Escaping to Nature, Running from Earth: The Diverging Ecologies in K-Dramas

K-dramas have expanded their narrative scope through the globalisation of streaming platforms, increasingly engaging with environmental themes and reshaping representations of human–ecological relationships. Two recurring narrative trends can be identified: rural dramas, which depict the countryside as a refuge from the pressures of urban life and generate physical tourism flows, and K-dystopias, which portray worlds on the verge of ecological collapse and resource depletion, engaging audiences through virtual tourism. This study examines whether the environmental footprint associated with the production, tourism, and digital consumption of these series aligns with the ecological messages they aim to convey.