IRIS

@Michelle
I think you are right on there being a cultural difference, but my roommate is Venezuelan and is rather stigmatizing of all asians and making fun of the language (which I then vehemently make fun of her language:Spanish) she is obsessed with Kdrama (:D successful immersion).
However, her culture is nothing like Asians and definitely nothing of the typical United States person.
It's not like people don't like sad endings in America, but it doesn't matter what country you're from. Most people like happy endings and most directors know it is incredibly difficult to pull off a GOOD sad/demoralizing ending.
Look at 49 days, the ending was sad, but pulled off so well that I accepted the ending as a good ending. It's not easy to pull off and do well. So sad endings are a bit of a hit or miss. It's not really a cultural thing. "Americans" can deal with loose ends, but how many of them are actually good? Not a whole lot. They'd rather see a crappy "happy" ending then a crappy "sad" ending, because then they don't feel so cheated.

WOW WAY TO GIVE AWAY THE ENDING ...no point in watching the second half of the series now that I know Hyun Jun dies...REAL COOL

@Michelle. thanks for the perspective. I've traveled a little, and some of my in-laws are not American, so I believe that culture has a big influence on what we think is interesting, normal, funny, unfair, and so on. Thank you for the ideas about Korean cultural viewpoint. It helps put the drama in the right perspective.

@sung soh: I agree it's cultural. No need to get nasty about it.
@gayle shepard: Read the comment I made on Ken Reed's review below. It might explain things a bit.

I have only seen 1/2 of this series, so I don't know specifically what the ending is, but I think what you might be frustrated with is a cultural thing. I don't know where your personal cultural base is, but from your name I assume you were not raised in Korean or Asian culture. I am 100% Korean, but I was born and raised in the USA, so my perspective is mixed. I am definitely not an expert, but I'll try to explain what I mean.From reviews/discussions here and blog posts elsewhere, it seems that a lot of Westerners don't like endings of series that don't tie everything up in a nice, happy bow. The girl has to end up with the "right" guy and live happily ever after. Everything must be explained or "concluded" in some way. I've heard/read complaints about a lot of shows including: Bad Guy (Nappeun Namja) [what a horrible ending, why did they kill him off?, they're supposed to be together forever], Boys Over Flowers [what does that ending mean?, that's stupid, he's so mean to her], East of Eden [WHAAT?, is he dead?], and, of course, Iris. Koreans (and perhaps Asians in general) don't mind sad, horrible endings. Some Korean Folk Tales I've heard/read are just plain awful. Sometimes, it's almost like they relish it. (heh) You've noticed that Korean "affection" is often portrayed in the k-dramas through yelling, hitting, and insults, yes? Well... it's not just a portrayal... it's kinda true in real life. I'm not saying that abuse is right or is how Koreans show affection - just that sometimes you only make fun of the ones you love. It's similar in other cultures, too.Koreans don't mind loose ends. Maybe it's the mystical parts of the ancestry seeping through... maybe it's something else. It just seems like Koreans don't mind saying "sh** happens" and moving on, 'cuz there is always hope. Maybe I'm just imagining that portion of this cultural thing, but I can't help but remember what my VERY american friend said to me at the end of seeing American Beauty at the theatre when it first came out. The credits were rolling. I was mesmerized at the ending and was smiling and even giggling to myself a little at how great the movie was while actively reading the credits. My friend turned to me and said, "So... Does she get back together with the other guy?"So, in this roundabout way, I guess I'm saying...
Maybe it's just a Korean thing. :)