Is Pachinko based on a true story?

If the first three episodes of Apple TV’s Pachinko have caught your attention, I’m sure you’re eager to know if the show is based on a true story.

The show is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Min Jin Lee, following the life of Sun-ja and her Korean family who lived through many historic events including the World Wars, Japanese occupation and foreign immigration. 

Pachinko, both the show and novel are not based on a true story and neither is Sun-ja inspired on a real-life person. Author and journalist Min Jin Lee furnished the story from her college research on the Korean diaspora. 

As a history student and an immigrant herself, Lee wanted to study the conditions that eventually led to Korea’s division into the North and South as we know it to be today.

Arguably, all of the historic events listed above and more have had equal parts to play in it.

While the tale is fictional, the sentiments certainly are not. The story focuses on Sun-ja and her multi-generational family but is so telling of lived histories of many Koreans who face the same harsh reality as her.

One of the main themes that the show covers is the racism Koreans faced from the Japanese, first through their occupation and next when they migrated to Japan.

In fact, due to this, the Korean-Japanese soon came to be known by a new term: Zainichi. Zainichi specifically denotes those Koreans who immigrated to Japan during 1910-45.

What’s so tragically captured on the show is that even Sun-ja’s grandson is unable to escape this racism in Japan, despite having a background of working in the US. One can only hope that the 21st century has cured some of these ill treatments.

Pachinko: Do the show and the novel follow the same story?

The novel has three sections: Part I in 1883-1933, Part II in 1939-1962, and Part III in 1962-1989. While the book follows a linear storytelling format, the show has chosen not to do so and uses flashbacks for certain storylines.

Show creator Soo Hugh has also stated that she has taken certain creative liberties to fill in the gaps where the novel provides space for it, and even lent her own interpretation for the characters’ motives, actions, and thought process.

What does Pachinko mean?

Pachinko is not the name of a person or a character in the story.

Think of Pachinko as a type of Japanese pinball game. Lee chose this as the title because the game’s results are purely up to luck, seemingly commenting that Sun-ja and her family’s boons and banes are out of their own hands most of the times. 

About Pachinko

Pachinko is a 2022 Korean drama from Apple TV+ directed by American actor-director Justin Cho and Kogonada, a South Korean filmmaker. The series is based on a trilogy of the same name written by Lee Min-jin, who also serves as an executive producer.

The drama stars history-making Academy-award winner Youn Yuh-jung, veteran Lee Min-ho, Jin Ha, Anna Sawai, Soji Arai and debuts Kim Min-ha. 

The emotional rollercoaster of an epic saga, Pachinko lays bear the generational journey full of struggle, love, betrayal and choices by following the life of a Korean immigrant family.