Who would have guessed that Korean television dramas would become known for unvarnished satire and allegories of the dehumanization of neoliberal capitalism? Part of the story is that global platforms like Netflix have emboldened directors and producers in the country to take on topics that just years earlier would have been thought of as too risqué for the sensibilities of domestic viewers.

Shows such as Extraordinary Attorney Woo, SKY Castle, Squid Game, Queenmaker, Reborn Rich, and Little Women have achieved a meteoric rise on streaming sites. Perhaps the most conspicuous common thread of these series is narratives that revolve around chaebol — large conglomerates with dynastic ownership structures that wield such control over the Korean economy and society that the country is sometimes jokingly called the Republic of Chaebol. Chaebol characters are not new to Korean dramas. For years, the corporate executive was the most common occupation among dramatic leads, often on shows that deployed the “chaebol Cinderella” trope featuring an aloof heir who falls in love with an unlikely working-class girl.

In recent years, however, there has been a shift toward chaebol narratives that hinge on the unscrupulous, cruel, and nepotistic behavior of bosses and politicians, as well as everyday people who use their wit and intellect to seek retribution against an unfair system.