Abstract

South Korean dramas or K-dramas have been top-rated worldwide. The dubbed or subtitled shows’ success is due to their sometimes outrageous yet wholesome storylines. They tackle family, love, relationship, and career themes. However, religious themes wherein immortal and reincarnated characters recur are noticeable in some of these K-dramas. The main characters have lived for 100+ years or so, and they have been waiting for their lovers to be reborn in their many lifetimes. These character and storyline themes reflect South Korean religious believers’ and practitioners’ understanding of reincarnation and immortality. South Korea, after all, is the dwelling place of various world religions such as Christianity, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Shamanism (and atheism and irreligion). This chapter aims to shed light on the philosophical-religious motivations of these shows by investigating select K-dramas storylines and characters, their cultural nuances, and the underpinnings of these themes. Although K-dramas are fictional, their themes reflect how traditional religious questions may be understood as they expound on the existence and nature of the divine, the cycle of reincarnation, and the nature of the afterlife.