Office Dramas Resonate: 'Typhoon Corp' and 'Manager Kim' Capture Korean Viewers with Workplace Realism

The Korean drama landscape is once again turning its gaze towards the office, bringing the everyday struggles and triumphs of the workplace to the small screen. Awkward office dinners, sighs over Excel spreadsheets, and the daily grind fueled by the word 'performance' are vividly depicted in recent hit dramas like tvN's ‘Typhoon Corp’ and JTBC's ‘A Tale of Manager Kim, Working for a Big Company’.

These two series, while set in different eras, offer profound explorations of the working individual. ‘Typhoon Corp’ transforms the despair of the IMF crisis era into a story of hope, while ‘A Tale of Manager Kim’ realistically portrays contemporary corporate culture, each delving into the lives of people defined by their work.

‘Typhoon Corp’ tells the story of individuals rebuilding a company amidst the national crisis of the IMF financial crisis. Kang Tae-poong (played by Lee Joon-ho), once a member of the affluent 'orange tribe' of the 90s, has his life path altered when he inherits his father's struggling trading company. His journey, alongside accountant Oh Mi-sun (Kim Min-ha), to revive the failing business transcends a simple coming-of-age story, becoming a narrative of 'community revitalization'.

The meticulous attention to historical detail significantly enhances emotional immersion. Props like pagers, city phones, telex machines, and cassette tapes perfectly recreate the 1990s, complemented by hairstyles, makeup, and fashion that evoke the distinct scent of that era. This high-quality mise-en-scène is not mere nostalgia-bait; it serves as a device to recreate the survival story of a generation that maintained its laughter despite economic hardship.

‘A Tale of Manager Kim, Working for a Big Company’ captures the 'portrait of an office worker' from a starkly different perspective. Kim Nak-soo (played by Ryu Seung-ryong) appears to be a man of perfect success: 25 years at a major corporation, homeowner in Seoul, father of a prestigious university student, and driver of a luxury car. However, the camera relentlessly focuses on the emptiness behind his glamorous facade. The story reveals the pathetic state of a man labeled a 'kkondae' (꼰대, an older, condescending person) clinging to his position, a father neglected by his family, and an individual who has confined his life within the company's hierarchy.

Kim Nak-soo embodies the familiar face of many superiors we know. His stubbornness in telling his son to ‘just go to the army,’ his hypocrisy in directing a subordinate to yield a promotion, and his jealousy towards a peer’s success are all too real. A scene where he carefully selects a bag, looking for a price point ‘cheaper than his boss, more expensive than his junior,’ symbolizes the complex self-awareness of his generation. Thus, ‘Manager Kim’ becomes a satirical critique of reality disguised as comedy.

Ultimately, the popularity of both dramas stems from their ‘reflection of reality.’ Experiences that many can relate to are seamlessly woven into the narratives. Despite their different settings, both dramas foster intergenerational empathy through the common thread of 'ordinary people's survival stories,' where the workplace becomes the stage of life.

Culture critic Jung Duk-hyun commented, 'Viewers have long felt a strong resonance with content that mirrors aspects of reality.' He added, 'In an era where success is not easy, audiences seek comfort in stories that represent their own joys and sorrows. Accurately pinpointing the public's desire for 'relatable content' is the key to the success of these two shows.'

Netizens are expressing deep empathy, with comments like 'This is my story' and 'I remember that era,' sharing their own experiences. Reactions such as 'The realistic depiction is impressive' and 'It's bittersweet but funny' are also prevalent.