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SELF-ACCEPTANCE STUDY IN THE KOREAN DRAMA SERIES OUR BELOVED SUMMER (INTRINSIC ANALYSIS OF THE MAIN
CHARACTER’S CHARACTER)
Qeisthiani Yurizka1*, Marudut Bernardtua Simanjuntak2, Jumalintong Sihombing3.
1Vocational School IPB University, Bogor, West Java, Indonesia
2State University of Jakarta, East Jakarta, Jakarta, Indonesia.
3Bethesda College, Bekasi Regency, West Java, Indonesia.
*Email: [email protected]
Abstract
Self-acceptance can make you feel happier and not worry about going through everyday life because you can adapt to the environment so that the potential that exists in a person can be seen and developed. The media used to assist and motivate the process of self-acceptance also vary, one of which is through entertainment shows such as films and drama series. This study aims to analyze and discuss the moral message about self-acceptance in the main character of the Korean drama series Our Beloved Summer. The research process is carried out using a qualitative descriptive method with an intrinsic approach which aims to determine the characteristics of the main character and is presented in the form of a broad description. The selection of the Korean drama series is based on the many life lessons learned from the drama series which are interesting to study because they are related to self-acceptance and development.
Keywords: self-acceptance, self-development, Korean drama
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INTRODUCTIONLiterature is a branch of art created based on creative ideas, feelings, and thoughts related to cultural elements and expressed through language (Sukirman, 2021). Literature was created based on the concept of noble human values so that it is expected to be able to reveal things that are implied or explicit because of the actualization of the system of cultural conventions whose results can be enjoyed by humans. The various literary works that we currently enjoy are part of the media as well as a means of making literary works to express and convey their emotions, feelings, and even opinions so that they are not just mere imaginations but also share personal experiences and reflections of people's lives.
Of the many types of literary works, drama is one of them. Drama can be said to be a literary work because it uses imaginative language media and is the embodiment of the author's ideas and essays in the form of a drama script as its delivery (Khaerudin, et al., 2019). The presence of dialogue and conversation between characters in drama makes drama script writing a little different from other literary works, this is because drama can reflect how the characters and characters interact through dialogues that have been made by the author and displayed in a stage or performance. by actors and actresses.
Currently, Korean drama has become one of the most popular forms of culture and literature in the world community (Sahida, 2016). Korean drama is a form of entertainment media in which the language of
delivery is presented using the Korean language, generally in the form of a short series adapted from life stories, historical facts, and Korean culture, as well as comedy. Not only as an entertainment medium, but Korean dramas also usually convey a variety of information and life lessons, either explicitly or implicitly in the scenes it displays that can give the audience new knowledge.
Korean dramas are the same as dramas from other countries in general. However, the high industrial development in Korea, massive globalization, and the quality of the appearance of actors and actresses who play Korean dramas which have no doubt made this Korean drama loved by almost all people in Asia and the world. The presentation of stories that raise Korean culture with different backgrounds, the plot is not long-winded, close to everyday life, and has a variety of genres add to the plus points of this entertainment media. Of course, this cannot be separated from the involvement of artists who can create and develop characterizations of characters very well through their imagination, ideas, and creativity.
Our Beloved Summer is a Korean drama series that premiered on December 6, 2021, on SBS TV and is also available on the online streaming platform Netflix. This drama is a romantic comedy genre directed by Kim Yoon-jin and Lee Na-Eun as scriptwriters and played by Kim Da-mi, Choi Woo-Shik, Roh Jeong-Eui, and Kim Sung-Cheol. Our Beloved Summer tells the story of Choi Ung played by
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Choi Woo-Shik and Kook Yeon-Su played by Kim Da-mi, wherein the drama they are a pair of ex-lovers who meet again after having a relationship that ended badly.This drama is not just a romance drama that tells about the love story of the two main characters which is like a rollercoaster, but the audience seems to be invited into the drama because there are so many lessons that can be taken from their very adorable story and make the audience feel related to the story which is wrapped very nicely. with a flow that is light and easy to understand. With good ratings and high popularity, this drama managed to rank at the top of the TOP 10 Show in Korea Netflix drama list 2021-2022 and became a hot conversation on various social media in early January 2022. Due to its success, several countries in Asia made dramas. This is my favorite Korean drama in early 2022.
Besides the success and popularity of the drama series Our Beloved Summer, many moral messages can be used as life lessons.
The light storyline and the stories that are presented very close to our daily lives make this drama interesting to study more deeply to be able to understand the overall implied and explicit messages contained in it, especially the moral message regarding self-acceptance and emotional management.
In general, self-acceptance can be interpreted as an individual's ability and the embodiment of a positive attitude towards oneself to be able to live life and be able to
accept all forms of characteristics that a person has, both strengths and weaknesses in a person (Uraning S, et al., 2016). Self-acceptance can make you feel happier and not worry about going through everyday life because you can adapt to the environment so that the potential that exists in a person can be seen and developed.
There are various forms of self- acceptance, starting from the emergence of honest, sincere, and real feelings when assessing oneself to gain self-understanding, having an attitude and response that does not reject when you have weaknesses and shortcomings, having a sense of self-love, understanding that there is no need be a perfect person to be valuable, and have the desire and sense of being able to improve oneself positively (Fakhriyani, 2019).
METHODS
The method used by the researcher in analyzing the moral message regarding self- acceptance in the main character of the Korean drama series Our Beloved Summer is by applying a qualitative descriptive method with an intrinsic approach which aims to determine to produce a comprehensive characterization analysis descriptively. Qualitative research is intended to look at certain conditions of an object's description by focusing on a detailed review of conditions in a context where it occurs in a natural setting that describes the actual situation of a phenomenon according to the field of study being studied (Sidiq U, et al.,
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2019). The technique used in data collection and information collection in this research is a literature study, namely by reviewing references from journals on the internet, articles, books, and various other sources related to the formulation of the problem in this study.FINDINGS
In the drama series Our Beloved Summer, which presents the story of a pair of ex-lovers who meet again after being separated for ten years, this romantic comedy genre successfully leaves a good impression on the hearts of the audience with a happy ending.
The story begins when Choi Ung and Kook Yeon Su who have opposite personalities are paired up in a documentary film project during high school. Choi Ung's childish and easy- going character is met with Kook Yeon Su's character who tends to be ambitious and a perfectionist. This makes the process of working on the documentary project that was recorded throughout the summer even more interesting and sometimes adorable, often experiencing various obstacles. From the process of recording the documentary project which took quite a long time, Choi Ung and Kook Yeon Su, who initially hated each other, fell in love. On the last day of recording the project, they decided to date. However, it is unfortunate that their relationship had to end after five for various reasons that were only revealed as the plot of this drama progressed.
The program from the documentary project they recorded when they were still in high school turned out to be viral again ten years later. Fate brought them together again through the director's coercion which indirectly made them have to meet again to make a follow-up project from the documentary. Meeting them today, of course, with conditions and life that are very different from ten years ago. Unexpectedly, it turns out that Choi Ung is an artist who has the stage name Go Oh who is being sought by Kook Yeon Su for a project from the agency office where he works.
Their meeting, which began with a conflict, finally brought them back to a follow- up documentary project, which is now being directed by Choi Ung's best friend, Kim Ji Ung. The negotiation process for the two main actors of the documentary for them to want to shoot the recording again was not easy, but in the end, it was successful due to the situation that required them to undergo the documentary project.
Along with the process of filming the documentary which of course had various obstacles, the story of Choi Ung and Kook Yeon Su began to enter a phase of doubt about their feelings, which did not end ten years ago.
Coupled with the presence of supporting players who are the third person in their relationship, this drama is even more interesting and makes the audience excited.
However, it turns out that as time goes by and they have realized their feelings for each other,
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the way of conveying and the attitude shown to each other is very different. When Kook Yeon Su chooses to try to open his heart and make peace with the past, Choi Ung has a desire to accept the situation and make Kook Yeon Su an ordinary friend.Little by little the revealing of the reasons for the ending of Choi Ung and Kook Yeon Su's relationship as well as the past of the characters as time goes by makes this drama even more interesting. Coupled with the
presentation of the flow back and forth, making the process of revealing their questions interesting and adorable. With excellent character development, the end of the story in this drama is presented with Choi Ung and Kook Yeon Su who finally decide to get back together and get married, then the documentary project is resumed with Choi Ung and Kook Yeon Su no longer as ex-lover couples but husband and wife.
DISCUSS
Based on the story taken from the Korean drama series Our Beloved Summer, several moral messages can be taken as life lessons, especially lessons about self- acceptance.
In this drama it is told that Kook Yeon Su is an ambitious and perfectionist person, it is influenced by the demands in his life which are quite heavy because he has to be the breadwinner of the family who bears the burden of paying off debts that are not his responsibility. All plans that have been neatly arranged by him become a mess because he has to try to pay off these debts. Here it can be seen that Kook Yeon Su's character who has great desires and ambitions but does not materialize makes him take selfish decisions that make him unable to make peace with himself. But over time, Kook Yeon Su's character slowly shows the process of self- acceptance through his actions of
remembering sweet memories and small things that have been considered unimportant.
Besides that, Choi Ung who is too easygoing and looks cowardly because he has no ambition shows an attitude of self- acceptance of making peace with himself after he was sharply criticized by a critic who judged that he was too monotonous, did not have any progress in his work and did not dare. take a risk. It also encourages Choi Ung to face reality and try new things to make his dreams come true.
By learning to make peace with ourselves, we can more easily accept ourselves with all the shortcomings and mistakes we have made in the past. So that in the future we can continue to live a better life and achieve our dreams.
Then in this drama, Choi Ung and Kook Yeon Su who have opposite characters show good character development through their attitude of lowering each other's ego when in a relationship so that in the end they
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can become a couple again. Kook Yeon Su's character who looks selfish when he decides unilaterally his relationship with Choi Ung is only done to maintain his pride, when they meet again with Choi Ung they both learn from their mistakes and correct each other and become selfless again when in a relationship.Selfishness to be selfish is completely unjustified, especially if it is done repeatedly.
Therefore, the character development of Choi Ung and Kook Yeon Su who have lowered their egos to each other has shown a process of self-acceptance.
Furthermore, from the story of the friendship between Choi Ung and Kim Ji Ung that has existed since they were very young, we can learn that feeling jealous of our friends is very natural. However, we need to accept the situation and maintain good friendships. In this drama, it is shown that Kim Ji Ung, who at that time also had feelings for Kook Yeon Su, chose to give in to the happiness of Choi Ung, the only friend who had given him a sense of warmth in his family that he had never had since childhood.
This drama also shows the problems and conflicts of each character's family.
Through the attitude and actions of Kook Yeon Su who shows how much he loves his grandmother who is the only family left, then Choi Ung who still loves and respects his parents even though he knows that he is not their biological child, and Kim Ji Ung who chooses to forgive his mother's mistakes in the past that had abandoned him since childhood.
The family is a representation of home and the only place to return to, therefore, through the good side of the family, each of our characters can learn a lesson.
The next attitude of self-acceptance that can be taken from this drama is to forgive past mistakes. Forgiving is not an easy thing, especially if the person who made the mistake is someone we care about. Kim Ji Ung who has problems with his mother in the end chooses to forgive his mother and accept all his mother's shortcomings. He chose to make peace and tried to turn over a new leaf so that he could be happier.
Then lastly, the best implementation of the self-acceptance process is to become stronger and have the motivation to live a better life and achieve dreams. The ambitious and overworked attitude that has been shown by Kook Yeon Su because of the demands of life, in the end, led to a very good result, namely a brilliant career according to his passion, while Choi Ung managed to change his outlook on life and also his mindset by trying to hone his skills. talent and learn new things by going to school in Paris, even though he was someone who had no direction in life and tended to have no motivation in living his day-to-day life. Because the reality is that nothing is instant in life, including achieving dreams. All of this requires a long process and effort and hard work.
Choi Ung's character has a gentle, compassionate attitude, a love slave even though he is often careless. Choi ung's
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character can be said to be one of the best Korean drama characters and he is written by women. the reason, as a boy, choi Ung managed to break the "stereotype" with :First, he have an empathetic attitude.
From a young age, Choi Ung was not selfish and was willing to share the advantages he had with Ji ung & Yeon su. He's "the heart" of the series. all the decisions he made, he took because of his heart's choice. when men are often linked with being logic based executor, choi Ung is present as a feeler who has no regrets about it.
Second, Choi Ung biggest insecurities comes from the fear that he is not enough for his environment, and is actually able to talk about it in the end shows development and hope for men to do the same. the choi ung character shows that it's okay to be vulnerable;
the most obvious is he shows how much he's in love without fear of being considered weak or inferior to women. this became a hot topic and gave birth to a new type of male in South Korea: "soft nerdy type" and I it was something good because we need more representation of males who are expressive in that aspect.
Third, Choi ung's strengths are not focused on physical strength and success in life, even each character admits it. the people around him survived because he managed to provide emotional needs. starting from Ji Ung (he shares a family), Eun Ho (he becomes an older brother), NJ (he becomes an idol), to Yeon Su (he becomes a resting place).
Last but not least, Choi Ung is giving pure respect and adoration to a woman is so rare for a man. the world succumb to patriarchy, insists men to be served by women, and here we have choi ung giving his 100% to love with all his potentials.
From the above essay it can be concluded that Choi Ung is the perfect prototype of the "modern ideal man" because he managed to break the men's stereotype.
Many people have a crush on Choi Ung for the reasons above. so what's stopping men to do the same as well?
What's more, these characters are written by women. With this, society should be encouraged to provide support for women to develop their roles in the entertainment industry, literature, and others. their ideas can support innovation in the modern socialite environment, as well as give hope to more women, that their dreams are indeed worth realizing.
CONCLUSION
Through an analysis of moral messages regarding self-acceptance using a qualitative descriptive method with an intrinsic approach in the Korean drama series Our Beloved Summer, the researcher reveals that several things can be learned from the characters in this drama. In the process of self-acceptance, we must learn to make peace with ourselves with all the shortcomings and mistakes we have made, we need to control our ego and not be selfish, then in a relationship, we must
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provide a sense of comfort and as well as compassion, both in family and friendship relationships, it is also important for us to try to forgive mistakes in the past so that our hearts can become more spacious and stay away from feelings of revenge, then lastly, have a positive life motivation and a sense of wanting to improve the quality of life. living and achieving dreams is the best representation of self-acceptance.REFERENCES
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Fadhillah, T. 2021. Sinopsis & Link Nonton Our Beloved Summer, Drama Baru Kim Da Mi dan Choi Woo Shik Tayang Hari Ini. Online.
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