To examine how the contents of Korean television serial dramas have changed and to determine trends of their portrayals of male and female characters' lifestyles, a study analyzed Korean television dramas of 1977 and 1987. A sample of three channels' video--22 daily and 14 weekly episodes of 18 different television dramas during weekday prime time (7 p.m. to 10 p.m.) In September 1977 and September 1987--was used for the study. Analysis revealed that the setting for most dramas of both years was Korea. Dramas dealing with psychological problems in 1977 usually depicted people who were dedicated to some clear purpose in life with positive attitudes. However, in 1987 most dramas portrayed characters who were skeptical about their current and future lives. Regarding the fictional characters on these dramas, the following differences were noted: (1) the number of characters per drama increased; (2) the number of supporting roles decreased, while the number of major roles increased; and (3) male characters were increasingly important in 1987 dramas. In 1987, both male and female characters were more often classified as active and independent than in 1977, and female characters were even more active and independent than male characters. In 1987, the dramas examined current problems, such as the loss of community ties and the break-up of the family, while in 1977 dramas reflected a nostalgia for the warm community ties that had been lost in the process of economic growth. (Six figures and five tables of data are included.) (MM)