[In-Depth Look] How Is a 'Kkondae' Born?

What is a Kkondae? MBC's new Wednesday-Thursday drama begins by updating the dictionary definition of "kkondae," a slang term for "an old person or teacher," to fit the modern era. Let's start with the word "teacher." It does not refer to a specific profession but to "someone who tries to teach others." A kkondae is someone who recklessly gives unsolicited advice as if they know all the answers to every problem. The popular phrases "Back in my day" or "Latte is horse" originated from mocking this kind of kkondae attitude.

The protagonist of , Lee Man-sik (played by Kim Eung-soo), is the epitome of a kkondae, the textbook example of "Back in my day." If one could extract a standard expression from those who scold young people occupying seats meant for the elderly on the subway, it would undoubtedly be Lee Man-sik's face. Moreover, when a young man who gave up his seat faints and is taken away, Lee Man-sik adds insult to injury by saying, "What’s a man fainting? These youngsters nowadays are good for nothing." As the marketing sales team leader of the top ramen company, Lee Man-sik believes only his experience and knowledge matter. Much of the energy of comes from laughing at the anachronistic words and actions of the kkondae boss Lee Man-sik, so vividly portrayed by actor Kim Eung-soo.

A more interesting point arises when the definition that "old people" are kkondae is revised. becomes more engaging by showing that age is no longer a necessary condition for being a kkondae in today's world. Nowadays, young kkondae, or "young kkondae," have emerged as a new nuisance. Another main character in , Ga Yeol-chan (played by Park Hae-jin), represents the problem of the so-called "young kkondae." Ga Yeol-chan, once a rookie intern under Lee Man-sik's relentless kkondae behavior and workplace bullying, has now become the industry's top expert after overcoming past hardships. Unexpectedly, Lee Man-sik returns as a senior intern after retirement and joins as an employee under Ga Yeol-chan. The drama sharply critiques the paradox of Ga Yeol-chan repaying Lee Man-sik's past grievances while ironically becoming the very "young kkondae" he despised.

What ultimately shows through the role reversal between Lee Man-sik and Ga Yeol-chan is a reflection on the essence of being a kkondae. Regardless of age, where does the "qualification" to recklessly teach others come from? At the peak of his "kkondae index," Lee Man-sik was a successful department head at work and a domineering head of the household at home. The reason he could dismiss Ga Yeol-chan's opinions in a department meeting by saying, "What does an intern know to be so mouthy?" and scold his wife, who expected a raise, with "Men do big things; it's all about money," stems from the same fundamental background: the power of the middle-class middle-aged man. Lee Man-sik's "kkondae power" only diminishes after he is forced into early retirement as a man in his 60s.

This is also evident in Ga Yeol-chan. His current position at the pinnacle of company power in his mid-30s is the foundation on which he accumulated his own "kkondae power" before reuniting with Lee Man-sik. Outwardly, he maintains the image of "the gentlest boss the world has ever seen," but inwardly, he looks down on the mistakes of 20-something interns Lee Tae-ri (played by Han Ji-eun) and Joo Yoon-soo (played by Noh Jong-hyun) with a sense of superiority that is quintessentially kkondae. Ga Yeol-chan seems to have completely forgotten that just five years ago, he himself was an awkward and inexperienced 20-something intern. His reunion with Lee Man-sik only triggered the explosion of the "power abuse gene" latent in Ga Yeol-chan's authority; he too has already entered the path of becoming a kkondae. Kkondae are inevitably born from unreflective power. In an era when "de-kkondae" has become the spirit of the times, sharply critiques the contradictions that the entrenched powers in our society easily fall into.

Kim Sun-young, Popular Culture Critic