a person who holds strong
friendships with his fellow male members of F4 exclusively to a person who
has a close friendship with a female. His platonic friendship with Jan Di shows
that men can have close relationships with women. In Episode 1, when Jan Di
is the victim of a mean prank by a group of students and covered in eggs and
ÀRXU��VKH�UXQV�WR�D�VWDLUZD\�WR�VFUHDP�DQG�FU\��$V�VKH�VFUHDPV�DW�WKH�WRS�RI�
her lungs, Ji Hoo comes out and tells her that she needs to be quiet because
she woke him up from his nap. Noticing Jan Di is in distress, he wipes off the
mess with his handkerchief. This scene introduces the viewer to Ji Hoo’s calm
and passionate personality. In Episode 2, as Jan Di comes out of Shinhwa
High School’s swimming pool, a group of men were about to harm her when
Ji Hoo walks in, telling them to stop. As Jan Di thanks Ji Hoo, he tells her, “I
wasn’t helping you, this kind of stuff just annoys me.” Though he rescues her
from harm, he still does not respect her, but just helps her out of pity.

Ji Hoo and Jan Di’s relationship grows closer as the series progresses.
In Episode 9, Jan Di was avoiding Jun Pyo because she felt uncomfortable that
WKH\�ZHUH�FRPSOHWHO\�GLIIHUHQW�IURP�HDFK�RWKHU�LQ�WHUPV�RI�¿QDQFLDO�VWDWXV�DQG�
LQWHUHVWV��-L�+RR�UXQV�LQWR�-DQ�’L�DIWHU�VKH�KDG�¿QLVKHG�VZLPPLQJ��DQG�DVNHG�
her if he could give her some advice about Jun Pyo. Ji Hoo then tells her not to
avoid him, but to give him a chance: “There is no such thing as Jun Pyo’s world
or Jan Di’s world. Just like you and I are from the same world. If it is a burden,
you can drag him to yours.” Ji Hoo and Jan Di are now at the point that they
are comfortable with each other so that they can offer each other advice, to
the point that Ji Hoo sees them as coming from the “same world,” which shows
how Ji Hoo realizes that a girl can be a best friend. An additional example of Ji
Hoo’s view appears in Episode 13, when he notices that Jan Di was struggling
when she was swimming. After visiting a doctor and learning she will never
be able to swim competitively again, they go back to the pool, where Jan Di
breaks down in tears and says, “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do now.”
Though she is depressed and lost, Ji Hoo embraces her and tells her, “I’ll help
\RX��,¶OO�KHOS�\RX��/HW¶V�¿QG�LW�WRJHWKHU�´�-L�+RR¶V�FORVH�IULHQGVKLS�ZLWK�-DQ�’L�LV�
VROLGL¿HG�LQ�WKH�¿QDO�HSLVRGH��ZKHQ�WKH�VHULHV�IDVW�IRUZDUGV�WR�IRXU�\HDUV�LQWR�
the future. Jan Di and Ji Hoo both go to the same medical school where they
are trying to become doctors. Ji Hoo’s journey to “new manhood” involves
letting go of strong patriarchal Confucian ideals to embracing the notion that
men can be best friends with women and vice-versa.

Colby Miyose and Erika Engstrom

10

Violence Repurposed
A third component of Korean hegemonic masculinity is overt militarization.
Moon (2002) asserted that through the mandatory two-year service in the
South Korean military for men, Korean men are exposed to and are socialized
to be overtly violent. This notion of violence as a form of masculinity becomes
redirected in Boys Over Flowers in terms of the reasons for using violence
rather than its requirement as an inherent aspect of masculinity. Here, this
aspect of masculinity is reformed from men using violence to get what they
want and to show off their might to using violence to protect women’s rights.
Rather than part of the masculine identity within a patriarchy that maintains
gender inequality and the lower status of women, violence as used by the new
Korean man becomes symbolic of the need for men to help women, and—
taken to its logical conclusion—become participants in the transformation of a
traditionally male-dominated society to one that promotes egalitarianism.

This transformation is seen through the narrative of F4 member Jun
Pyo. Since Jun Pyo is the main male character throughout the whole series,
WKLV�PD\�EH�WKH�PRVW�SHUWLQHQW�RI�DOO�PDMRU�WKHPHV�REVHUYHG��7KH�¿UVW�IRUP�RI�
YLROHQFH�WKDW�WKH�YLHZHUV�DUH�LQWURGXFHG�WR�LV�WKH�YHU\�¿UVW�VFHQH�LQ�(SLVRGH����
Jun Pyo is the aggressor who has been chasing and bullying the male student
ZKRP�-DQ�’L�HYHQWXDOO\�UHVFXHV�IURP�MXPSLQJ�RII�RI�D�EXLOGLQJ��7KH�¿UVW�LQFLGHQW�
of aggression and violence that Jun Pyo exerts on Jan Di herself is in the last
scenes of Episode 1. As Jan Di and her new friend are hanging out and eating
ice cream outside, the F4 walk by and Jan Di’s friend accidentally spills her ice
cream on Jun Pyo’s shoe. Even though she apologizes, Jun Pyo tells her to
lick the ice cream off of his shoes. Jan Di then stands up for her friend, but Jun
Pyo just tells her that if she really was her friend then she should lick off the ice
cream for her. Instead, Jan Di grabs her ice cream and shoves it in Jun Pyo’s
face. Ironically, the rivalry between the aggressive bully Jun Pyo and strong-
willed Jan Di—who refuses to accept poor treatment from Jun Pyo—results in
Jun Pyo’s less violent yet continued and immature ill-treatment of her. As the
series progresses, their relationship turns from a rivalry to a romance.

Jun Pyo himself reforms from a man who uses violence to display his
power to a man who uses violence to protect Jan Di. For example, Jan Di and
Jun Pyo go ice skating on a double date with Ga Eul and her older boyfriend.
Ga Eul’s boyfriend and Jun Pyo go to get coffee, when Ga Eul’s boyfriend
gets a phone call. He then tells Jun Pyo that he was going to the club later
that night, and that they should go to the club together to get “better” girls.
Ga Eul’s boyfriend then indirectly insults Jan Di by telling Jun Pyo that he
could do better than her. Jun Pyo then beats him up. Though Jun Pyo still
uses violence, he uses it to essentially teach the cheating boyfriend—and,
by default, the viewer—a lesson about the consequences of treating women
badly.

Popular Culture Review

11

� ,Q�(SLVRGH�����-XQ�3\R¶V�HYROXWLRQ�IURP�VHO¿VK�EXOO\�WR�VHOÀHVV�UHVFXHU�
becomes complete. A gang of men kidnapped Jan Di, and it is Jun Pyo who
goes to the abandoned warehouse where Jan Di is being held. The kidnappers
ambush him, and tell him that the only way that he will walk out of the warehouse
alive is if he says that he would give up on Jan Di and his relationship with
her. Jun Pyo refuses. Then one of the men grabs a chair and as he is about
to break it over Jun Pyo, Jan Di jumps over him and the chair breaks over her
instead. Jun Pyo does not attempt to save Jan Di for his own self interests,
but takes physical abuse from the men so that Jan Di doesn’t have to. Though
Jun Pyo and Jan Di both end up getting brutally hurt, and the chair ultimately
breaks on Jan Di’s back, it was Jun Pyo’s initial decision to risk his life and use
violence to save another.

Conclusion: Boys Over Flowers and
the Making of the “New Man”

This paper examined hegemonic masculinity and counterhegemonic
masculinity as depicted in the K-drama Boys Over Flowers. The transformation
VWRULHV�RI�WKUHH�RI�LWV�PDLQ�PDOH�FKDUDFWHUV�SURYLGH�D�FRPSRVLWH�RI�WKH�³ÀRZHU�
boy” version of the new man, a persona achieved by these males’ interactions
with the two principal female characters. The self-centered F4 members evolve
into young men who come to view women as equals rather than objects,
suggesting that men have the capacity to be more egalitarian within a culture
that has experienced compressed industrialization; learn how to be trustworthy
and expressive best friends with females, debunking the hegemonic ideal that
men are to be dominant, while women are to be submissive; and use violence
not to exert status but to protect others.

Although Boys Over Flowers provides evidence that the “new man”
image may be taking hold in Korean mass media, especially texts that target
a younger audience, the issue of violence remains part of a man’s identity.
Though Jun Pyo uses violence to protect others, he still uses violence rather
than other means. Additionally, the character of Woo Bin poses a complication
to the image of the totally new man, in that although his presence remains
constant as a member of the F4, the series doesn’t give this character much
screen time and he doesn’t even make an appearance in some episodes.
However, his role as the group’s “muscle” can be read as keeping this element
RI�PDVFXOLQLW\�DV�SDUW�RI�WKH�³ÀRZHU�ER\´�LPDJH��KH�ORRNV�JRRG��FDUHV�DERXW�KLV�
appearance, can be “just friends” with girls, but can still pack a punch.

� 7KH�¿QGLQJV�IURP�WKLV�WH[WXDO�DQDO\VLV�DUH�VLPLODU�WR�UHFHQW�OLWHUDWXUH�RQ�
the transformation of masculinity as portrayed in Western media. Examples
include Gillam and Wooden’s (2008) examination of the new man who
demonstrates feminine-typed traits in Disney Pixar movies, and blogger Asher-
Perrin’s (2013) observations regarding the transformation of Dean Winchester

Colby Miyose and Erika Engstrom

12

in the CW’s Supernatural from “macho man” to a more sensitive, vulnerable
and multifaceted character. These portrayals of the progression of masculinity
SURYLGH�D�QHZ�GH¿QLWLRQ�RI�ZKDW�LW�PHDQV�WR�EH�D�³PDQ´�LQ�WKH���VW�FHQWXU\��DW�
least in certain media.

Boys Over Flowers offers a culturally based text that illustrates
WUDQVIRUPDWLRQ�RI�\RXQJ�PHQ�ZKR�LQLWLDOO\�GLVSOD\�DWWLWXGHV�WKDW�UHÀHFW�WKH�³ROG�
way” of performing the male role in Korean society to ones who appear to be able
to develop egalitarian views. Even though a new, more “feminine” masculinity
SUHVHQWV�D�UHGH¿QHG�FKDUDFWHU�W\SH�LQ�WKH�.�GUDPD��DQ�DFFRPSDQ\LQJ�³QHZ�
ZRPDQ´�SHUVRQD�WKDW�VLPLODUO\�UHGH¿QHV�IHPLQLQLW\�ZRXOG�HQKDQFH�WKH�SRWHQWLDO�
for this media form to offer viewers a picture of what gender equity might look
like. This in itself indicates the need for future inquiry into the pervasiveness of
JHQGHU�GLIIHUHQFH�DV�UHÀHFWHG�LQ�PDVV�PHGLD�WH[WV�UHJDUGLQJ�ORYH��URPDQFH��
and gender roles across cultures and popular media texts.

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