New series The Dream Life Of Mr. Kim arrives with a Korean title as attention-grabbing as it is telling: The Story Of General Manager Kim Who Goes To A Big Company With A House In Seoul – a phrase that encapsulates the aspirations of everyday Koreans.
The dramedy delivers a mix of comedy, melancholy and realism. It follows Kim Nak-soo, a man who is confident he’s checked off every box on the societal scorecard. He has a house in Seoul’s fiercely competitive housing market, a secure gig at a major corporation and has made a comfortable life for his family.
But when his long-held markers of success begin to crumble, he’s forced to confront a question more existential: What does it really mean to live well?
The Dream Life Of Mr. Kim also marks the return of Ryu Seung-ryong, the star behind heavyweight K-drama hits Moving and Extreme Job, to cable television after 15 years of headlining projects for streaming platforms and the big screen.
Ryu said that the series poses a timely question about the meaning of fulfillment for modern Koreans.
“Some people place their sense of worth in things like living in Seoul, owning a home, working at a major company or having a high position. But if we lose all of that, does that necessarily make us unhappy?" he asked during a press conference held recently.
"In the story, we lose everything but begin to find genuine happiness. I think this piece will be meaningful if it makes viewers reflect on where they place their values and what they take for granted in life," he said.
Ryu said Kim Nak-soo was a "kkondae" (an old-fashioned, overbearing adult), but at the same time, a figure of tragicomedy – both ridiculous and arousing sympathy.
“The image of a man in his 50s being a bit of a kkondae can sometimes feel almost clownish," he said.
"He carries so much on his shoulders – family, society, reality, work – and has to look both up and down. The way he tries to give himself value through petty things is both funny and sad."
Ryu added: "He may act like a kkondae, but he’s not someone you can hate. He has his own story and a sense of healthy responsibility that explains why he is the way he is. "It made me want to lift some of that weight off him and root for him."
"I hoped the work could naturally expand mutual understanding between generations,” he said. – The Korea Herald/Asia News Network
New episodes of The Dream Life Of Mr. Kim arrive on Netflix every Saturday.
