Ep 119: Beef & The Korean American Drama of a Jang-nam’s K-Rage

[Spoiler Alert] Grace discusses the show Beef (Netflix, 2023) created by Lee Sung Jin starring Steve Yeun and Ali Wong. While Beef is a Netflix production made in Hollywood, Grace sees a lot of Korean influence on the show like how Danny tries to kill himself using hibachi grills similar to the way Koreans use charcoal briquettes, having a billionaire character, and the jang-nam (eldest Korean son) pressure that Danny puts on himself to buy his parents a house. What makes the show arguably a Korean American drama are the church scenes and an exploration of K-rage exhibited by characters like Danny, Issac (David Choe) and Edwin (Justin H. Min). Grace analyzes Ali Wong’s former marriage to Justin Hakuta whose great uncle was world-renowned Korean artist Paik Nam-june, and how this backdrop creates Amy Lau’s character. The best thing about Beef is that while it explores the lives of Asian American characters, it doesn’t insist on being an Asian American show. It deals with compelling characters and their human complexities. Follow @KDramaSchool on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. Visit https://www.kdramaschool.com/ to learn more.