Workplace culture in dramas

Korean companies have traditionally used ranks such as sawon (staff), daeri (assistant manager), gwajang (manager), chajang (deputy general manager) and bujang (general manager), and these titles come up constantly in dramas. Many firms add executive ranks like isa, sangmu, jeonmu and sajang, though steps and names vary. Some companies now use simpler forms of address.

In Korean workplaces, it is common to address colleagues by surname plus title with the honorific nim, as in Kim gwajangnim, rather than by first name. Calling someone only by name is usually reserved for close friends or juniors and can seem rude at work. These titles in dramas quickly reveal the hierarchy between characters.

Hoesik is a team or department dinner, often with drinks, and it appears often in workplace dramas. A typical scene shows a barbecue dinner followed by a second round, sometimes at a karaoke room. These days, workplaces are trying different formats, such as lunch gatherings or alcohol-free get-togethers, so the custom is changing.

Yageun means staying late after regular hours, and dramas often use it to reflect concerns about long working hours in Korea. Korea has legal limits on weekly working hours, and there is growing emphasis on work-life balance. What you see on screen may differ greatly from reality depending on the company and the industry.

New hires make great protagonists because their struggle to adapt and grow is easy to follow. Large Korean companies traditionally hired graduates in big batches through open recruitment and trained them together, so dramas often show close bonds between same-year colleagues called donggi. Many firms have since shifted to year-round rolling recruitment.

Donggi refers to people who joined a company or school at the same time. In workplace dramas, they are often shown as friends who support each other. Even with different ages, people from the same intake often grow close because they started together. The word is also used for classmates and fellow soldiers in the military.

In the past, many Korean workplaces had an unspoken pressure not to leave before your boss, and dramas often satirized it. Today, more companies respect leaving on time, and many have adopted flexible working arrangements. The scenes you see in dramas do not represent every Korean company, and attitudes continue to shift.

Gyeoljae is the process of getting a document or plan reviewed and approved by superiors, which is what is happening when a character carries papers into the boss's office. Today most companies handle it through electronic approval systems. Having to pass through several layers of approval is often a source of conflict in dramas.

Korean dramas often feature chaebol, large family-run conglomerates passed down through generations. Succession battles and family feuds are mostly exaggerated for drama and should not be read as portraits of specific real companies. The theme does reflect the real social background that large business groups play a big role in Korea's economy.

Many Korean office workers eat lunch with colleagues or their team at nearby restaurants, which is why dramas often show groups heading out together. Lunch breaks at many workplaces start around noon and last about an hour, though timing and length differ by company. More people now eat alone or grab something quick, so the group lunch is less universal.

In dramas, interns work for a set period and are evaluated before possibly being hired full time, and their struggle to win a permanent position often drives the plot. Real internship programs differ by company in length and conditions. Unequal treatment based on employment type is a social issue that dramas frequently explore.

Jeonggyujik means permanent employees hired without a fixed term, while bijeonggyujik covers contract, temporary or dispatched workers. Differences in job security and treatment are an important social issue in Korea, so workplace dramas often use them as a source of conflict. For details of the legal framework, consult official government information.

Many Korean companies use employee ID cards for building security and identification, and wearing them on a lanyard is a common sight in dramas. The cards can also open doors or pay at the company cafeteria. Dramas sometimes treat the badge as a symbol of finally landing a job at a desired company.

In Korean workplaces, polite speech is the default with people you have just met or who hold different ranks. Close colleagues may switch to casual speech, but they usually return to polite forms in meetings or formal settings. In dramas, the moment two characters change how they speak often signals a shift in their relationship.

Gapjil describes someone in a position of power abusing it against a weaker party. The word comes from gap and eul, the two parties in a contract, and workplace dramas often use it for mistreatment by bosses or powerful clients. Korea has also introduced legal provisions aimed at preventing workplace harassment.

Kaltoe is slang for leaving work exactly on time, literally leaving as sharply as a knife. Dramas use it for young employees who head home without worrying about what the boss thinks. Leaving on time should be normal, but the fact that a special word exists shows how common staying late used to be.

A bogoseo is a report summarizing work results or a situation, while a gihoegan is a proposal for a new project or event. Dramas often show characters writing a proposal overnight or presenting it, as a moment that proves their skill. Real Korean companies also tend to rely heavily on written reports.

Dramas sometimes show salary negotiations as dramatic showdowns, but in reality pay is often set by company standards and performance reviews. How much room there is to negotiate varies widely by job type and company size. The scenes should not be taken as the typical process at Korean companies.

Worabal is a Korean shortening of work-life balance, meaning a healthy balance between work and personal life. It is especially valued by younger generations and has become a frequent theme in recent workplace dramas. Many companies have also expanded options such as flexible schedules and encouraging employees to actually use their vacation days.

Office dramas show features of Korean companies such as rank-based titles, team dinners and approval processes, but much is exaggerated for dramatic conflict. Actual workplace culture varies a lot by industry, company size and generation, and it is changing quickly. It is best to treat dramas as one reference point, not a manual.