Springtime of the Tiger: Roar, 1988
As an adult version of Deok-sun reminisced the events of the year 1988, a similar literary work had come into mind. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens is a story about the events that lead up to the French Revolution. Like it, The Dickensian opening lines of Reply 1988 immediately set the tone for the whole series; Dickensian (it’s a real word look it up) meaning reminiscent of his novels which are usually about the poor social conditions at the time and having comically repulsive characters. As you watch Reply 1988, you may realize that South Korea at the time struggled economically and that the people of Ssangmundong fit the Dickensian definition of comically repulsive. However, unlike 19th century Paris, the Korean drama catches South Korea at the dawn of its cultural imperialism. Our protagonists lived at a turning point during the then developing country’s history where, as seen in the many pop cultural references in the series, external influences were slowly creeping their way into the national consciousness, setting a precedent for their own worldwide conquest; the Springtime of the (Siberian) Tiger. Reply 1988 manages to capture all this and more through effective storytelling, expressing a shared national struggle through the universal language of family, love, and life.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way — Opening lines of A Tale of Two Cities
Before the events of 1988, it’s important to understand how and why the characters (and the people of South Korea) act the way they do. Thirty-five years prior, the Korean War had ended and the foreign powers that helped them during the war felt entitled to how both the north and south should run their affairs. In 1945, former President Rhee Syngman had returned from exile after being impeached for abusing his power. He was elected president again in 1952 after ordering a mass arrest of opposition politicians, paving the way for him to amend the constitution and allow for an election based on popular vote. During his term, South Korea had a stagnant economy, forcing them to rely heavily on foreign aid. It was during this time that the parents of Ssangmundong grew up and learned about the world (Reply 1952?)
It was mentioned that the Mama Cheetah Mi-ran used to work in the “financial sector” with the Japanese in her youth (also why she knows a bit of Japanese). Having never been able to finish her studies, like the other parents, she had to hustle to make ends meet. This provides a glimpse of what it was like to grow up in South Korea before it became the 12th largest economy in the world. Much like the youth in some developing countries today, people during these times had to drop out of school and earn a living. It is then no wonder why the parents put so much emphasis on the education of their children. Deok-sun, the female lead, infamously ranked 999th in her school. In the episode where the parents consulted with their homeroom teachers about their child’s future, Deok-sun’s (then named Soo-yeon because a fortuneteller said it would bring good luck) teacher advised Il-hwa that it was unlikely her daughter would get into a college. Instead of expressing disappointment like what most Asian tiger moms are known for, Il-hwa showed an air of concern for her daughter’s future as she herself knows how hard it is to make it into the world without an education. The same can be said for Mi-ran and her son Jung-bong, who had just failed his sixth attempt at getting into college. Asian moms aren’t heartless, they just care.
In the 1960’s, South Korea’s economy took a turn for the better. The student-led April Revolution forced Rhee to resign and the people elected Yun Posun. Shortly after, a military coup led by Park Chung-hee took control of the country. President Park spearheaded the Miracle on the Han River; the transformation of SK into a developed country through efficient economic policies and radical industrialization. President Park had a personal affinity towards Germany because of its history of strong leaders such as Otto von Bismarck and Adolf Hitler and in 1961 signed an agreement to send a labor force of tens of thousands in exchange for foreign aid. The Miracle on the Han River was also named after the German economic miracle, The Miracle on the Rhine River, the Wirtschaftswunder, paving the way for West Germany to become an economic powerhouse even after the consequences of the second world war. Perhaps also the inspiration to the Park administration’s policies.
Park’s policies also gave rise to the business giants known as the chaebol whose presence and influence we feel internationally today. Conglomerates such as Lucky Goldstar (LG), Hyundai, and Samsung were greatly favored by the government because they had the capacity to utilize the funds from foreign aid. In addition, the chaebols were given loans from domestic banks, further increasing their resources. Their rapid growth lasted throughout the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s and by the time we meet the characters of Reply 1988, the chaebols no longer needed favors from the government and became more independent. These business giants have not only integrated themselves in the Korean conscience but have been, as of late, making their mark on the global economy, often being compared now to other international brands. The downside? This accelerated South Korea’s inclination to a monopolistic and oligopolistic society (also maybe why they like playing Monopoly a lot). Smaller businesses had to overcome a high barrier to entry in the market, and limited local businesses to their immediate surrounding, often relying on the goodwill and loyalty of their neighbors.
The conditions at Ssangmundong are representations of the different aspects of the Miracle on the Han River. The No Sleep study hall, the supermarket, Choi’s clock store, Brazil Tteok-bokki, and the diner around the corner are all part of the Korean story. The study halls were a place where future doctors and air force pilots would realize their dreams. The small diner was a haven for parents who never allowed their children to see their tears. These micro drivers of the Korean economy were not only a support system for the local community but became an integral part of the miracle itself.
The families bore the brunt, each going through their own hardships; the parents working hard and trying their best to ensure that their children have a secure future. They help one another to make ends meet by lending each other money and providing emotional support when the other is in a bad place. One can only imagine the sense of community and family within any neighborhood in South Korea if all the neighborhoods in the country were as warm as Ssangmundong. A subtle detail in the series, one often overlooked, is the exchanging of food. As seen in the first episode (and many others), by the time the families eating, their tables are full of food that their neighbors and friends have prepared, keeping not only their bellies bulging, but their hearts full.
The Miracle on the Han River was the product of earnest, simple choices that make up miraculous moments; the Korean people being resolute, making decisions without hesitations (sound familiar?). The Miracle on the Han River didn’t stop when South Korea became a developed country, it continues to this day, an even bigger miracle began around the time Deok-sun was picketing for the Olympics and the boys were dancing to Last Night’s Story. While it seemed the youth of Korea was obsessed over foreign pop culture influences in 1988, the series also depicts the beginning of the Korean wave, the hallyu, and how Korean pop culture always had the potential to take over the world.
A chilling take on history was presented by combat veteran Michael G. Hopf in his book Those Who Remain, quoting “Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times”. In the case of South Korea, hard times did create strong men and strong men good times. Good times, however, created even stronger men and women. The conservative values of the older generation in 1988 may have their merits. All the parents wanted for their children was that they didn’t experience what they had to go through in life by taking on the conventional path of attaining a college degree. However, the good times of SK had other plans for the next generation. Sun-woo and Bo-ra may have taken traditional career paths, but the rest had something different on their minds. Doctor turned comedian Ken Jeong would be very proud of law student turned celebrity Home Cooking Chef Jung-bong.
While the two other Reply installments delve deeper into the hallyu, Reply 1988 shows how South Korea was able to unconventionally capture the whole world, breaking free from a generation of conservative and traditional values. In the series, we see the characters obsessed with foreign influences, a result of South Korea emerging in the world market. From Mi-ran’s spaghetti to Sun-woo and Bo-ra’s Vienna coffee date to Dong-ryong’s “rendition” of I Just Called to Say I Love You, it seemed that South Korea was still under a trance, a sense of amusement with what they’ve been missing out on; it didn’t matter if they couldn’t pronounce hamburger. This influx of foreign influences were brought about by the lifting of the screen quotas set by the Park administration in 1986, which restricted the amount of foreign films shown in big screens. The lift came at an important time in our protagonists’ lives, when all they wanted to do was to be out of the house with their friends in the movies, just in time for Top Gun and Forrest Gump.
The 1988 Olympics turned the whole world’s attention on the budding city of Seoul and between that time and the release of Shiri, South Korea realized the power of pop culture. By 1994, Hollywood’s share in the South Korean movie market was four to one against the local industry. The administration was inspired by how revenues generated by Jurassic Park surpassed that of 1.5 million Hyundai automobiles and has since then created an office solely for the development of South Korean media. Soon enough, the whole world became obsessed with ram-don, Dalgona coffee, and just about every K-pop song ever written. Maybe having Hye-ri play our beloved Deok-sun had a hidden meaning.
Family, love, and life, these are the common themes of Reply 1988. While most of the viewers are distracted by the emotion and nostalgia, the series depicts an important time in South Korea’s history, the at the dawn of its inevitable success, the Springtime of the Tiger. After years of struggle, the fortune of the South Koreans finally turned for the better without having to change its name, deny its rich past, nor hide its proud scars (the fortuneteller was wrong about that anyway). Whether or not you noticed the accurate detail or the symbolism, it’s fine, you weren’t meant to. Just like each of the characters, they didn’t know that it would be important, that it would be the last time they would gather in Taek’s room and that their youth would just pass them by. In the finale we are hit with a big wave of nostalgia with the wedding and the families moving out one by one. Deok-sun notes that she misses these times not because she misses a younger version of herself, but because of everything and everyone else, recognizing that the times she lived in were bigger than herself.
After a few behind-the-scene pictures of the whole cast and crew, we hear Deok-sun reminiscing as she did on the first episode: “A time so warm and pure, that’s why we miss that time so badly. Can you hear me? If you can hear me, reply. My 1988, the days of my youth”. The events of 1988 set up a precedent to what South Korea is today. In a way, her youth did answer back.
With a deafening roar.
