Viewers Criticize K-drama Thirty-Nine for Romanticizing Cheating

Ongoing Netflix and JTBC drama Thirty-Nine is being scrutinized for its depiction of Chan-young (Jeon Mi-do) and Jin-seok’s (Lee Mu-saeng) relationship—which many label as an extramarital affair.

The melodrama focuses on the decades-old friendship of three women on the verge of turning 40 and the many real surprises that await them—famous actresses Jeon Mi-do, Son Ye-jin, and Kim Ji-hyun in the lead.

One of the protagonists is Chan-young, an acting coach who couldn’t complete her dream of becoming an actor.

The relatively calm, cautious, and loving Chan-young was Jin-seok’s girlfriend once upon a time. Jin-seok flew abroad to study and Chan-young, unable to follow him, broke up with him.

However, Jin-seok’s “carelessness” led him to marry Kang Sun-joo, supposedly impregnated. Six years later, Jin-seok and Chan-young continue to meet, go out for movies, and support each other through ups and downs.

While the duo never crossed physical boundaries and only remained emotionally available to each other, the “cheating” arc added to the drama left many viewers frustrated.

Both South Korean and international fans criticized the move, saying they were invested in the story of friends, not someone cheating with a married man.

https://twitter.com/RoseTintedNG/status/1494364875077738502

Viewers believe the show romanticizes extramarital affairs. By definition, extramarital affairs are those which include sexual relationships.

Fans took to social media to voice their discontent, some even stating that they’ve stopped watching the show because of it.

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SPOILERS AHEAD! This page contains spoilers from Thirty-Nine.

Episode 4 of Thirty-Nine turned the tables for many. The episode revealed that Ju-won, the kid, was actually not Jin-seok’s biological son.

He knew the secret for a few years but kept quiet because he believed Ju-won would need his mother. Sun-joo lied to Jin-seok to force him to marry her.

Though viewers still condoned the cheating aspect, they found some reasonable ground for the character to do so and empathized with him. It was already established that Sun-joo, the wife, never had feelings for him either.

Whether Thirty-Nine romanticizes cheating or reflects real stories of society is subjective. However, one thing is definite—the K-drama is gaining a lot more praise than criticism because of the portrayal of female adult friendship.

Thirty-Nine airs every Wednesday and Thursday on JTBC at 10:30 PM KST and is later available for streaming on Netflix.

About Thirty-Nine

Thirty-Nine is a South Korean drama written by Yoo Yeong-ah (Encounter) and directed by Kim Sang-ho. The main star cast includes Jeon Mi-do (Hospital Playlist), Son Ye-jin (Crash Landing on You) and Kim Ji-hyun (The Smile Has Left Your Eyes). 

The show revolves around the personal and professional lives of three friends who are on the verge of welcoming their 40th birthday. Being together for two decades, the series draws parallels between how the young friendship transformed into an adult friendship, taking viewers through their journey. 

News Source: Twitter/Netflix

Epic Dope Staff

Epic Dope Staff

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