[The Editors' Verdict] The Fairness Questioned by 'The Youngest Son of a Chaebol Family'

Reflecting the Public's Desire for Fairness
in Korea's Fiercely Competitive Society

JTBC drama 'Jaebeoljip Maknae Adeul'
[Photo by JTBC]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] Korean novels are gaining popularity in Japan. Jo Nam-joo's 'Kim Ji-young, Born 1982,' which sold over one million copies domestically, has also achieved an exceptional sales record in Japan, selling as many as 230,000 copies.

Professor Minori Fukushima of Nagoya University in Japan analyzes that Korean novels have helped Japanese readers discover the 'intersection between self and society.' In an article contributed to the latest issue of the National Hangeul Museum's academic journal 'Hangeul and Museums,' Professor Fukushima compares and analyzes the relationship between literature and society in Korea and Japan.

He explains that in Japan, the relationship between literature and society was close until the 1960s and 1970s, but later loosened due to the decline of student movements and the advent of consumer society. Writers and readers gradually became detached from society and retreated inwardly, with themes such as natural disasters, fate, time travel, connections, and the importance of relationships forming key narrative frameworks. In contrast, Korea, having undergone military dictatorship and democratization movements, has consistently addressed socially marginalized groups such as women, teenagers, sexual minorities, and foreign workers in literature. As a result, there is a strong perception that 'literature questions the righteousness of society,' Professor Fukushima analyzes.

The drama 'The Youngest Son of a Chaebol Family,' which ended on the 25th after garnering the greatest attention this year, can be seen as a case demonstrating the validity of Professor Fukushima's analysis. What was the intersection between viewers and society shown by this drama, based on the web novel of the same name?

The protagonist Jin Do-jun donates his inherited wealth in episode 15, renewing the negative image of the Sunyang Group and being appointed as the group's next chairman. He visits the Sunyang History Museum, bows to a photo of the founder Chairman Jin Yang-cheol, and says he has kept his promise to buy Sunyang. Then, he reveals his anguish in a soliloquy, saying he is not sure if he has succeeded in revenge and that he misses his grandfather very much at this moment...

This scene directly reflects the current perception of corporations in our society. Global companies representing Korea today, such as Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor, laid the foundation for Korea to become a developed country as leaders of industrialization. However, as founders step down one by one and third-generation management succeeds second-generation leadership, the public continuously questions the fairness of the succession process. 'The Youngest Son of a Chaebol Family' finds the intersection between viewers and society through this issue of fairness.

The theme posed by the drama is clearly revealed in the opening scene. It asks the protagonist, who holds 600 million dollars in his hands at a young age, whether his acquisition of such a large fortune is due to effort or luck. The drama begins by questioning whether the acquisition of enormous wealth is fair.

In today's fiercely competitive Korean society, fairness has become a key issue of the era. President Yoon Suk-yeol also rose to power by emphasizing fairness. In a public opinion poll conducted by Gallup Korea on the 19th and 20th, when asked about the most important value our society should uphold, fairness received the highest response at 32.4%.

The popularity of 'The Youngest Son of a Chaebol Family' can ultimately be seen as the public's question about fairness in today's Korean society. Or it should be viewed as a reflection of the public's desire for fairness. It is time to consider how to prevent our society from becoming a place perceived as unfair and a target of someone's revenge, as depicted in the drama.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.