Major broadcasters continue to evolve amid current state of South Korea. In fact, more and more Koreans appreciate the fact that these networks are producing socially relevant dramas like "Defendant," "Rebel: Thief Who Stole The People" and "Chief Kim."
Culture critics stated Korean citizens resort to watching dramas to "find peace" in the course of current political gaffe in the country. Jung Duk Hyun commended MBC's "Rebel: Thief Who Stole The People" for their representation of the history and current state.
"The fact that we called in a historic figure and re-interpreted his life in this time means that the public could find a close link between then and now," the culture critic said as per Korea Times.
"Rebel: Thief Who Stole The People" follows the life of Hong Gil Dong from the reign of King Yeonsangun. The historical drama is based on the life of a Joseon-era personality.
On the other hand, legal thriller "Defendant" tells the story of a former prosecutor who suffered injustice for trying to solve a case that involves a wealthy individual. In his quest to solve a crime, Ji Sung's character found himself behind the bars without a memory of what brought him there.
Meanwhile, "Chief Kim" is lighter as compared to "Rebel: Thief Who Stole The People" and "Defendant." The KBS2 comedy series portrays real-life situations within a company.
With these three ongoing series, Kim Kyo Suk, a culture critic, commended the networks for producing "timely dramas that are relevant to modern-day Korean society."
"All of us are living life as another rebel, a defendant or a manager," Jung Duk Hyun added.
"Defendant" and "Rebel: Thief Who Stole The People" air every Monday and Tuesday at 10:00 p.m. on SBS and MBC, respectively, while "Good Chief" broadcasts every Wednesday and Thursday on KBS2.
According to Soompi, Ji Sung's "Defendant" furthers its lead against "Rebel: Thief Who Stole The People" and "Hwarang." For its Feb. 13 episode, the SBS legal thriller soared at 20.9 percent in terms of viewership, while the contenders settled at 10.7 and 8.2 percent ratings.
Like "Defendant," Namgoong Min's "Chief Kim" is the leading drama for the late night timeslot. The comedy series recorded a viewership rating of 17.6 percent for its episode eight.
