Korean Romance

Did you ever notice how much romance plays a role in Korean Culture? Tv dramas, tv shows like love letter, movies, songs, and everything having to do with couples, like :trends on compatible blood types, couple outfits, couple rings, couple phone charms, and couple mp3 players. Is there a need for romantic spirit in Korea? Why is it so prevalent. Is this another aspect to what tourists find as so attractive?
I believe that it is. Korea does tend to have a romantic flare and want or more, the need for a fairytale story. Goong, Coffee Prince, My Boyfriend is Type B, all of these popular dramas or movies contain the happy fairytale ending. No, they might not own the world, but the couple pretty much always ends up together.
There is a heavy emphasis on being together in Korea. I know many women in Korea who have only just reached 25 years old and talk about how they need to find someone to marry and fast if they do not have a boyfriend. Is the need for couples based on Confusionism where family plays such a heavy role that people, especially women, find the pressure to start a family of their own?
Maybe I'm totally wrong because I think that America does have a sense of romance as well. Who wouldn't want to live happily ever after? The difference can be seen in the things that are so popular today in Korea like the dramas and game shows where they try to match celebrities up in couples, and the over abundance of couple everythings.

Here Comes Ajumma

I watch AZN Television when I have time. AZN Television is a broadcasting station that targets Asian American people. This is channel #84 in Northampton area. It broadcasts Korean, Chinese, and Japanese movies, dramas, music, and news etc. I usually watch Korean news (it starts at 5pm). Right before the news, it broadcasts Korean morning drama called “Here Comes Ajumma(=married woman)” for 30 minutes. This drama is about the life of Ajumma whose name is Na Oh Nim, betrayed by her husband. She has made and sold Kim-bob in market place to make money for her family. Her husband did not make any money, he just studied. After 10 years of marriage, he betrayed his wife because there’s another woman who had betrayed him once. He loves this woman very much. She is a former TV announcer. She is pretty, smart and successful woman. Na Oh Nim, compare to her, did not get any education, and she is typical ajumma who devotes everything for her family, not for herself. After her husband’s betraying, she challenges for “queen of cook” and she gets fame. This drama was showed in Korea morning time, when only ajummas could stay home and watch. It was rated very high compare to other morning dramas because it depicts a woman’s life that a woman ignored her wills because of her life is focused on her family becomes successful. I think this drama gives dejected ajummas a hope and satisfies them indirectly. I like this drama because it does not focus on “Cinderellaized” which is not very realistic, but it is more focused on successful in realistic way. I think this is good drama for making oneself more cheerup and for a break from the stressed life. Channel 84, M-F 4:30 pm, watch it if you want some break or interested ^^

Change the Old for New

In South Korea, the want for cosmetic surgery has increased alarmingly. According to Times magazine, about one in ten adults in Korea have received cosmetic surgery. The most common surgery is eyelid surgery. Genetically not many Koreans are born with double eyelids and in Korean society double eyelids are seen as a sign of beauty. Another popular cosmetic surgery is a nose job, where Koreans with a flatter nose will implant a pearl at the tip of their nose to make their nose higher. Perhaps this phenomenon is due to the influence of Western society for both double eyelids and high sculpted noses are Western facial characteristics. Whatever the cause however does not change the fact that cosmetic surgery has become the craze and trend in South Korea.
It is not only women who are taking part in cosmetic surgery, a large number of men in Korea are reported to receive cosmetic surgery. “South Korean Women have a reputation as the most striking in Asia. And the men are also shaping up. Korean actors are currently the region’s premier heartthrobs” (BBC News). The increase of cosmetic surgery and the concern for one’s looks can be attributed in large part to the big popularity increase of Korean popular culture. A large handful of Korean actors, actresses, and entertainers have received cosmetic surgery to improve their appearance and appeal to audiences. It is their images that are being reproduced in masses and being distributed to Korean society and to other countries where the Korean wave has swept. Due to the large number of cosmetic surgery in South Korea, Seoul, South Korea’s capital has a reputation as the place to go for a nip or a tuck. South Korea’s phase has even led to the creation of a new word called “ul-jjang” which can be translated to best face. A person in Korea who is judged to have a very good looking face is called an “ul-jjang.”
The rate at which Koreans are receiving Cosmetic Surgery is alarming. It is amplified by the rise of Hallyu, where actors, actresses, and entertainers who serve as beauty role models receive surgery and is seen desirable by regular people. It seems that with this increase of cosmetic surgery and the new definition of beauty, the oriental and traditional Korean/Asian beauty is lost. Koreans are reforming to a new look, shedding the old one. Can this be seen as an improvement or a crime where the old traditional look is being sacrificed and forgotten?

D-War

I watched movie “D-War” few months ago. It became the center of public interest even before it was on at the theater, because its director was Shim Hyung Rae and this movie was known to be the first SF movie in Korea. Shim Hyung Rae is South Korean former comedian (everyone knows Yung-Goo). After he got interests on filmmaking, he directed several movies. His movie themes were usually the dragon. The most popular ones he directed so far were “Yonggary” and “D-war: dragon wars.” When “Yonggary” came out, he became the target of criticism. SF movie in Korea was just started and the technology in that field was very poor. Even he got a lot of criticism, he did not give up and brought new upgraded movie “D-war.” When it opened, it was very popular throughout Korea. Everyone claimed this movie. Because of its popularity in Korea, it sold all over the world. I do not think it was very well made film itself. However, it truly showed the future potential on SF movie. This movie is about tail of “Imugi.” And leading actors were all Caucasians. Shim Hyung Rae interviewed that he wanted globalizing Korean films. And casting nonkorean was the best way. In the last scene that Imugi was going up to heaven, he inserted Korean traditional song, Arirang as sound track. It touched Koreans’ mind. People said this part was most impressing scene of the movie. Even though plots were not very fluent, and some plots were poorly made, I enjoyed this movie a lot. I give him a credit for his effort trying new field, and stepping up the difficulties. I also hope lots of Korean movies can be spread globally.

Hallyu as a Window

The Korean wave, also known as Hallyu, has proved over the recent years to be a powerful force to be recognized. It has not only touched South Koreans but people in Asian countries such as Taiwan, China, Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore and even people in non-Asian countries such as Egypt, United States, Mexico, and Iraq. The influence of Hallyu has proved to be far reaching and not the least limited.
Now, the demand for Korean dramas, movies, and music is bigger than ever. Countries that have been swept by the Hallyu wave pay thousands of dollars to have the right to a drama or movie in order to screen it on their native TV channels. Their want for Korean media seems to increase as new Korean dramas or movies are produced and the popularity of Korean Pop Culture grows. Their want can be almost extended to be called a need. This need according to Youna Kim in The rising East Asian ‘wave’ is due to heart touching emotions that are depicted in the dramas and movies that is alien or not amplified enough in other countries. For instance, in communist China where people live in a rigid society, Korean media gives them a refreshing taste of unrestricted emotions which evoke people to cry and to laugh along with the actors and actresses. Korean media also reminds people from countries such as China and North Korea of the lost aspects in their lives. China under communism lost its traditional values and watching a drama such as Jewel in the Palace, they feel a sense of nostalgia. On the other hand, people in North Korea despite tight government hands smuggle Korean dramas into the countries to enjoy watching them and have a fresh breather from their communist society.
Korea’s influence on other countries and their society seems to increase without a stop through their popular culture. However, as the numbers of Korean media infiltrating other countries get alarming high, will the governments, especially of tightly communist governed countries, stand by and watch as their citizens are influenced by such democratic ideas or take action to ensure that there is more security and regulation against Korean media coming into their country? Moreover, if the government decides to take such actions against Korean media will they find their citizens consenting and following the new regulations? It is a possibility that in the long run the citizens will fight and maybe start a new phase against communist regime for they have been given a glimpse from their walled lives to a liberal world through a window known as Hallyu.

Asian Remakes

I recently saw that they were remaking the Eye (a Chinese horror film) starring Jessica Alba. This started me on a train of thought of how many Asian remakes we see in the media these days. It all seemed to start with the Ring and then just continued on with the Ring's sequels as well as the Grudge series. A remake of an Asian movie, the Departed (remake of the Chinese Internal Affairs) even won an Academy Award for best film in 2006. They're even remaking Korean movies, with a remake of My Sassy Girl and a Tale of Two Sisters on the way.

The company remaking The Eye seems to have made a career out of remaking Asian films, based on this imdb page of their productions.

What do you all think about these remakes? Personally, I get really annoyed every time I see an Asian remake (especially horror films!) because it is NEVER as good as the original, no matter what. It makes me wonder why people are too lazy to go out and rent the original films, though I realize they must be harder to get ahold of than an American remake. Even so, I have had people tell me that they don't "feel like reading the subtitles" of foreign movies and prefer an American remake to the original. It just puzzles me that Asian media is often criticized for plagiarizing Western media ideas, but when the West does the same thing, no one cares. For instance, I know that Hyori was recently sued for using a melody from a Britney Spears song; however, when an American artist might record a song that sounds very similar to an Asian artist or when a movie is ripped off of an original Asian movie, no one seems to care.

However, I realize that I have a different perspective from most Americans because I've seen both sides of the argument. I've seen American artists sample Indian music or steal ideas from Indian music, but I've also seen EXTREMELY blatant plagarism in Indian movies (Oldboy/Zinda, When Harry Met Sally.../Hum Tum, etc). I just get irritated that a lot of American people will refuse to see the other side and admit that maybe the original Asian movie is better than the American remake.

What are your all thoughts?

korean are problem

"Korean art problems"
this article we read is hard for me to relate to Korean pop culture. but when I was reading art part, one idea came up which is about Korean art problem.
recently when i was reading Korean newspaper in japanese, i can see this problem" Shim jung ah". She made up her education back ground and got trust with it. with that trust, she was making money to sell fake arts. this shim jung ah problem made a new problem about fake arts in Korea. I dont know about him at all but according to news, lee jungsub who is a very famous artist in Korea, his drawings of 75% were fake.
this shim jung ah's problem became social problems in Korea I think

Cyworld or Facebook?

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the site, "Cyworld" is Korea's equivilent of America's "Facebook". I've been on the site only a couple times to browse through the features, and it seemed to hold a very different concept from the popular "Myspace" or "Facebook" that we use here in the United States. What I initially noticed about "Cyworld" was its small, photobook or album-like features; this was extremely different from "Facebook" with its full screen wall posts. "Cyworld" also offers little clickable tabs with labels like photos, bio, and more. "Cyworld" gives each of their users a little character of their own with his/her own "room" that you may choose to decorate, which many of the "Cyworld" users seem to take great advantage of. There were also things like a popularity/famous rate or kindness rate meters on the upper right hand corner of these "Cyworld" albums.

"Cyworld" is a little more to Korea than "Facebook" might be for an average American teen or college student, however. According to Erick Schonfeld's Cyworld Ready to Attack Myspace, an estimated 90% of Koreans in their 20s, and a grand total of a third of Korea's entire population is signed up for this virtual homepage. This was a shocking percentage, since neither "Facebook" or "Myspace" come near the amount of users that "Cyworld" apparently has. I am aware that even major Korean celebrities put up "Cyworlds" for use in public.

Erick Schonfeld's article was from July of 2007, which might be considered a little dated, but I was still excited to find out that Korea has opened up "Cyworld" to U.S. users as well. This U.S. version of "Cyworld" was opened up around mid-August, and apparently had a few technical problems near the beginning of its debut. But the main concern of opening "Cyworld" in the U.S. was whether the targeted audience (teens) would use this virtual site or not. It was clear that there were obvious cultural differences between Korea and the U.S. For instance, many were worried that the "cutesy" value of "Cyworld" would not appeal to American users as much as it may for Korean users. Also, although Koreans may be enthusiastic about spending money on buying their virtual homepages various decorations (i.e. furniture, tiles, curtaines, etc.), it was predicted that the U.S. version of "Cyworld" would most likely run on money from advertisements. For these reasons, the U.S. version of "Cyworld" was altered in a way that would appeal more to their tastes.

Schonfeld states in his article that, "The bulk of Cyworld revenue comes from the sale of virtual items worth nearly $300,000 a day, or more than $7 per user per year. By comparison, ad-heavy MySpace makes an estimated $2.17 per user per year." It amazes me that Koreans are so willing to use money on something they technically are unable to physically own. However, as I read further into Schonfeld's article, things made a little more sense. In Korea, "Cyworld" also represents a certain class status. If you keep your page blank, you're rated lower than others whereas you might attract many viewers if your page has been decorated to its fullest extent. I remember my friends in Korea were near obsessed with this "Cyworld", and they were constantly changing the music and designs of their homepages; even my mother and her friends were pulled into this craze for a while.

I found it interesting to see that these webpage obsessions exist in other countries as well.
Any thoughts about "Cyworld"?

By the way, this is the link to Eric Schonfeld's article: http://money.cnn.com/2006/07/27/technology/cyworld0727.biz2/index.htm
and the link to the U.S. version of "Cyworld":
http://us.cyworld.com/ as well as the link to the Korean version of "Cyworld", which may take a little longer to load (note the difference in profile structure for users in the U.S. and users in Korea):
http://www.cyworld.com/main2/index.htm

The New York Philharmonic to Play in North Korea

The New York Philharmonic Orchestra is scheduled to play in Pyongyang, North Korea this coming February. This event is to symbolize a thawing within U.S.-North Korean relations. Furthermore, the performance is to mark the first performance by an American cultural group in the North.

However, there have been several occasions where an American orchestra has visited a Communist nation in order to help improve national tensions pertaining to politics. For instance, in 1956, the Boston Symphony has visited the old Soviet Union, and the Philadelphia Orchestra has visited China in 1973.

The concert was first proposed by North Korea in July when the U.S had talks in Berlin. The North Korean vice foreign minister, Kim Kye-gwan expressed that the country intended to invite the orchestra to with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, Christopher Hill. Thus, in August, the North Korean culture ministry faxed an invitation to the New York orchestra.
The New York Philharmonic is composed of many members; eight of them begin Korean-Americans. I believed that this would be a problem; however, the North Korean authorities have been very “understanding.” The eight Korean-Americans will be granted entry along with foreign journalists. Furthermore, North Korea has even permitted to let the orchestra play the “Star Spangled Banner.”

North Korea is in currently disabling its nuclear facilities. This performance is supposedly going to speed up resolutions between the United States and North Korea. In fact, according to the North Korean ambassador to the U.N, this concert is to promote the friendship between the two nations. Christopher Hill, American nuclear envoy, believes that this invitation as a sign that North Korea now sees America in a different perspective. Thus, George Bush has sent a personal letter to Kim Jong-il, North Korean leader, urging a full description of North Korea’s nuclear plans. In his letter, he also hinted at a possibility of diplomacy pertaining to the two nations.

Though I believe that this is a very good effort between the two nations, I have many doubts that an American orchestral concert will ease the tensions between the two countries. North Korea and the United States have both gone back-and-forth on diplomatic matters by consistently “breaking their promises,” creating a gaping distrust between the two countries.

http://english.kbs.co.kr/mcontents/issue/1495553_11694.html

Korea's Growing Appetite for Fast Foods

The increasing numbers of fast food "kingdoms" within America appear to be a prevalent issue and concern. This major concern appears to have leaked into Korea; fast foods from McDonalds or Burger King are being constantly imported into the contry, with obesity rapidly on the rise. It seems almost ironic that a nation so concerned about reconstructing outer beauty to what is considered "ideal", even through eating disorders, would have problems dealing with the other extreme as well, such as over-eating the suggested amounts of fats contained in fast foods.

When I was browsing through Chosunilbo for any interesting articles I could write about, I found one called Obesity Becomes Huge Problem in Korea (here's the link if anyone is interested: http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200502/200502130020.html). Im Ho-Jun, the author of the article, states, "Some 10 to 15 percent of people under 20 are overweight... 30.6 percent of adults were overweight and 36.2 percent suffered from abdominal obesity." This was slightly shocking to me, because I always had the impression that Korea mainly had a diet concentrated around healthy foods, that also had had numerous healthy benefits. For instance, I remember learning that kimchi helped heart problems concerning cholesterol (through garlic). With this newly learned percentage of obesity, however, my intial impression of a healthy Korea was slightly diminished. When further reading through Im Ho-Jun's article, I also found that Koreans spent an amount equivilent to approximately 1.43 billion USD in the year 2005, solely for medical treatments or problems concerning obesity. The government of Korea has yet to view this increasing rate of obesity as a major concern, however, as they have not yet considered it as any threat to the nation.

In a more recent article by Chosunilbo called No Trans Fat Does Not Mean No Worry, however, it explains that Korea has begun to take action to promote healthier living for the citizens of its nation. Major fast food and bakery companies such as Orion and Crown Bakery had rung in the new year (2007) with a ban on trans fats. What Chosunilbo is concerned about in its article, however, is that saturated fats have now taken the place of trans fat; they argue that these saturated fats can eventually become just as dangerous as trans fats quoting a Dr. Ha Jae-ho that, "Consumers should pay attention to more than just the amount of trans fat in their foods."

I personally believe that there is no possible way to completely eliminate harmful fats from anyone's diets. It is inevitable that even without fast foods or baked goods Korea would on the whole still continue consuming these harmful fats. However, I do agree that action taken against the rise of obesity wouldn't hurt Korea as a nation.

Response to 2002 World Cup

The 2002 World Cup was a huge deal and brought together everyone in the country of Korea. Even beyond that, Koreans across the globe were connected through the success of their underdog team. The point was brought up that many Korean females were not involved or knowledgeable about sports till the world cup. I would like to point out that Korean females do know a thing or two about sports, they just happen to be non-contact sports. I do agree that the 2002 World Cup opened the eyes of females in Korea to contact sports because it was a time when Korea unified.
Korean females have been most involved in three sports, speed skating, archery, and golf. I would actually like to talk about golf and explore the topic a bit because it is a huge trend in Korea to play golf, whether you are male or female. Golf is a sport that many Korean Women are seen in, and making quite an impression. A few of the well known players are Sae Ri Pak, Aree Song, Jeong Jang, and of course, Michelle Wei.
Just recently Sae Ri Pak was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. She was the first to really make a scene on the LPGA and at a very young age. Why do I know all of this? Mainly because my father and every relative I know in Korea wanted me to play golf when I was younger, and I did.
"Pak's accomplishment has greatly encouraged the Korean people, and she serves as a role model for young golfers at home. I hope she will continue to win titles and help elevate the honor of Korea," said Korean President Roh Moo-hyun.
Is this need for honor the key to the golf craze in Korea? There are now 45 Koreans in the LPGA when in 1998 there were just 3 Koreans including Sae Ri Pa. Perhaps golf was a sport that females in Korea could participate in and because of their great success, use it as a sort of feminist tool to push women to do better and better in golf. That may be a stretch, but I believe there must be some reason why golf is so big in Korea, especially for women.
Do you have any ideas on this?

Movie Culture

On Joongangdaily.com, I came across an article that described the last one-screen theater to exist in Korea. Hwayang Theater was built in 1964 and was renamed to Dream Cinema in 1999. The article discusses how cinema culture has changed throughout the years in that movie theaters today show/screen more than one movie at once. The Dream Cinema plays movies that have been released for a long time and about to come out on DVD. Recently, it has been decided that the movie theater is to be closed due redevelopment of the surrounding area. The closing of Dream Cinema is important because it is the closing of the “history of old-time single-screen theaters in Seoul”. Now that theaters today have become “state-of-the-art multiplexes” rather than theaters that screen single movies, it is understandable that the appeal for the latter has been diminishing over the years.

In order to celebrate the theater in the last months before closing, Kim Eun Joo, the owner, decided to play classic movies, such as Dirty Dancing, the Sound of Music, and Ben Hur up until the day the bulldozer arrives. The article discusses how the closing of Dream Cinema not only has an effect on the owner, but how it also influences the other workers that have been involved with the cinema for a number of years, such as the security guard, the projectionist, and theater sign painters.

This article had me thinking about a few things after. We can see that movie culture has changed throughout the years, but has it changed for the better or worse? The owner of Dream Cinema, Kim Eun-Joo, compared the “degraded culture of going to movies” to “going to a neighborhood supermarket wearing slippers”. The uniqueness and spirit of Korean cinema is being lost, as there will no longer be tickets that are thin and rough, as well as the irreplaceable theater posters which are drawn by hand. Are we sacrificing traditions and historical artifacts in place of other developments and advancements in society? I feel as though the article is an example of the struggle of balancing and maintaining the past while further progressing into the future. Some things are lost and some things are kept, but how and who determines such things?

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2883587
Korea’s last one-screen theater about to close by Chun Su jin
December 6, 2007

KPop Celebrity Gossip

What do you all know about the Korean entertainment industry? At the moment, I am talking to a Korean friend of mine. We're discussing different scandals and gossip in the entertainment industry, as well as the different media pressures on Korean pop stars. For example:

- Shinhwa boycotted the MKMF Awards show because of their old record label, SM Entertainment. SM pressured the producers of MKMF to cheat various members of Shinhwa out of well-deserved awards as they back the awards show financially.
- The same company, SM Entertainment, has cheated former boyband H.O.T. out of a lot of money.
- SM Entertainment is also withdrawing a lot of money from current boyband Super Junior - it's said that they can't afford cars .

MKMF Awards 2004 or 2005 (where BoA performed My Name):
- BoA changed her image to a "sexier" image during this performance.
- BoA has been constantly pressured to lose weight by her record label; you can see a significant difference from her younger days and this performance. The pressures on her seem to be a strain mentally as well as physically based on the crying during her speech.
- Rumors that she has to sleep with Lee Soo Man (founder of SM Entertainment) for various purposes; some people speculate that this is why she has been in Japan for a long time and seems reluctant to return to Korea.

Of course, this is all hearsay -- have any of you heard rumors similar to this? Any disparate rumors? I find all of this extremely interesting, though some of it may be extremely far-fetched to someone who knows the Korean music industry well.

To me, it seems that the Korean music industry is different from the American music industry in that even established, wildly popular artists such as H.O.T. or BoA don't have a great amount of control over their record label or their music. This may be naivete on my part, but while young and upcoming artists may have difficulties with their record labels, popular American artists such as Beyonce or Britney Spears seem to have a good portion of control over their careers. Do any of you have articles related to this issue?

Power of Sports in Korea

After watching the YMCA Baseball, I found it a coincidence to find this article on joongang daily.joins. com. The article, written by Pat King Deputy Editor, discussed one of the most crucial, momentous, monumental moments in Korean sports. It wasn’t the World Cup in 2002 or the 1988 Olympics. The important event which he mentions is the 1936 Olympics which took place in Berlin. This momentous occasion was also described in Gwang Ok’s book, “The Transformation of Modern Korean Sport: Imperialism, Nationalism, Globalization”, which focuses on the connection between sport, religion, and nationalism and how sports evolved during the times of “Japanese invasion, oppression, and control”.

King writes that sports, to Koreans, were more than simply games but rather a means of preserving their nationalism, individuality, Korean identity, and independent spirit. The article highlights the 1936 Olympics when a Korean marathon runner named Son Gi-jeong won first place. Still, the event was not all happy for Son as he recounted the award ceremony with resentment due to the fact that he was forced to wear a symbol of the Japanese flag on his uniform. He stated later on that he felt “desperate and ashamed. . . wearing a shirt with the Japanese rising sun on the left chest” . The Korean citizens were bothered by this as well and we see this when the Dong-a Daily, a domestic newspaper, publishing the same picture except they altered the Japanese flag on Son’s uniform. Gwang’s continued to identify himself as a Korean and this act against “Japanese propaganda”, provided as almost a “moral-booster” for the Korean citizens. The Korean people were able to recover “much-needed national identity” and pride in their nation. Gwang also mentions in his book how modern day sports has been influenced by Christian missionary schools, YMCA, foreign language schools, and the “opening up of Japan in the 19^th century”. This part was also interesting since it was related to what we watched in the YMCA Baseball movie where Europeans came into Korea to teach the people the game of baseball. I have become increasingly aware of the power of

Gwang further writes that sports were a means for Western cultural imperialism to counterbalance Eastern political imperialism. Sports were not always popular, however, especially when it was first introduced in Korea. As time slowly progressed, sports became more widely acceptable and popular to young men, and then to girls and women. It is interesting to see how the power of sports to unify a nation and how it has evolved into such an integral part of Korean society as we see it today. It was also intriguing to see how sports were used to give purpose and identity to the Korean nation during the turbulent times of Japanese colonization.

Pat King Deputy Editor

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2882843

November 17, 2007

YMCA

After I have read the article" Japanese YMCA Cultural IMperialism in Korea and Manchuria after the Russo- Japanese War" by jon Davidann, I just found some interesting points for me as Japaneses I guess. during 1880s or 90s, people thought chiristans were western culture for Japanese and some people did not want it. I think people in Samurai position are the ones who didnt want but according to the article, many who had converted to chiristianity were former samurai.and also on pg 255, " Japanese Chiristians set forth to missonize Korea and Manchuria" this is interesting to me because I have seen so many Korean Christians but not Japanese here.Young Men's Christian Association,YMCA is a nonprofit organization but it was used as a tool of getting control in Korea. For example, Koreans used YMCA to agitate for Korean independent. I guess that is because member of YMCA came from elite yangban.

Hallyu

KOREAN WAVE"Hallyu"Korean pop culture became so popular about 10 years ago. Korean entertainment companies exported a lot of dramas, movies, music to some Asian countries such as taiwan, Japan, etc. in the example of japan, people did not know about korean pop culture at all before winter sonata was broadcasted in Japan. many old ladies became crazy about one actor "bea young jung" because he looks different from Japanese actors and looks smart. in fact he may be smart and he is making a lot of money nowadays. he even made a restaurant in japan. after winter sonata became popular in Japan, many dramas were on TV such as "all in". because of this Korean wave starting from winter sonata, many people got interested in Korea and Korean culture. they started to study Korean language or visit to Korea.we all can see the numbers from the reading of "The Rising East Asian Wave" so i quote from different reading we already did.in the reading" hybridity and the rise of Korean popular culture in asia" says Shiri earned 14 million at Japanese box office, Korean movies are popular in Japan too so japanese company imported a lot. like in 2005, 58 movies came to japan and in 2006 21 movies came to japan. do you think this hallyu last for long time? i dont think so. you can see this decreasing numbers of movies which are going to japan. japanese people like famous actors and actress so even if some moviews are popular in Korea, it can not be in japan. now I can see hallyu is going down in japan. and I want to see how hallyu will be in a few years.

Fashion Can Prolong Hangeul

Korean fashion designer Lie Sang-bong is one of the few designers whose breach reaches beyond Korean. His clothes are developed through designs of red, violet, and ultra black while being inspired through old films, historical romances, ancient poetry, and most importantly, letters from the Korean alphabet, Hangeul. I believe that this is a perfect example of modernized tradition. He “modernizes” Hangeul in order to create a greater appeal on the world-wide spectrum.

His latest item – a design which incorporated the Korean alphabet as a pattern for the dresses – was a major hit at the Paris Pret-a-Porter Collection in February 2002. Ever since, his trend of Hangeul has spread to not only his clothing line, but also to bed sheets, cell phones, and other accessories. He will soon even design a cigar with his Hangeul design too.

He became inspired by Hangeul through letters from two friends, singer Jang Sa-ik and artist Lim-Ok-sang. “If Jang's handwriting is like flowing water, Lim's handwriting is like fire bursting with energy,” Lie said. Thus came his first 51 dresses embellished and empowered through the flowing Hangeul letters at his first Paris Pret-a-porter Collection entitled “L'ombre Lunaire” in February 2002. He received very commending reviews.

“Most foreigners don't know that Korea has its own writing system,” Lie said. “They believe we might speak differently from the Chinese but use the same Chinese characters. After all, not all nations are lucky enough to have their own letters.” Thus I believe that he modernized “old Korean writing” originally being on paper, into “new Korean writing” onto flowing fabrics of contemporary clothing.

His design of incorporating Hangeul onto dresses has created the 2006 Hangeul Exposition: “Hangul Mode” in Who's Next & Premiere Classe. This exposition was composed of more than 40 designers, including those from overseas, developing their own ideas and designs pertaining to the Hangeul dress.

“Sooner or later you'll see foreigners wearing clothes that bear Hangeul all over the world,” Lie said. He then came to explain that celebrities in even Russia now wear clothing with Hangeul letters. Another Hangeul fashion show of his is the “Swinging East.” This show demonstrates the goodwill for Korea-China cultural exchange through. The clothing is composed of long dresses, decorated with Hangeul and Hangja, Chinese characters. He also includes a black dress in the hanbok design and belts with the traditional mother-of-pearl patters. While the models strut down the runway, the background music of this show is composed of traditional Korean drums, which add to the East Asian “mood.”

Lie stated a quote that really struck me for it was very relevant pertaining to our Kpop class. “It's fun working with Hangeul, which allows me to insert letters and poems. Then foreigners ask what all of these mean and I get to explain the content of the poem or piece of Korean history. I feel proud to have this opportunity to promote Korean culture. Koreans are so used to Hangeul that they've become dull to its true value and beauty. This is not so in the eyes of foreigners. The important thing is to re-create tradition in a modern way.”

http://www.korea.net/news/news/newsView.asp?serial_no=20070919013

On “The Rising East Asian Wave: Korean Media Go Global” by Youna Kim

A straightforward read, I felt that this article would have been great at the beginning of the semester. It gave an overview of what this entire class is about! Starting from the explanation to how the Korean wave started, to even breaking down each section to surrounding countries and how they have been affected by Korean media and music, it was a nice way to sum up our class.

I was especially interested in Korean popular culture influences in Japan, since we’ve read articles and comics about Japanese detestation of Korean characters in pop culture works. Perhaps the article only chose to recognize a major Korean drama leaking into Japan and being a hit because Winter Sonata became well-liked in the surrounding countries in general. However, Kim writes, “This explosive popularity of the Korean drama has baffled the Japanese media, entertainment commentators and social analysts” (141) which shows that Winter Sonata in particular had this kind of effect on Japan in a way that probably would not have happened with other Korean media.

What was really fascinating was what happened after the explosion of popularity of this drama. It said in the article that Japanese women became attracted to Korean men and “Some Japanese women have even registered with matchmaking agencies to get a Korean husband…” (141). I actually remember coming across an article regarding the growing interest of Japanese women in finding Korean husbands. (check out http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/30/AR2006083002985_2.html).

Towards the end of the section, Kim writes that awareness and interest of Korean media has led to the interest of the culture as well, and has even led to the self-reflection of the Japanese. While this seems like a positive way to look at Korean-Japanese relations, is this really the overall indication of Japan as a whole?

“Art, Advertising, and the Legacy of Empire”

Reading this article, I was reminded a lot of a book that I read part of a few years ago, although this article dealt primarily with racism and the piece I read was about female beauty ideals and portrayal. "The Beauty Myth" by Naomi Wolf has a great chapter on the way women’s images are used in advertisements and how this affects the way woman view themselves as a result. She gives numerous examples of ads printed in the past in high-end fashion magazines that depict nearly naked women in sexual poses or close-ups of women with overtly sexual expressions on their faces, even depictions of bondage-style violence against women, being used in ads for products such as designer shoes or handbags. Wolf uses the term “beauty pornography” to describe the imagery of women that we see opening up pretty much any magazine or by turning on the TV. The already “ideal” bodies of the models, who have had professionally applied makeup and styled hair, are further airbrushed to create an even more so-called “perfect” woman. No woman could ever possibly meet these beauty ideals, because they don’t exist—they’re created on the computer. Even photos of the celebrities that so many people worship—or at least are intrigued by—are airbrushed to make us think they look great all the time. When celebrity rags get “revealing” photos of stars without their makeup or looking saggy in their bikini, we are supposed to be shocked. But is this really such a surprise? What is this sick interest we have in exposing other people’s flaws?

This goes for the stereotypes given in television commercials as well. How many TV ads have you seen with a powerful woman taking charge of a situation and using her brains to solve a problem? How many have you seen of woman wistfully looking over a piece of dessert or acting embarrassed by their dry, dull hair, before they discovered the new no-guilt, low-fat yogurt that tastes just like key-lime pie or the new hair dye that brings shine and strength to their ‘do? How do you feel about the use of women in advertising? Are we supposed to assume that everyone who sees ads in magazines knows that the women don’t really look like way and that it is an unrealistic goal to try to look the same? Even if we do know that the images are airbrushed and unrealistic, can we truly stop ourselves from—even involuntarily—secretly feeling that those are images of true beauty and something to aspire to look like?

Korean Art

I am taking a class that surveys Asian art. The class is broken into three major sections—Indian, Chinese, and Japanese art. One day was devoted to each Southeast Asia and Korea. When we covered Korean art, I noticed in the textbook how the examples of Korean art had been assimilated into the sections on Chinese or Japanese art. Because of the high influence of both countries on Korean culture (Korea was used as a mediator between Chinese and Japanese trade, Japanese colonialism, etc.), it is understandable that Korean artists would experiment with different styles. However, Korean art should be explored in its own right and not subsumed into Chinese and Japanese categories of art, minimalizing its importance in the survey of Asian art. One has to view works of art works in their own, larger historical and cultural context for it to be truly appreciated. Therefore, Korea seems to have been robbed of its art history.

"Thank You"

I was watching a drama on the AZN channel entitled, “Thank You.” This drama is about a little girl who has AIDS and how she slowly breaks down stereotypes surrounding the disease. The little girl lives with her mother in a place called “Blue Island.” The only way to the mainland is by ferry. This island is a very agrarian area and, based on dialogue by the characters, if you need to do or buy anything, you have to go to Seoul. So, throughout the drama, there is a class tension between the characters and amenities in Seoul vs. the provincial, agrarian lifestyle of those who lived on Blue Island. Due to the lighthearted nature of the drama (the message of the drama is that if you are kind to people, they will eventually accept you), the class-ism is neither a main nor an overt theme in this drama. However, it was an interesting aspect to note in this entry.

This drama could also be labeled as a medical drama due to the fact that the main, male characters are doctors and there are several scenes that take place in the emergency room. What is interesting about “Thank You,” is that during these medical scenes, there would be subtitles that pop up, supplementing the dialogue with explanations of medical terms. Because of the seemingly educational effect of this drama in the definition of medical terms and the promotion of awareness about AIDS, “Thank You” goes against the postmodernist theory of popular culture.

Comfort Women

I found an article a long time ago on Korea-Japan relations and I’ve been curious ever since on the Korea-Japan Normalization Treaty of 1965, which was mentioned in the article. Apparently, according to this treaty, Seoul demanded $364 million compensation for individuals who died or were used as laborers during Japanese colonization. The Korean government received $800 million of grants and loans as reparations from Japan. Korea’s president agreed that after this payment, citizens would no longer make individual claims against Japanese government. The issue is that President Park Chung-hee only paid $251 million to families killed by Japanese and 6.6 billion won to those whose property was destroyed… South Koreans conscripted into the Japanese military/labor force received compensation. This also means that none of the comfort women were compensated.

President Park Chung-hee decided to use the money, then, for public service projects—the construction of industries and transportation between Seoul and Busan.

The topic of comfort women is still a huge debate in politics, however. An article released on December 09, 2007 writes about how there is a new movement within the European Parliament to demand Japan to compensate and officially apologize to comfort women.

Here is the link to the article:

http://www.korea.net/news/news/newsView.asp?serial_no=20071209003&part=103&SearchDay=&page=1

However, I’m stuck on the Korea-Japan Normalization Treaty of 1965. Even though none of the monetary compensation reached the Korean comfort women, I can understand Japan’s “stubbornness” on this matter… Korea (or at least Park Chung-hee) had already agreed that individual’s no longer had a “right” to press charges against the Japanese government for what had happened… I feel like the Treaty was a stupid move on Korea’s part. Doesn’t this mean that it’s Park Chung-hee’s fault for agreeing to such conditions and not using the money to compensate all of the harmed individuals (even if it meant using it for “better” purposes)?

I’m confused. This treaty confuses me because I feel like it gives Japan a “right” to ignore the past, as if this treaty means that Japan is rid of all guilt. Am I missing something—can someone explain??

Andre Kim, "Improvement" Shows, and Low-end Products by Famous Designers

Today when I was reading an article on Korean designer Andre Kim’s expanding fashion and home goods empire I was reminded of an article we read a while ago in High-Pop by Jim Collins. “Style and the Perfection of Things” by Celia Lury made me think a lot about the prevalent theme of “improvement” in the United States today, as well as the impact designers have in our society. It seems that US society today is obsessed with making everything perfect: their homes, clothing, cooking, bodies. Just turn on the TV and you will see a myriad of shows or commercials based on this “improvement” theme. There are home improvement shows (“Design on a Dime”, “Flip That House”, “Trading Spaces”, “Home Made Simple”), fashion makeover shows for your wardrobe, hair and makeup (“What Not To Wear”, “10 Years Younger”, “Fashion Guide”), shows to teach you how to cook like a gourmet cook (“Take-Home Chef”), and those examples are all from just one channel. Commercials tell you that you can have a better cell phone, a better cable plan, better clothes, even better dating options just by calling this number or going to this store or website.

Included in this whole phenomenon are high-end designers doing clothing and house wear lines for stores such as Macy’s and Target, and famous chefs that have shows teaching us how to cook simple yet delicious meals. It’s the idea of No-brow: “the space between the familiar categories of high and low culture” (Seabrook, 1999: 104). These are famous designers making low-cost items so that the everyday person too can have beautifully decorated homes and high-fashion personal style. Can’t afford to hire your own chef? Well, you can learn to cook just like them by watching their TV show. It’s the idea that everyone, high-income or –low, deserves to look that good or live that well.

It seems that Andre Kim is intent on following this path in Korea. He is already a revered fashion designer who has also produced wallpaper, jewelry, underwear, cosmetics, golf wear, eyeglasses, even interior design for apartments built by Samsung Corporation. Starting in 2006, when the article dates, he moved on to washing machines and refrigerators. I could not find any articles about Kim starting his own low-end clothing line for the everyday Korean, but I’d assume that if he hasn’t already, that would be his next step. He did once say, after all, that his clothes were for everyone (after Michael Jackson asked him to be his personal designer). And Kim does come from a lower class background himself: his parents were farmers in a rural town.

People who have been to Korea or are Korean probably know more about Andre Kim and Korean fashion than I do. Are there low-end clothing and home accessories lines by famous designers in Korea? And how do people feel about these “improvement” genre shows? Why are they so prevalent in today's society?

Acculturation in YMCA Baseball

I should start out by confessing that the very first thing that struck me about YMCA Baseball was that it kind of reminded me of the premise A League of their Own. Admittedly, I have not seen the latter film, but the idea of people trying to start a baseball league during what seems to be roughly the World War II era and the struggles and pitfalls they have to go through, seems similar. It is worth mentioning that the cultural translation the Koreans experience is twofold as given to them by the Japanese who have, in turn, taken it from the Western Christian missionaries they encountered. Perhaps more to the point, the similarities between these two films illustrate the process of acculturation and how what seems normal in one context seems completely foreign in another. This can be seen at the beginning when the Korean men are holding the baseball and studying, examining it for its possible uses, as well, as when one of the men mistakes the baseball bat for a paddle. I think this concept is cleverly articulated after the death of that man, when the priest reads out what is supposed to be a eulogy to the chanting monks, but is actually, I think, the stolen love letter of one of the team players to the female coaching assistant, yet the monks mourn to it accordingly. I think the point is that things can be used in an entirely different context from the one they were meant for convincingly if one does not know their original intent; that purposes vary from culture to culture.

I find the way cultural translation is articulated in the film kind of ironic. In the United States, baseball (especially in this era) was played by men. Indeed, the Korean team members scoff at the idea of a woman being involved too, however, because the Korean woman studied in America, she is the main facilitator of the team effort due to her dual linguistic abilities. She also asserts ‘that doesn’t mean I don’t know plenty about baseball.’ Ultimately, I enjoyed this film and feel that it kind of showed on a microcosmic and very human level the macrocosmic and societal pitfalls that occur in the path of acculturation.

2002 World Cup

2002 World Cup was one of the most unforgettable events in Korea. It displayed strong nationalism. People wore red shirt and gathered to support our team. Before 2002, we never have won that far. There was an excitement all over the country. People who didn’t have the ticket to World Cup gathered around a place where TV was available. City Hall was very crowded with people who wore red uniform. Whenever our team scored, people shared their happiness and excitement with others whom they barely knew. Whenever our team lost, we consoled each other. It was a great moment when Koreans united stronger once again.

Also, this event was remarkable on women’s participation on the sport. Unlike female students in USA, female students in Korea did not play sports actively. Therefore, they did have neither strong interests nor knowledge in sports. As 2002 World cup made an impact in Korea, women also started to show their interest in sports. Women gradually gained interest in sports. Soccer players became more famous, and all of them have been loved by massive female fans, just like the way most famous celebrities are treated.

2002 World Cup also developed Korean economy. Almost every single person bought red soccer uniform. So many products that symbolized team support were introduced and sold during the World Cup. It was a good source to advertise Korea. World Cup 2002 made huge positive changes in Korea.

Undercovered History

Does anyone have watched “Silmido”? After watching “Heaven of Solider,” this movie came into my mind. I went to school in Korea before attending Smith. What we learn, and what I hear from the news are quite different from the actual history that I watched in “Silmido.” This movie starts with a scene of criminals getting executed, but the government keeps them alive and put them into secret military mission: Kill Kim Il-Sung. These criminals would be guaranteed new lives if they succeed the mission. So they are being trained intensely in an isolated island called “Silmido.” The government, however, cancels their mission the day before their mission. The government even attempts to kill all the criminals to keep the secret. The criminals find out the government’s plan, and they revolt. At the end, they die, and the government and media report that they were North Korean commandos. They keep this event secrecy. This movie was debuted in 2003, around 30 years after the actual event occurred (1972). Now, the media has more freedom of choosing the different types of movies to create. So those movies can be played. I really think it is possible to have a secret mission such as making nuclear bomb with both sides of Korea together as in “Heaven in Solider.” I also think some historical events we have been taught in our country might not be true. Yi Sun-Sin, our hero, might not be the person we have studied and imagined. He could have been the person we saw in the “Heaven Solider.” How can we be assured about what actually occurred if we were never there. I believe some heroes and historical events can be exaggerated to what we want to believe. Although I am very curious, I don’t believe I should argue about it. These are my thought after watching those movies.

North Korea travel

When I was doing research for my mom, these were some of the links I looked at regarding visiting North Korea. The first is a FAQ answered by North Korea. The second is a North Korean tour group company, and the third is what wikipedia had to say about visiting (I realize wikipedia is not a reliable source, but the differences are worth noting). It makes you wonder what is really going on and who should we believe?

http://www.korea-dpr.com/faq.htm#1

http://www.koryogroup.com/index.html

http://wikitravel.org/en/North_Korea

"A State of Mind" and our class discussion got me thinking, how much of a reliable source is North Korea? Everything that goes into North Korea is very censored and mediated and I assume that hold true for images and things which come out of the country. So, is what North Koreans say about North Korea true? Speaking out against Kim Jong-Il, North Korea, or its government is probably tantamount to treason, making people extremely cautious and weary about speaking out. In the film, many of the North Koreans seemed to be brainwashed and have completely internalized communist values and anti-Western sentiment, but I wonder how much they actually believe and what is being said simply because they know it has to be said. It's sort of similar to people in the US armed forces, they are not allowed to speak out against our president or the war effort, so when reporters ask, "How do you feel about the war and Bush Admin?" their answers are extremely predictable and make it seems as if all the soldiers are ready and willing to fight.

As far as North Korean and South Korean re-unification, I question how much the middle and upper echelons of North Korean society would be willing to re-unite, since they are not the ones really being effected by any poverty or poor living conditions. South Korea seems to have this almost condescending attitude towards North Korea, or it can seem that way. All those singers coming together for a re-unification song reminded me of Michael Jackson and his "We Are the World" thing back in the 1990s. Acting like North Korea is a helpless child that needs to be cared for might not be the best way to treat the situation, even if it is true.

This sort of, "we don't really need South Korea" attitude by North Koreans I think was SO obvious when we watched the video of Shinhwa perform. These wealthy(ish) Koreans probably were thinking something similar to "We need to be cultured into this?" or "This is what is the better way of life?" At least, that's what I imagine they were thinking.

On a seperate note, I had two interesting experiences over Thanksgiving. The first was over dinner when my mom told a story that when I was little I hated rice, something which everyone thought was really funny. The second was a friend of mine showed me "The Onion's Atlas of the World" which talked about South Korea being number 1 and being number 2, in other words, we are still always overshadowed by other Asian countries. This got me thinking about cultural expectations, what people expect or assume when you tell them that your South Korean. I guess this could relate to our discussion about Korean youth and their ethnic national pride, sort of embracing what Koreans are known to be. Anyone else have any interesting encounters with cultural expectations?

Reactions to "A State of Mind"

While watching the fascinating documentary "A State of Mind," I became aware of how little I know about North Korea. Before seeing this film, I had no idea of the extent to which North Koreans are are brainwashed through CONSTANT propaganda (which is broadcast through their mandatory radios and their single television channel, in school, and through the ever present imagery of their "fathers" or "leaders," Kim Jong-il and the deceased Kim Il-sung. I was amazed to see the people of North Korea's manifestation of their communism through the incredibly elaborate dance shows performed during the Mass Games. I have NEVER before witnessed anything so precise and synchronized. Although Suk-Young Kim, in her essay "Springtime for Kim Il-sung" does not refer to the Mass Games directly (unless this event is part of the celebratory parades that she does discuss), she refers to several themes that are significant to examine in relation to the Mass Games that Hyon Sun Pak and Son Yun Kim prepare for so tirelessly.

Suk- Young Kim writes, "North Korean stage productions are dedicated to providing an accurate depiction of Pyongyang, while at the same time preoccupied with presenting the prescribed utopian vision of the North Korean capital...the overriding mission of every North Korean stage production is to simulate this ideal world as if it were already a part or reality, a phenomenon epitomized most conspicuously in revolutionary operas" (26).

Like these operas, the Mass Games gymnastic performances attempt to depict North Korea and its capital, Pyongyang. Although this depiction is not a representation of the physical city, it is one that strives to depict North Korean values. By performing so in sync as a group, with no solos or other moments of individual expression, these gymnasts are portraying the communist ideals of team work and unity. The Mass Games also serve, as phrased by Kim, to "...display an image of an invigorated North Korean economy to the outside world" (35). From watching the mesmerizing dances, one would never imagine North Korea to be a country plagued in recent years by severe famine. The dancers appear to be healthy and happy (they are constantly smiling!) The documentary "A State of Mind" reveals the opposite, by showing footage of the girls' grueling rehearsals- without gymnastic mats.. ouch, revealing comments made by the gymnasts about the amount of pain they are experiencing due to rehearsing, and by including interviews with Son Yun Kim's mother about the famine period.

Kim's statement, "Clearly the regime is more interested in staging a show than caring for its people," (35) is clearly seen in the this documentary. The most heartbreaking moment of the film was when it becomes known that Kim Jong-il did not attend the first Mass Games performance, nor did he attend any that occurred twice a day for almost a month. Although Hyon Sun Pak accepts his absence (for she believes he is attending to important business), it is a clear example of the misconceptions and false hopes that so many of North Korea's citizens have for their leaders.

Perspective of the Youth

Sook-Jong Lee’s article “The Assertive Nationalism of South Korean Youth: Cultural Dynamism and Political Activism,” revealed a surprising generational gap between Koreans in their twenties and those older. While generational gaps are expected in any country, Lee’s article made Korea’s seem especially pronounced. I was surprised in particular by the different statistics on Koreans’ views on the US. I did not expect such a large difference, or inversion even, between the views of younger and older generations. I was also surprised at the level of negativity for Koreans in their twenties. Having now read about the impact that American culture has had on the youth of Korea, it was surprising to see the level of political disagreement (though it is understandable). Likewise, I was surprised that the older generation found the US so much more favorable.

How strong, then, is the connection between Hollywood and US pop culture and our foreign policy? Does disagreement with the government lead to backlash against American movies, music, and stars? We have read, for example, about the prohibition of Japanese culture following colonialism, but this was state-initiated. Since American doesn’t experience the same influx of foreign entertainment, it’s difficult for me to fathom how much a country’s politics impacts their cultural exports. Based on the statistics from the article, I would assume that among the younger generation there is a greater popularity of Korean movies and music compared to Hollywood products, but this is pure speculation.

Also, given the support for Korea’s unification among Koreans in their twenties, it seems that reunification may become more possible as this generation continues to age and gain gravitas within Korea’s political landscape. I’m unaware of the limitations in Korea regarding running for office, but again, as this generation ages it seems likely that their perspectives and values will shape Korea’s future policies. With Korea’s younger generation holding so many different views from the older generation, it will be interesting to see whether they keep these views in opposition to the older generation as they gain sway over the country.

Fascism Paints Its Own Face

The article on The Cultural Politics of the Red Devils inspired me to think a lot about the spaces between voluntary patriotism and as Jeon and Yoon describe it, “fascism without a face” (Jeon & Yoon, p. 78). When people rally around any accomplishment of their country: be it a win in an Olympic decathlon, the invocation of a past tradition as was the case in Im Kwon-Taek’s Sopyonje, to what extent is that an appropriate display of nationalistic pride and at what point does it become an unhealthy manifestation of totalitarian ideology. The fact that an American wins a medal in swimming or figure skating at the Olympics hardly implies that I, myself, am a champion swimmer or skater, yet I still celebrate and feel proud at their achievement. Such pride is encouraged with the practice of singing national anthems at sports games. The question is: where does the individual person start and the national identity leave off?
It seems that victory in a contest against the Other is a rallying point that brings many people in a country together regardless or racial, religious, or cultural divides and clearly nationalism is to the benefit of any government trying to maintain its power. However, I found it intriguing that the authors emphasized that the Red Devils, although peaceful in their demonstrations, were hardly passive ‘Gookmin.’ Particularly in the instance of the female demonstrators, who came out of their houses clad in tight jeans and signature red t-shirts, flaunting their bodies and sexuality, “breaking down the traditional, moralistic code of ‘being Oriental girls’ (Jeon & Yoon, p. 81-82). Thus, the authors make the point that people can engage in nationalistic, semi-fascist displays while still maintaining autonomy over themselves.
The role of the media and educational institutions in the instillation of what I would term ‘soft totalitarianism’ is another issue that merits consideration. The intellectual theorist Noam Chomsky, for one, has been vocal about his belief that these two forces are more successful in the inculcation of ideology and fascism than are repressive regimes. Indeed, it seems that in the latter case, when people are aware of censorship they become incensed and resistance groups often form. However, the ostensible premise of freedom combined with the promises of capitalism leads to a media that can be bought, bribed, and intimidated without any actual violent force or coercion, meanwhile the common person, ignorant of this exchange, accepts the news they are served passively. Yet conversely, the article cites the activities of the Red Devils as a way for spectators to reject the passivity of television at home and become an active spectacle themselves (Jeon & Yoon, p. 81). Ultimately, it seems the line between personal autonomy and state-sponsored mass infatuation is a fine one.

Korea is #1!!!

My brother sent me this and I think it is HILARIOUS! I hope that no one finds it offensive ... it immediately made me think of this class.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ptyzc4BQliY

There is talk of the rivalry between Korea and Japan, nationalism, and "Koreaness." It's pretty ridiculous.

Arirang and Korean History

Here are the links to SG Wannabe's Arirang MV (It's in 3 parts since it's over 20 minutes long... ^^;)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rd3yizwdAas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiwb-O-89z8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hMlbqF9kmQ

I've noticed that a few of Korean music videos are very long and aren't even "music videos" anymore. On the contrary, they look more like movie trailers or movies themselves. SG Wannabe's music video seems to be a prime example of this trend. I mean, it's twenty minutes long! Furthermore, there are breaks when the music does not even play, but goes into "movie-mode" where the actors will actually have a script to read. Actors are another thing--this particular music video actually features two actors, Ju-Hyun Ok and Bum-Soo Lee.

I think the music video allows the viewer to expand his/her understanding of the song. With just the song itself, I can make out a faint connection its original folk song counterpart with its emotion and the theme of a separation between two lovers. Watching the movie, however, I understand a strong sense of nationalism that I felt in Arirang songs such as the Gyeong-bok-gun Arirang along with the sorrow and grief of the Gin Arirang, for examples.

Also, from the music video, I feel a strong sense of dismay about the fact that Koreans are separated between North and South. The movie about General Yi also seemed to have this theme. Over the summer I watched a movie that had this same subject matter, called "Underground Rendez-vous" (만남의 광장). The movie tells the story
of a family that was separated by the North-South boundary. The film is packed with
comedy, the movie opens with a scene where the family actually helps the Russians
and Americans put up the barbed wire and fence, not knowing what was actually going on.
When finished with the work, the family on the "South" part of the fence calls
the family on the other side of the fence to come back to their side to go back home.
Of course, the Russians and Americans stop them as it is official that no one can
cross over the fence, now.

History is such an integral part of Korean culture that it dominates Korean film, music, and
other forms of pop culture media.

Here's a trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZGlfScwDag

EPAKSA

Naotaka and I also had a really hard time imagining what a t'urot'u performance on a bus tour would be like. However, while meeting for our presentation preparation, we came across this video on YouTube and thought that you all might be surprised, and pretty entertained:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yoFtymTkZs

In Son's article, he writes: "The typical recording [of disco t'urot'u medley] here consists of ten to twelve similar t'urot'u songs laid over the same rhythmic accompaniment: that is, pseudo-disco" (63). Epaksa is a t'urot'u medley singer who was a highway bus-tour guide. This video shows Epaksa performing his disco t'urot'u medley. It starts off with Epaksa infront of a tour bus with a key board accompanist performing a very familiar song "YMCA" to Korean lyrics. The song then proceeds into another song, that is introduced with a picture of himself and the title of the new song.

As each new song is introduced, the video seems to become more and more crazy, which makes you wonder how and if this style "should be understood as a musical, metaphorical, and physical expression of the modern South Korean identity" (52) and if this performer and genre could be taken seriously. However, there are references to taxi cabs, busy streets, stands that sell cassettes, all places that Son referred to in his article that currently holds and plays t'urot'u music. Despite the silly character of Epaksa, it was surprising to read that he was signed by a major record company and his first mega cassette tape had sold more than 400,000 copies.

(by Naotaka and Young Ju)

Reinventing Tradition: T’urot’u and "Highway Star"

I found this week's readings and audio samplings to be fascinating, and each piece was very much connected. A main theme running through all of the essays and music is the idea of "reinvented tradition" that is so prevalent to all of the texts in our class. T’urot’u, for example, is a music style that has been reinvented with each generation since its formation in the 1920s. Whether infused by the sounds of Japanese popular music or American rock, t’urot’u has been reinvented many times, and has been able to maintain some form of popularity in Korea. In "Regulating and Negotiating in t'urot'u, a Korean Popular Song Style," Ming-Jung Son writes, "t’urot’u has had different meanings and different sounds throughout history, and these have been negotiated within the relationships existing between the music, politics, and the public consciousness" (73).
I found the trend of t'urot’u bus performances during highway tours to be particularly interesting. Not only did this phenomenon reinvent and repopularize t’urot’u, but it also connected turot’u with pride and appreciation for the Korean landscape, which was once war torn and inaccessible for Koreans to see. By developing this association between t’urot’u with Korean landscape, t’urot’u became clearly established as a uniquely Korean art form, despite the outside influences that played a role in shaping this musical style.

The idea of performers singing t’urot’u and dancing up and down bus isles perplexed me, and I really wanted to see what this looked like. Unfortunately, I was unable to find any videos of this on the Internet, but I did come across a trailer that I find very interesting! Thus trailer is advertising a Korean film from 2007 titled "Highway Star." Here is the description I found of the film on global.yesasia.com:

Stuck in a small town, aspiring rocker Dal Ho (Cha Tae Hyun) makes a living reluctantly playing trot at local clubs. When small-time recording company head Jang (Lim Chae Moo) offers Dal Ho a contract, he eagerly grabs the opportunity, believing that his time has finally come. After he signs, however, Dal Ho discovers that he won't be rocking after all. Instead, he will be singing trot. Unable to back out of his contract, Dal Ho takes to the stage behind a mask to hide his embarrassment, and ends up an overnight sensation. The wannabe rocker seems to have found his true calling, but doing music he dislikes. With the help of Jang and a certain cute trot singer (Lee So Yeon), maybe he'll actually learn the passion of trot.

This film description provided me with information that I did not get from Ming-Jon Sun's essay. Although I realized from her reading that t’urot’u is associated with an older generation, I did not get the sense that this music is stigmatized as being "dorky," maybe in the same way that Americans of our generation find disco (no offense to disco lovers) ?

The trailer to this film can be found at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oniAAqMVTVM. Although it is Korean without English subtitles, something major comes across- the background music is OPERA! It is Bizet’s Carmen. This is an example of opera being used in popular culture, and being taken out of the realm of being solely for the upper class. But why use this song in a Korean film trailer? Both opera and t’urot’u are cultural traditions that have been around for generations. Could it be that the filmmakers are suggesting that like opera, t’urot’u is associated with an older, (stuffier, stricter?) generation, but is possibly making a comeback? "Highway Star" is another example of t’urot’u being reinvented- now in the media of popular film. An entirely new generation will experience t’urot’u through this film. Similarly, the use of opera music in the trailer reinvents opera. It is not an art that is reserved for rich, white Americans, as it once was, but is now being exposed to Korean middle-class audiences.

Korean Pop Music

One of the things I was immediately struck by while listening to all this music was the sampling of American recording artists. Seo Taiji Boys had some Flavor Flav/Public Enemy in their song and it sounded like one of the songs posted here by Drunken Tiger had some DMX in it. Crying Nut's music and melody also seemed to sound alot like old punk/The Ramones at times. I know we talk alot about globalization and importing vs. exporting culture, so it got me thinking why do so many people/groups emulate American artists? A perfect example would be the group Drunken Tiger, where did that gansta image come from, from America? Or did a similar stereotype of rappers being gansters already exist in Korea? Do Koreans recognize this as being a sampling of American-style rap (or music in general)?
I'm not sure if this is always true or still holds true today, but I believe that back in the 1990's and maybe early 2000's, bands were often "tested" in Asia, seeing what people liked and didn't like. So I can't help but wonder if this sort of created this imposing American influence that still hangs over Korean pop music. Do you think Korea will ever be able to export its own version of music that'll become popular elsewhere? I also wonder why exactly doesn't Korean music become popular in America, it can't simply be a language barrier because lyrics can be translated. Maybe if Korea is always following suit, it'll always seem like old news in America, seeing how fickle music and pop culture can be...?
A final question I had while reading "Exploding Ballads" was, how come trends go global? For example, in the reading they talked about how ballads were so popular in the 80's, which seemed really similar to rock ballads by hair bands in the 1980's in America. So which came first, American ballads or Korean ballads? And what does it mean from one country's music to emulate another? (My guess is American ballads came first and was later copied by everyone). I guess this ties into our sort of on-going discussion about globalism and how we import or export certain cultural items and why doesn't Korea export more of its music to America.

I'm A Cyborg, But That's Ok

I recently watched the Korean film "I'm a Cyborg, But That's Ok," a film by popular Korean director Park Chan-Wook and starring the pop star Rain. This movie was interesting because it is more in the vein of artsy directors like Michel Gondry(Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) and Jean-Pierre Jeunet(Amelie), in contrast to historically based movies we have watched. "I'm A Cyborg.." does not really have historical, nationalist, or political themes in it. I believe that the experiemental nature of the film made it less accessible to the Korean population - this is proved by it's relatively poor showing at the Korean box office. While Rain and the director make it a talked-about film in Korea, I wonder whether the movie was more intended for the artsy international audience that our readings have brought up. The movie made the festival rounds and had good critiques, including one in the New York Times.

While the film was not the typical romantic comedy or historically based drama seen in Korea, the inclusion of Rain and the overtones of filial piety made it more characteristic of a Korean product. The main character's problems stem from her sense of duty to her grandmother, which is very reminiscent of traditional Korean values. While other relatives seem to neglect the mentally ill grandmother, the grandaughter is distraught that she cannot help her grandmother. I believe that had this been a movie made in the US, it seems much more likely that the main character would be fixated on a lover or sibling, rather than have that deep sense of connection to a grandparent.
Second, I found Rain's participation in the movie fascinating, because it vears so far from his usual arena. In "Full House", for example, Rain played a pop star, and as is common for singers turned actors, the acting wasn't a great stretch. For "I'm A Cyborg" though, Rain somewhat alienates his audience, because the movie isn't straightforward, and Rain's character is psychologically complex. However, I found it interesting that the movie still featured Rain as an entertainer, because he does sing in one scene (perhaps in a kind of fan service).

Overall, I found "I'm A Cyborg, But That's Ok" to be a great look at what a more experimental Korean film looks like. It doesn't have the characteristics of a blockbuster, and yet shows the talents of a famed director and pop star. I believe it's the kind of movie that is meant for an international audience while at the same time maintaining strong Korean characteristics.

P.S. (The movie is availible on YouTube in clips if anyone's interested)

some music links

I'm sure a lot of people are already familiar with Epik High and Drunken Tiger, but I thought I'd post some links to songs anyway.


Epik High - Fly


Drunken Tiger - Good Life


Epik High - Love Love Love

There's a few similarities between Epik High and the Japanese group, m-flo.


m-flo - Astrosexy

Anyone got any other bands?

My Delightful Girl Chun-Hyang

Yesterday afternoon I had some free time during my lunch hour and decided to watch a little of the drama My Delightful Girl Chun-Hyang. I already knew a little about the drama from wikipedia and friends who had already watched it, so the beginning sequence threw me off. The beginning sequence showed the setting to be a historical one, and at a very dramatic part of the Chung-Hyang story - where she is about to be killed for her actions. However, unlike Im Kwon-Taek's Ch'unghyang, the actions in this historical sequence are extremely caricatured and melodramatic. Instead of being realistic and seriously portrayed, Myong Ryong's cronies are flying kung-fu masters who leap over walls in an unrealistic manner. In this way, the drama has more similarities with CLAMP's Chun-Hyang in that the action is very fantasy-oriented and unrealistic.

As the episode progressed, it was clear that the drama wasn't a historical one at all, and actually based in the modern world. I don't know why the producers decided to have the historical sequence be a lead-in to a modern day teen drama, but I can guess. They might have wanted to emphasize the cultural importance of the Chun-hyang character, that she wasn't just another run-of-the-mill protagonist. It actually reminded me a lot of chapter seven in High Pop, "Film, Fidelity, and Literature", because it was so much like the many film examples cited in that chapter, such as 10 Things I Hate About You. Chun-hyang is an old legend and was adapted to modern-day settings to draw younger audiences in and to make Chun-Hyang that generation's "own" legend, regardless of the drama's fidelity to the original tale's plot and purpose.

I noted some more similarities between this Chun-Hyang tale and the other two we have studied in class. Like in Im Kwon-Taek's Ch'unghyang, Chun-Hyang and her mother are considered visibly lower class. Her mom is an entertainer in various nightclubs, which resonates strongly with the kisaeng role. Like in the CLAMP manga, this Chun-Hyang is a feisty, hot-tempered girl who is fiercely against "perverts". Early on in the episode, Chun-Hyang gets into a conflict with Myong Rong over being a pervert and taking inappropriate pictures of her. This misunderstanding leads to a mutual dislike, which is perhaps similar to the beginning of Im Kwon-Taek's movie.

Unfortunately, I only got to watch one episode of the series, so I don't know if they continue with the historical lead-in sequences in other episodes, or if there are any traditional themes "reinvented" in the drama.

If anyone is interested in watching this drama, you can find it here.

Chun Hyang and the Stereotype of Women

The legend of Chun Hyang is a story of a commoner named Chun Hyang that attracted the attention of a yang bang’s son, Mong Ryong. During Mong Ryong’s quest for Chun Hyang, they fell in love. However, Mong Ryong had to go away for three years to study for his scholarly test, promising Chun Hyang he would come back and telling her to wait for him. During his time away though, a new tyrannical yang ban came to reside in town. He desired Chun Hyang but Chun Hyang refused him repeatedly which resulted in her sentence to prison.
Chun Hyang is a renowned tale in Korean society, where a woman is made famous and celebrated because of her unwavering loyalty to her husband and unwaveringly honoring her marriage. Chun Hyang is viewed as a great woman figure that is looked up to and glorified. Why is this? Perhaps this is because Chun Hyang reflects Korean society’s value in women. While it is great for a man to be a famous war hero like Yi Sunsin and dedicate and sacrifice his life for his country, in comparison it is considered great for a woman to remain loyal to her husband and honor her marriage unconditionally.
This reflects the stereotype of women in general. Traditionally women are solely supposed to be wives and mothers; their dedication is to be to their family. Korean Society’s stereotypical view of women is portrayed through the legend of Chun Hyang. This legend which reflects a traditional view of women originates from a long time ago in history. Nonetheless, this legend is still popular and used frequently in media. Why is this so? Why does a legend that is old fashioned and stereotypical still hold a large popularity? Does the continuous use of the legend of Chun Hyang mirror modern Korean society and perhaps imply that modern Korean society still thinks of women in a traditional stereotype?

Challenging Channeling the Inner Feminist

Although llankhof makes some good points I would like to clarify some things and defend Chunhyang as an independent female hero.
First off the "independent woman is not one who just has power, but also knows how to deal with that power and with her own emotions as well" is a tall order to ask of any woman at all times let alone a fourteen year old.
Could it be that Chunhyang, like you pointed out is only fourteen years old and does have the emotional issues of most fourteen year old girls. She is a wonderful role model for younger girls because of her wit and how she stands up for what she believes in. It is true that she is a bit immature with her emotions, but that makes her more relateable to a young girl. The point made about her physical ability is, I believe, shed under the wrong light. In the first chapter of the manga it shows a girl who took revenge by killing the man (the yang ban) responsible for her mother's death. Later on in the manga it shows her as a young child fighting with imperial guards for freedom (of using a playground, but it is freedom nonetheless). This girl is an independent girl who is out traveling, has power, and has some emotional issues but is strong and consistent in her beliefs and morals.
The Yang ban woman that took over a town with the help of her Mudang is not very strong physically. While this is true, the Yang ban has emotional control over her Mudang which I'm assuming is her lover as well as her personal warrior. I do not agree with taking complete control over a man, but the yang ban manages to do exactly that. She is not independent in the sense that she can do it all on her own, but she takes control and does what she needs to do. She's a woman in control. She not only has great control over her own emotions but the emotions of a man who does her ever will. (Besides the points made before, I feel like this whole issue of the female Yang ban not being an independent woman, as defined by llankhof, does not really matter because she is the villain and not the hero or role model to be followed.)
ChunHyang's mother is least emotionally weak of all. It is true that she kills herself, but that is not because she could not defend herself from the Yang ban, but because it was the last thing she could do to preserve her beliefs and the safety of others.
The manga Legend of Chung Hyang portrays multiple women who are independent both physically and emotionally who are perfect role models for the girls reading the mangas.

Similarities Between "Sassy Girl Chun Hyang" and "Goong"

Although the television show “Sassy Girl Chun Hyang” is based on a fairy tale and “Goong” is based on the popular manhwa by Park So Hee, I found many similarities between the two when I watched at least one episode of each. This lead me to believe that many Korean TV dramas, or at least the ones directed at teen girls, are very similarly formulated.

“Sassy Girl Chun Hyang” is based on “The Song of a Faithful Wife, Ch’unhyang” in the same way that the American movie “Clueless” is based on Jane Austin’s Emma-- that is, very loosely and in a modern sense. “Sassy Girl Chun Hyang” takes place in modern day Korea and the main character is a fashionable, fun-loving teenage girl. High school plays a large role in the series, as do her friends and boys. Everybody has already seen the first episode of “Goong”, but I will sum up “Sassy Girl Chun Hyang” for anyone who hasn’t seen it.

Chun Hyang is a very smart high school-aged girl living with her single mom (her dad is dead) who has trouble paying the bills. One day she jumps over a high wall into a local garden and lands on top of Mong-ryong, the rich son of a police officer who just moved to town. He accidentally takes a picture up her skirt with his cellphone so she breaks it by stomping on it. He steals her phone in revenge, and that is the start of one bad interaction after another until they both hate each other. Then it turns out that he is in her class at school, and all her female classmates think he’s very attractive. One night Chun Hyang is sick and her mother has to go out for the night, so Chun Hyang’s friends Dan-Hee and Ji-hyuk come over, and Mong-ryong, who is good friends with Ji-hyuk, tags along. Mong-ryong ends up drinking an entire container of what he thinks is juice but what is really plum wine, and becomes very drunk. He falls asleep outside in a corner and Dan-Hee and Jo-hyuk leave, thinking Mong-ryong has left before them. During the night he gets cold and crawls into the house, strips down to his boxers, and crawls into Chun Hyang’s bed and under her blanket. She is still sick and asleep and doesn’t realize he is there until her mom returns in the morning and finds them sleeping there. Their parents don’t want to be dishonored, and Chun Hyang and her mom can’t move away because her mom would have to find a new job and Chun Hyang would not be able to keep her place at Hanbok University. So Mong-ryong’s parents and Chun Hyang’s mom decide that their kids will get married even though they are still in school. That way Chun Hyang will be able to go to the university, and Mong-ryong’s dad is convinced that she will transform his slacker son into a respectable man.

As you can see, this story line is similar to “Goong” in many ways. A fashionable, funny, cute yet strong-willed teenage girl who wants to be a clothing/accessories designer is the main character. She and a rich, handsome teenage boy meet accidentally numerous times through a series of incidents and soon begin to hate each other. Then their parents announce that they must get married and the girl must move into the boy’s house, even though it is modern day and they are still in high school. In both stories the girl’s mother or parents have trouble paying the bills and making ends meet. I think these stories play into the theme that we discussed in class a while ago, the “every girl/woman’s fantasy”, where a poor but intelligent girl gets married to a rich and handsome man, and although they hate each other at first, they end up falling in the love and living happily ever after. Since all of these “teenage love” shows are turning out to be so popular, it really must be something that many Korean women are interested in. Why is this type of show so popular in Korea, yet we have little or nothing (I don’t think-- I don’t know much about popular TV shows in the US) of that genre in the United States? If TV producers here tried to make a modern TV drama out of Cinderella or some other fairy tale, would people be interested?