MASH’s Most Inaccurate Korean War Detail Makes It Difficult To Watch Now Because Of 1 TV Trend

The rise of specific genre in recent years makes it difficult to get past MASH‘s most inaccurate detail about the Korean War. Despite being released during the early ’70s, creator Larry Gelbart decided to stick with Richard Hooker’s 1968 novel MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors for the CBS show’s backdrop. There have been theories that MASH was a commentary on the divisive Vietnam War, which was at its tail end during the medical comedy/drama’s first year, although there is no confirmation about this. Regardless, however, its storytelling remained and remains ever-relevant.

While MASH’s narrative was mostly set within the confines of the 4077 MASH unit, Alan Alda’s Captain Benjamin “Hawkeye” Pierce and his co-workers would sometimes venture out of their area. Other times, locals would visit them, especially whenever they need some assistance, and for the most part, they are happy to help. This helps MASH feel like it is really set in the middle of the Korean War at Uijeongbu, South Korea. However, this also leads to one of the most frequent and glaring inaccuracies in the series. It’s something that a new TV trend is further highlighting.

K-Dramas Highlight MASH’s Korean Language Inaccuracy

MASH’s Local Koreans Mostly Speak Hangeul Incorrectly

There is no regular Korean character in MASH, but aside from one-time guests, there are recurring supporting players who live nearby that Hawkeye and the rest of the 4077 tend to interact with. Many of the locals are able to communicate with the medical personnel in English, and that’s how they usually talk to each other. Meanwhile, the doctors and nurses also know a few short phrases in Korean to help those unable to speak English. While the Americans understandably struggle with the Korean language (Hangeul), the Koreans’ delivery, and even the words used, are mostly incorrect as well.

This wasn’t an issue when the show premiered in the ’70s. However, it has now become one of the harsh realities of rewatching MASH, and it’s mainly because of Korean dramas’ rise in popularity. Netflix currently leads the endeavor to bring Korean entertainment to a global audience, and while many of the shows are dubbed, they can also be consumed with the original Hangeul accompanied by subtitles. Anyone who watches a 16-episode K-drama like Crash Landing on You or Queen of Tears with the latter set-up would find it off-putting listening to the supposed Koreans in MASH speaking Hangeul.

What Else Did MASH Get Wrong About The Korean War

MASH’s Conflict Lasted Way Too Long Compared To The Real Korean War

Other than the delivery and usage of the Korean language, there are also a couple of other things that MASH gets wrong about the Korean War. For starters, the Koran War only lasted for three years, but the series takes place for far longer than that. It features several changes in seasons, which throws its timeline out of order. Secondly, MASH wrote out Capt. Oliver Harmon ‘Spearchucker’ Jones played by Timothy Brown after learning that the Korean War supposedly didn’t feature any African-American surgeon. However, subsequent research reveals that there were Black MASH surgeons during the Korean War.

M*A*S*H

Originally adapted from the 1970 film of the same name, M*A*S*H encompasses comedy, drama, and everything in between as it follows the lives of army doctors stationed in Uijeongbu, South Korea, during the Korean War.

Cast

Alan Alda , Wayne Rogers , Loretta Swit , Mike Farrell , Harry Morgan , Jamie Farr , David Ogden Stiers

Release Date

September 17, 1972

Seasons

11

Streaming Service(s)

Hulu , Apple TV+

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