'Gwan-sik Fever' Spreads Beyond Korea to Overseas

The so-called 'Gwan-sik fever,' fueled by the male protagonist Yang Gwan-sik (played by Park Bo-gum/Park Hae-joon) in the Netflix series 'My Name is Gwan-sik,' is spreading beyond Korea to overseas audiences.

This phenomenon is evolving beyond simple fandom to an emotional identification that imagines 'love with someone like Yang Gwan-sik' in reality.

On domestic and international social networking services (SNS) and communities, posts tagged with 'Gwan-sik fever' and 'My Own Gwan-sik' are pouring in.

In the series, Yang Gwan-sik is the son of a fisherman born in Jeju in the 1950s, who maintains a one-sided love for Oh Ae-soon throughout his childhood.

Despite being taciturn, he dedicates himself to his family and constantly expresses love only for Ae-soon, which has led viewers to describe him as a "unicorn that doesn't exist in reality" due to his unwavering devotion to a single person throughout his life.

Finding 'My Own Gwan-sik' as a Global Phenomenon

With 'My Name is Gwan-sik' entering the top 10 of the Netflix global non-English series chart, the 'Gwan-sik fever' has spread worldwide. Overseas fans are searching for their own version of 'Yang Gwan-sik.'

On social media, videos depict husbands or boyfriends cooking or preparing gifts, shared with the phrase "He is my own Gwan-sik."

These videos include scenes where a boyfriend of five years ties shoelaces, fillets fish, and peels fruit, as well as husbands opening doors.

Some videos have garnered over 290,000 likes, showing a remarkably positive response.

One foreigner posted on their SNS, "My father is my mother's Gwan-sik," sharing a video of their parents' affectionate daily life.

International netizens refer to the Gwan-sik character as a 'Green Flag,' seeing him as an ideal figure that is hard to find in reality, akin to a unicorn.

Beyond 'Green Flag,' reactions such as 'Green Forest' and 'Amazon level' are emerging, and it is being consumed as a global meme.

The Social Significance of 'Gwan-sik Fever' Between Reality and Ideal

This 'Gwan-sik fever' has spread primarily among women in their twenties and thirties who are dating, especially married women.

Comments like "My husband's usual actions suddenly feel like Gwan-sik" and "I cried watching Gwan-sik. I thought I should treat my husband better" are typical sentiments.

On the other hand, those without a partner have expressed sentiments like "I can't marry if there's no one like Gwan-sik" and "My standards have just risen."

Meanwhile, mentions of the patriarchal male character Mr. Hak (played by Choi Dae-hoon), who has the opposite traits of Yang Gwan-sik, have also surfaced.

One online community user posted, "My friend keeps calling her boyfriend Gwan-sik, which is hard to hear," while another netizen commented, "My dad thinks he is Yang Gwan-sik. You are Mr. Hak," drawing attention.

The phenomenon of emotionally becoming attached to specific characters in dramas or movies is not new.

The Disney couple Nick and Judy from 'Zootopia' were popular as 'friends who are lovers,' while Wade from 'Elemental' was loved as 'a warm man who doesn’t hide his tears.'

These characters all represent emotional stability, dedication, and empathy that are difficult to find in reality, establishing themselves as the 'emotional ideal type' that the era desires.

Image source: instagram 'netflixkr', TikTok capture