Women’s Korean Wave vol.21 Definitely Neighbors (이웃집 웬수)
written by Yeong-ae Yamashita
Definitely Neighbors is a Korean drama series which sheds light on a divorced couple facing various events and going through complicated feelings with a light touch. SBS aired it on weekends in 2010. The number of episodes is 65.

Korean dramas in general relate divorce with “adultery” or “revenge” but you will never see either of them in this drama. Rather, it characteristically focuses on the reality of the surroundings of those who experienced divorce.

What made dramatist Choi Hyeonkyeong write this? She says, “those who got divorced don’t want to talk about their divorce very much. So they are not able to overcome their pains. Not only that, but also divorce hurts children the most. If it’s so, dealing with this topic straightforwardly would heal their pain. Through this drama, I would like to present how an ideal divorced couple would be.”

Korean society had seen a rapid increase in divorce rate since the year 2000. The highest divorce rate was recorded in 2003 but the rate still ranks at first or second among the OECD countries. To suppress the divorce rate, the Korean government introduced a legal system that made divorce procedures more complicated in 2006.

Aired under such social circumstances, actors in the drama obtained some conspicuous awards. Its audience rate was always more than 20 %. It has already broadcast in Taiwan and in Japan. DVD will be released soon.

Original Article on the WAN website (October 5, 2011)

Translated and adapted by Atsuko Ishikawa