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?

Male Femininity and Female Dominance

Korea seems to have begun a new trend where stereotypical gender roles have been swapped. Korean men who were previously viewed as the typical "macho" man (i.e. strong masculine features, number one in the househould, the family's "moneymaker", somewhat emotionally indifferent, etc.) are now beginning to focus on the latest fashion trends (metrosexuality), and sharing the work in households with their wives; these were traits in men that Korean society had previously labeled unnacceptable a couple years back. Similar "backward" trends can be observed in contemporary women. Women of Korea are no longer excpected to be the fragile, innocent individual obiding by their husband's rules and needs before their own. Women can now be strong, independent, high-powered career women without being considered too "masculine". It has also become more lenient as to what age women are to be married; women can also choose whether they want to marry or not a little more freely than in the past. But why is there this great forward movement in Korean culture?

This might be a bit of a stretch, but I believe this trend is due to Korea's efforts in globalization. Koreans might believe that following the trends of other powerful nations could keep their nation considered just as successful. Korean male teens have begun following high fashion trends of American or European apparel, wearing what westerners might wear, like the "skinny jeans": http://image.auction.co.kr/itemimage/017/27/96/0172796192.gif. There are also numerous fashion magazines now dedicated for men, as well as women. Women are also no longer restricted from working as well as housekeeping. Just out of personal experience, my mother's friend is a professor, and another is an insurance agent. They are actually admired, not discriminated against, for being able to keep two jobs: being a wife/a mother, as well as keeping their current occupation in the work field.

However, as much as Korea may be progressing towards change, the population is still wary and cautious. The men still "...worry about what those around them might think"* if they were to act more like a housewife than a business man, as is expected of him. Also, if I remember correctly, Chae-Gyung's parents (from the drama "Goong"), who have reversed roles in the household, were quite poor and amongst the lower class. Could this be suggesting something to the public? For instance, could this mean that Korea isn't quite ready to completely accept the idea of reversible gender roles ("androgynous", as Chosunilbo describes the matter)?

*This is the article I found the quote in, if anyone is interested: http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200412/200412260015.html

Channeling the Inner Feminist – Manwha & Manga

Something that bothers me the most about romantic manhwa and manga is the way the “strong female” is presented. Not because I have a problem with there being strong females, but because no matter how “strong” the female is, she is portrayed as emotionally weak and unstable underneath it all.
The reason I bring this up is because of Clamp’s “The Legend of Chunhyang.” While this piece may seem to portray women in a positive light, there is something that really bothers me about the story. It just seems to me that, even though the women are so seemingly independent, the men often become the dominant figure in the end. Clamp’s Chunhyang is young and high-spirited, but is only really able to channel her emotions through violence. I know the violence is essentially there for comic relief, but I find it all extremely annoying. I realize I’m asking a lot of a thirteen-year-old girl, but it really bothers me that women are often portrayed as emotionally unstable and immature. Chunhyang can deal with matters easily when the right and the wrong are so obviously defined, but when it comes to confusing emotional matters she either breaks down or kicks somebody or both. Not exactly what I would call a role model. Not to mention that when it really comes down to a trial of emotional and physical strength, the Am-Hang-Osa has to help her out. Chunhyang is not the only case of this in the comic, either. The female Yang Ban in the second scene seems like an independent (albeit a bit corrupt) woman, but in reality she can’t really do anything without her male Mudan. This can be seen in the scene where Chunhyang and the Am-Hang-Osa confront her after defeating her Mudan. She calls for him, and when they tell her that he is no longer there for her, she breaks down. Again, not my idea of an independent female.
I think I feel this way because my idea of an 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. Ninety-nine percent of the time, the leads in romantic comics don’t know how to do any of that and they come off as blubbering, whiny, violent and apparently “cute” and it just frustrates me to no end.

Globalization vs. Nationalism

We discussed the two ideas of nationalism and globalism in previous classes and I was glad to find a few articles in the news that somewhat demonstrated these ideas. The first article I read discussed the rise of imports with the simultaneous decrease in exports and of the Korean “Hallyu” Wave. Over the past few years, there has been a significant spreading of the Korean culture through various goods and other representations of the Korean pop culture such as soap operas, television dramas, and popular music, which later on extended into films, computer games, musicals, and sports.

However, despite the spread Hallyu Wave in the previous years, it seems as though nowadays, the imports from other countries are more noticeable than the exports going out. American TV shows such as “Sex in the City” and “Prison Break” have also become big hits in Korea, as well as Japanese dramas like “Nodame Cantabile” and other Japanese music. Globalization seems to be occurring more so in Korea, rather than the spread of Korean culture into other outside countries.

Another article described the growing emphasis that is being placed on the English language in the education system in Korea. The demand for English is high and so children are being taught the language beginning at elementary schools. In addition, some forms of the English study comes at a cost whether it is through private school tuitions and the money it takes to attend tutoring sessions after school (hakwon). This importance placed on the English language is due to Korea’s eagerness to “conduct business” in the global market. It has come to the point where fluency in English is now often required for jobs. This could perhaps show globalism of the Western culture into Korea.

In the final article I read “The nation’s profile is changing”, it introduced a man named Syedanjum Hussain, who faced discrimination in the workplace and society due to his skin color. Hussain, a Pakistani man married a Korean woman. As a result, he was fired by the owner of the factory where he had been working. Cho Won-Ki, the secretary general of the Korean Migrant Worker Welfare Society described discrimination as being the result of “deep-rooted pride Koreans have in their racially homogeneous nation”. It was also noted in a magazine that Koreans often use the term “pure-blood” to describe their nation. The mixing of cultures in the future seems inevitable, but with these notions of “pure-blood” that still remains in Korea, how far could globalization go? Also, can there be globalization of Korean culture out into the outside world without the globalization and integration of the outside world into Korea? Or, can nationalism and globalism coexist together and if so, how would that balance be maintained?

Kayageum vs Beatbox

I was browsing around some Korean commercials, and came across a particularly interesting one promoting some Daelim (a company name) Korean apartments called "e-pyunhan-saesang".

This is the link if anyone's interested in watching; it's only 3~4 minutes long, so it won't take up much time!:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtaMH9d3B2Q

I found it intriguing that several women were playing their "kayageum", a traditional Korean intstrument, to the sound of beatboxing and DJ record scratching. The kayageum vs beatbox, traditional vs new. It was also interesting to see that the women playing their kayageums were all in a more traditional black uniform, while the hip-hoppers were in a more casual outfit. It was as though not only their instruments, but also their styles of practice and living were fused together in one commercial. Once again, I thought of the matter of simultaneous nationalism and globalization.

This reminded me of something that Gi-Wook Shin stated in his article, "The Paradox of Korean Globalization". Shin stated that, "...English is considered the necessary means to secure Korea's position as a first-rate world nation... all of the school's courses, except Korean language and history, are taught in English. KMLA (Korean Minjok Leadership Academy) stongly emphasizes the cirriculum aimed at enhancing Korean national identity."(Shin, 5). I know we discussed this a number of times in class, but I wanted to expand on this a little more. Korea is so keen on saving its traditional values, but at the same time is equally keen in keeping the nation just as developed as other countries. Like in KMLA or the kayageum vs beatbox commercial, they try to blend together two large concepts that, as Shin's title suggests, creates a great paradox.

I understand Shin believed that globalization and nationalism are not paradoxical, but in fact "compatible". However, I still don't understand how a nation could thrive with both concepts so strongly in mind. Wouldn't the population lean a little more towards one or the other? According to Shin's statistics, I found that the majority of Korea appears to lean towards nationalistic ideas. For instance, more of the population in Korea could not use computers skillfully (something that could arguably be considered a more recently developed task, and not much of a "traditional" task). Also, although most agreed that English should be the second language of Korea, most everyone would defaintely agree that English should not replace Korean (Shin, 14&18).

In conclusion, this brings up another thought in my mind. Perhaps Korea isn't trying to blend globalization and nationalism together. Maybe they're actually trying to buffer the globalization, which inevitably occurs within every country, with some nationalistic ideas. Maybe the commercial attracted so much attention because the director found a way to incorporate more recent trends of hip-hop and breakdancing with the traditional ways of the kayageum.

Any thoughts?

Goong: A Fairy Tale for All

Soo Hee Park’s manga, The Royal Palace Goong, portrays a young girl who obtains a twisted fairy tale in real life. Goong is about how a high school girl must marry the crowned prince of Korea. Crowned prince of Korea? This may sound a bit awkward for Korea, today, has a republic, not a monarchy. However, Park spins a tale of fantasy where an everyday girl has a chance to become royalty. The main character, Shin Chae Kyung, finds out in her senior year of high school that she must marry the rude crowned prince, Lee Shin, who also attends her high school. At first she downright refuses for she overhears him proposing to another girl and she also realizes that he has a repulsive personality. However, after realizing that her family is in a swirling amount of debt, she agrees to marry the prince. Then what about the prince? Doesn’t he like another girl? However, the prince also agrees to marry her for he states, “Why would I subject a girl I like to a life living like a doll in the palace?” Chae Kyung replies, “What about me?” Shin then answers by saying nonchalantly that he agreed to this marriage for he doesn’t care about her. The story progresses from there. The wedding is set and Chae Kyung is to become the next royal princess of Korea by marriage. This manga created a huge sensation in all of Korea, it appealed to not the typical young girl, but also to adults, even grandparents. I believe that this manga appealed to such a variety of ages for it appeals to the aspect of a normal, everyday girl experiencing a fairy tale of where she becomes a princess, just like Cinderella. However, this storyline possesses a twist, for where this is not a marriage out of love. It is a symbiotic relationship in which marriage will give both characters a source of benefit. Chae Kyung’s family will no longer be in debt. Prince Shin will obtain a wife who he does not care about in the least, but will be protecting the girl he likes and at the same time, preserve the royal bloodline for the generations to come. However, though this marriage is first spun out of complete apathy for one another, involving no romantic feelings, their relationship begins to blossom as they both realize that there is much more underneath than what meets the eye.

Chun Hyang: Im Kwon Taek vs. Clamp

Unlike, Im Kwon Taek’s movie, Chun Hyang, Clamp’s manga, Legend of Chun Hyang, portrays Chun Hyang as a woman and heroine of strong independence and skill. In Im Kwon Taek’s movie, Chun Hyang, she is portrayed as a passive and docile woman, who only stands up for herself when she must preserve the dignity of her husband. However, within Clamp’s version of Chun Hyang, she is an extremely independent woman, who does not ever depend on men. She possesses extreme martial arts skills that frequently defeat men in combat. She is almost so strong-willed to the point of being frequently “violent.” For instance, Mong Ryung, her “companion,” would always say, “I keep asking you, if you’re going to use violence, you really have to warn me” (Clamp 95). I believe that these two differ extremely as a result of the difference in time period and target audience. By Im Kwon Taek staying true to the folk tale of Chun Hyang, he portrays the tale within the time period of the 18th century. During this time period, Korean women were very subservient to men for Korean was predominantly patriarchal society. I believe that Im Kwon Taek did not have a specific target audience. I believe that he tried to appeal to the older and younger generation. By creating a historical drama, it would tend to appeal to the older generation. However, by also incorporating teenagers as the main characters, it would also attract the younger generation. Clamp is a manga that targets young girls, such as teenagers. If Clamp stayed true to the original Chun Hyang, a person who tends to be very docile and subservient would not appeal to young girls. Therefore, they create a drastic change in Chun Hyang’s personality. She is a fighter who is very independent. She is a heroine who defeats evil with good and avenges her mother’s death. Also, she frequently rescues the villagers from the tyrannical rule of the yang-ban, a person sent by the government who is to become ruler of that certain location. I believe that it is these characteristics that appeal to young girls and make Clamp so successful, for it is the ideal idea of independence from men that is so alluring, for the majority of societies today are mainly patriarchal.

Keeping the Culture Alive

Up to this point, many of the blogs posted thus far have dealt with matters, theories, and topics that we have studied in class and read in the books. Therefore, I thought it’d be interesting to share with a post that is a little different. What is happening today in the Korean news? What is the culture like today? As I was browsing the news, I was surprised to discover a number of articles that were relevant to the things we discussed in class.

In the first article I read was titled “A Life Dedicated to Pansori”. I immediately noted the “pansori” in the title and so I was drawn into the article. The article followed a woman named Ahn Sook-sun, who committed her life to practicing and perfecting pansori beginning from the age of nine. The article about Ahn Sook-sun depicted her immense love for the art of pansori. The article listed the extensive music al background which Ahn Sook-sun came from, which included a second cousin, who played the daegeum, an uncle who mastered dongpyeonje, as well as an aunt who mastered gayageum. The article also described the enormous amount of practice that Ahn Sook-sun undertook. In order to perfect the sound of Korean classical music, Ahn Sook-sun took extreme measures. She recalls memories of practicing so much until the point where even her physical well-being was in jeopardy. Ahn dropped to a mere 39 kilograms (about 86 pounds) and at her first encounter with the gagayeum, Ahn played until her fingers bled.

In another article that was posted on joongangdaily.com,I read about a man named Kwon Moo-suk who had also dedicated himself to a practice: Korean archery, also known as gakgung. Similarly to Ahn, Kwon grew up with a background in gakgung. Kwon is part of the 17^th generation of a bow-making family. However, Kwon is different from Ahn in that he did not plan on doing gakgung; gakgung was not his original passion and he refused to learn the skill at a young age. Kwon held a job as a government official before he dedicated his life to gakgung. Kwon decided to give up his former life as a government official when his brother announced at a family gathering that he would be the last bow-maker in the family since his children refused to learn the skill of bow-making. What is most notable and admirable in these two articles is Ahn and Kwon’s extreme dedication and commitment to their art. Ahn expressed that she “felt as if the sky had fallen in if I wasted just one hour without practicing pansori”. Kwon, too, demonstrates great dedication by the act of giving up his previous life and job.

One thing I noticed through the articles about the lives of Ahn Sook-sun and Kwon Moo-suk was the fact that long-established traditions like pansori, other forms of Korean classical/traditional music, and gakgung, were kept alive by the passing them down through the family line. (This could perhaps be correlate with the scene of Im Kwon Taek’s Sopyonje where the father is critiquing and training his children in the ways of Korean traditional music.) We can see that any tradition can be a vital aspect of a country’s identity and so, it is certainly crucial to keep these traditions alive and well, the way Ahn and Kwon clearly have done. Their efforts have paid off. Various aspects of traditional culture and tradition can be spot in the news and media. An example of this could be seen in the obvious fact that articles have been written to highlight the lives of Ahn and Kwon. This could be considered as proof that there is appreciation and respect for Korean culture and tradition, as well as to those who have kept it alive throughout history. We can also see Korean culture alive and well through the various renditions of Chun H’yang seen on TV dramas and through plays, numerous renditions of the life of Lee Sun Sin in a countless number of books, and mangas and dramas about the fantastical life of the royal family.

(I have no idea...how it got this long. Sorry guys)

Pop Culture Establishing a New Reality

I recently came across an article entitled, "Blood Type B Unlucky for would-be Korean Romeos," written by Jon Herskovitz, revealing that men with B blood types are being discriminated against in the dating scene in South Korea. Lee Sung-san, a 24-year old South Korean male with a B-blood type says, " 'I have had women tell me flat out they don't date blood type-B guys. They say we are selfish and hot-headed' " (Herskovitz).
In Korea and many other Asian countries, one's blood type is thought to reveal something about one's personality and the compatibility between two people. For example, people who have type-B blood are considered "goal oriented and strong minded individualists" and are compatible with other type-Bs or type-ABs. This phenomenon of blood-typing personalities is said to have originated in Japan in the early 20th century. However, it is only recently that that Type-B men are being discriminated against. In his article, Jon Herskovitz places blame for this new trend on Korean popular culture where Type-B men are portrayed as selfish, fickle and absolutely useless as caring and devoted boyfriends. They are seen as the "bad boys"--fun, but not suitable for long term commitments.
Kim Nang's book, "Dating a Type-B Man" is a guide for women of all blood-types on how to deal with the "pitfalls and pleasures of striking up relationships with type-B men." The 2004 song "Type-B Men," sung by Kim Hyun-jung, is about a woman who has a boyfriend with blood type B. From the lyrics, one concludes that Type-B men are "quick to get angry and quick to make up, but in the end, they will break your heart." The 2005 movie, "B-Hyeong Namja Chingu" or "My Boyfriend is Type-B" is a romantic comedy in which a Type-A woman and a Type-B man "meet by accident after a row over him ruining her cellphone. She believes they were destined to meet, but the problem is, he has blood-type B, making him spontaneous and emotional but unreliable" (www.imdb.com/title/tt0452972) .
Although the correlation between one's blood type and personality has been disproved, many still believe in the validity of this practice. This lead me to question, how can popular culture override a proven fact?
I think this could be explained by Dominic Strinati's "An Introduction to the Theories of Popular Culture." The mass consumerism of the book "Dating a Type-B Man," the movie, "My Boyfriend is Type-B," and the song, "Type-B Men" shows their appeal to the mass culture, which "celebrates trivial, sentimental, immediate, and false pleasures . . . preferring the undemanding ease of fantasy and escapism" (Strinati 14). This phenomenon also falls under Strinati's theory of postmodernism, where popular culture and mass media, ". . . govern and shape all other forms of social relationships" (Strinati 224). The reality of how we define ourselves and the world around us can become distorted through how the masses perceive the reality presented to us through popular culture (Strinati 224). Essentially, these forms of popular culture have shaped their view of male B-blood types and seems to have strengthened the idea of the blood-type personality theory into the consciousness of South Koreans.

Thoughts?

You can find the article at http://www.natashatynes.org/newswire/2005/04/blood_type_b_un.html

Heaven's Soldiers 2

As I watched “Heaven’s Soldiers” I was reminded of some of the material we read earlier this semester. In “The Past Within Us”, the author mentions “in Southeast Asia, the start of the twenty-first century has seen a boom in the popularity of movies depicting formative moments in national history,” while Thai historian Charnwit Kasetsiri states that there is “mass public enthusiasm for these popular representations of historical consciousness”. While Lee Soon Shin is not a formative moment in Korean history, he is a famous historical figure and thus “Heaven’s Soldiers” plays into this new wave of Korean films. As Jim Collins puts it in the introduction to High-Pop, it is “making culture into popular entertainment”.

As Malika mentioned, there is also the idea of national identity and national pride, and I think “Heaven’s Soldiers” has plenty of that as well. Lee Soon Shin is a national hero and by bringing him to a popular film and therefore a younger generation, his story continues to be passed on, but in a way that teenagers would probably find more interesting than a textbook reading in school. It is made additionally entertaining by the spin on the movie, where the viewers are seeing Lee Soon Shin before he is famous and when there is a possibility that he may never be, based on the interactions between him and the time-travelers from the future. However, the director does not take for granted that all viewers of the film would already know the story of Lee Soon Shin, as you can tell from some of the script (such as when the character says his name, that he did not pass the military test, etc. and the modern-day characters dramatically gasp and exclaim, “Lee Soon Shin has that family name and did not pass his military test either!” for the viewers who don’t know that already and might be so slow that they haven’t guessed it yet.) Or perhaps they are just putting lots of emphasis on the historical details so it is really drilled into the heads of the audience.

That being said, I think it would be interesting to look at the gender roles in this film. From my point of view the only woman in the movie was a comical character based on her actions and expressions and was kind of whiney, although she was also the smart one who figures out when the comet will return. I feel like the men, on the other hand, have a sort of male honor and bravery thing going on where in the end they all return to fight with Lee Soon Shin and die in a spectacular battle against evil. Any thoughts?

Heaven's Soldiers

Watching Heaven's Soldiers was an interesting insight into the Korean perception (though I'm not rushing to assume that all Koreans think this way) of Korea: North Korea, South Korea, and Korea as a united country.

The North Koreans in this movie were often portrayed as sometimes blind, but staunch and admirable followers of their leader (as exemplified by one of the North Koreans' ignorance of who Lee Soon-Shin was), whereas the South Koreans are portrayed as more friendly and humane. For instance, when the North Korean leader is attempting to weasel out the information from Lee Soon-Shin, they were clearly going to use violence, whereas the South Korean leader steps in and uses more humane tactics to persuade Lee. However, in the end, they all ended up fighting and dying together, which perhaps shows the underlying desire of "all" Koreans to finally have a united Korea.

Another thing I realized after watching the film was how nationalism is passed on to newer generations. Throughout the film I found myself laughing at many parts, and was often confused by the genre switching - from a war film to sci-fi to comedy and back to a war film again, but I enjoyed the experience. There wasn't any point in the film where I felt that I was watching a documentary or something "educational" - it felt like pure entertainment to me. However, I did feel a very strong sense of nationalism/pride emanating from the movie. If nothing else, I could at least understand that Lee Soon-Shin was a national hero who symbolized a united and strong Korea against a powerful and intimidating enemy. The director utilizes pop culture in order to inspire a new generation to be proud and fond of this legendary figure and to make him their "own" Korean hero - instead of him being an unreachable, detached figure in the distant past.

What do you guys feel about the images portrayed in Heaven's Soldiers? Or how nationalistic pride was shown in the movie?