Review: Typhoon Family - The Union That Rebuilds

Typhoon Family (also known as Typhoon Boss) was written by Jang Hyun-sook and directed by Lee Na-jeong and Kim Dong-hwi.

The series presents itself as a period drama, supported by strong visual work that recreates the late 1990s and early 2000s, a decade marked by profound economic and cultural change in South Korea.

The cinematography and production design make extensive use of period elements such as pagers, cassette tapes, and everyday objects that nostalgically evoke the era.

The main cast includes Lee Jun-ho as the exceptionally charismatic Kang Tae-pung, a young heir who is suddenly forced to grow up when he inherits his father’s nearly bankrupt company, and Kim Min-ha as Oh Mi-huk, a dedicated accountant from a lower social class who supports him throughout this difficult journey.

Set during the Asian financial crisis of 1997, a time when South Korea’s economy was on the brink of collapse, Typhoon Family draws on this historical tension to build its narrative around severe financial struggles and the constant threat of bankruptcy.

As the economy crumbles and external pressures mount, Tae-pung, who previously lived a carefree life, is compelled to face reality and take on responsibilities he had long ignored. The central arc follows his personal and professional transformation as he fights to keep the company alive, protect its employees who gradually become a symbolic family, and move forward amid economic and emotional challenges.

The series weaves together themes such as growth, loyalty, love, failure, and emotional resilience, allowing viewers to connect deeply with the characters’ struggles.

Critics

Critical reception has been mixed, although the series performed well on streaming platforms and ranked among the most-watched non-English series worldwide. Even so, it has faced criticism regarding its narrative. The website Decider, for instance, described the production as “predictable” and noted that the first episode takes too long to gain momentum.

On Rotten Tomatoes, some viewers praise the drama, while others find the pacing slow or feel that certain narrative elements do not stand out as much as they could.

Learning about Korean history was something that, until a few years ago, most people paid little attention to. However, with the rise of the Korean Wave driven by the global popularity of K-pop and K-dramas, it has become much easier to learn more about the country. This series serves as another source of knowledge that, for drama fans, offers both entertainment and insight.

The crisis depicted in Typhoon Family began with Thailand’s financial collapse and spread across Asian markets, affecting export-driven and externally financed economies such as South Korea.

By the end of 1997, the South Korean won had sharply devalued, major conglomerates collapsed, and the banking system faced severe difficulties due to unpaid loans and the flight of international capital. To stabilize the economy, the South Korean government sought assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which provided a multibillion-dollar bailout package in exchange for deep structural reforms.

This period was marked by waves of bankruptcies, mass unemployment, declining production, and social insecurity that were felt in everyday life. Countless lives were deeply affected, and the impact of this crisis echoed through South Korea’s culture and economy for decades.

Yet, at a moment when the country faced corporate collapse, deep recession, and instability, the South Korean population responded in ways that demonstrated remarkable social cohesion and solidarity. One of the most memorable events was the national gold collection campaign in 1998, during which millions of citizens, from students to retirees, donated gold jewelry, including wedding rings, to help the government repay its IMF debt to international creditors. This mobilization was not merely symbolic, but a concrete demonstration of unity in the face of a collective challenge.

In Typhoon Family, this atmosphere of historical adversity is directly reflected in the narrative of Typhoon Trading, a small company struggling to survive as the national economy collapses. The crisis is not just an external backdrop. It places pressure on relationships, forces characters to mature and reassess their priorities, and highlights the value of human bonds within a fragile economic context.

The figure of the company’s founder, Kang Jin-yeong, and his commitment to his employees, shown through secret savings accounts set aside in their names, reinforces this sense of solidarity and responsibility in precarious times. Rather than focusing solely on the crisis itself, the series explores human relationships and mutual loyalty as ways to endure and resist collapse.

The relevance of Typhoon Family goes beyond portraying the 1997 crisis. It functions as a study of how people and companies cope with economic hardship and how human relationships are shaped under intense pressure. The strength of the narrative lies in its ability to intertwine social commentary and drama, revealing how difficult times expose essential aspects of human character.

Despite its noticeably slower pace, the production succeeds in achieving its goal.

To illustrate the idea of a company functioning as a family, Typhoon Family devotes careful attention to developing each character, including supporting roles that are also affected by the economic downturn.

No member of the company is overlooked, which makes empathy and emotional connection possible. Even though some characters occasionally lean toward more simplistic portrayals, this never significantly disrupts immersion, as the series’ strengths clearly outweigh its weaknesses.

Lee Jun-ho stands out for his exceptional charisma, delivering a protagonist who feels deeply human while maintaining a sense of lightness and optimism that resonates not only with the characters around him, but also with the audience. This is a challenging archetype, as it can easily become dull or unrealistic if not carefully written and convincingly performed.

The same applies to actress Kim Ji-yeong, who plays Kang Tae-pung’s mother. Her character is gentle yet memorable in her subtlety. She embodies a difficult archetype, that of a socialite who loses everything while retaining her integrity and empathy, without slipping into caricature.

Absolutely. The series is likely to provoke constant waves of anxiety as Typhoon Trading moves from one risky project to the next, always on the verge of collapse.

If you give its slower pacing a chance, it becomes an engaging experience and a meaningful lesson about a key historical moment in South Korea, showing how unity can be essential in similar circumstances.

After all, these kinds of examples feel especially necessary today.

The question I leave you with, dear reader, is this. In the midst of economic collapse, if what were truly at stake was not just the survival of a company but the ability to remain human alongside others, how would you respond?

Perhaps it is worth discovering the answer through the example of Typhoon Family.