What Was Life Like for Korean High Schoolers in 2008?

Lovely Runner (선재 업고 튀어), which began airing on tvN on April 8, 2024, stars Byeon Woo-seok and Kim Hye-yoon. It’s a time-slip romance in which Im Sol, living in 2023, travels back to 2008 to save her favorite star, Ryu Sun-jae. In 2008, she meets Sun-jae at age 19.

The drama was a major hit. It ranked first for three straight weeks in TV and streaming buzz rankings, and according to one report, it was the number one drama for six consecutive weeks on the streaming platform Rakuten Viki in as many as 109 countries. So what was that 2008 school life like?

Why 2008?

If Reply 1997 captured the nostalgia of the late 1990s, Lovely Runner’s 2008 is the youth of Koreans who are now in their 30s or so. It was also the final stretch before smartphones took over, so the longing for “those days” is especially strong.

Everyday life for a Korean high schooler in 2008

1. Students styled their uniforms their own way.
One Korean report said the way students in Lovely Runner layer T-shirts under their uniforms or style them freely looks just like real 2008 school life. For Korean students, a uniform is a rule, but it’s also a way to express yourself.

2. Fan culture was part of everyday life.
The drama begins with the relationship between a fan and an artist. Im Sol travels through time out of love for her choe-ae (최애), her all-time favorite star. One critic noted that this setup works because it speaks to a generation that spent its teenage years deeply into fandom. In Korea, being a fan in your school days is more than a hobby. It’s part of growing up.

3. School sports teams and athletic life.
In 2008, Ryu Sun-jae is a student who competes in swimming meets. Korean schools have sports teams that prepare for competitions, with students who represent their school.

4. Things from before smartphones.
Items that were common in Korean students’ lives around 2008 included flip phones, MP3 players, and Cyworld, a popular social network at the time. They feel unfamiliar to students today, but they were everyday objects back then.

Why viewers got hooked

Lovely Runner combined a story where two people save each other with nostalgia for a bygone era, and the result was a huge hit. While it aired, a new slang word even appeared: seonchinja (선친자), meaning someone completely crazy about Sun-jae.

Quick glossary

• 최애 (choe-ae): your absolute favorite (star or character). Short for “the one I love most”
• 타임슬립 (time-seulip): time slip, meaning time travel in a drama
• 쌍방 구원 (ssangbang guwon): two people saving each other
• 선친자 (seonchinja): a fan slang term for someone obsessed with Sun-jae

Next time you watch

Pay attention to the school uniforms, classroom scenery, and small props in the background. The 2008 that Im Sol returns to is a time that Koreans still remember fondly. It’s easy to miss while you’re watching the story, but that setting might just be the drama’s other main character.

What year would you most like to go back to?