The Boom of Popular Korean Culture:
A Shift in the Focus of the South Korean-US Relationship
As United States president, President Trump, wrapped up his official Asia tour, his visit to the Republic of Korea on November 6th, 2017 served as a reinforcement of an over 60 year alliance between the two countries. Just this past June, President Moon Jae-in visited the Quantico, VA memorial on June 29th, 2017 commemorating the Changjin Lake campaign. This visit served as President Moon’s act of reinforcing South Korea and the United States’ long lasting friendship and shared blood. However, a lot of today’s youth are generally unaware of the shared history between the two countries and our connection through it. Yes, if you ask the general student, they will be aware the United States fought the Korean War in the 1950s as part of the Cold War with the then Soviet Union. However, beyond that, a lot of today’s youth do not have that shared connection with South Korea. This seems to be more reserved for the older generation who fought the Korean War or whose parents fought in the Korean War.
The newer generation of young Americans are now connecting with South Korea in their new medium as how they connect with the rest of the world in the 21st century- technology. Where the older generation fought wars in Korea, Vietnam, Germany, Japan, etc. where their connections with the world have been made, Millennials connect with their smartphones, tablets, and laptops. Of course, people think immediately of South Korean conglomerates such as Samsung or LG, but to be more specific, the newest export coming out of the peninsula are Korean dramas and music. These entertainment mediums made their mark in the 1990s in nearby countries such as China and Japan. Dramas such as GyeoulYeongjaor ‘Winter Sonata’, released in 2002, gained an almost cult-like following in Japan, even coining the term ‘Yong-Sama’ for the leading man, actor Bae Yong-joon, in which the attached term ‘sama’ is an honorific used as respect. Besides Korean dramas, popular Korean music kicked off with what are now referred to as the ‘first generation’ idols such as Shinhwa, S.E.S., g.o.d, and more. Although, it wasn’t until popular acts such as Tohoshinki or TVXQ, a 5 member (now 2 member duo) boy group who debuted under SM Entertainment in 2004 with their single ‘Hug’, that the Korean pop, or K-Pop, scene really took off with international appeal.
However, as Korean dramas and music only really began to make headway outside of Asia as recently as 2008 or 2009, when hits such as TVXQ’s ‘Mirotic’, Super Junior’s ‘Sorry Sorry’, Girls Generation’s ‘Gee’, 2PM’s ‘Heartbeat’, Brown Eyed Girls’ ‘Abracadabra’, SS501’s ‘Love Like This’, and more than one can even count, were released in an era even still referred to by avid K-pop fans as the ‘golden era’ of the genre. From here, K-pop spread into unexpected audiences in Europe and North and South America. The infectious beats coupled with hypnotic dance routines performed by clean cut boys and girls made it the ultimate appeal for youth audiences. More often than not, K-pop consists of boy groups and girl groups- something that was popular in the 1990s and early 2000s in the United States pop scene with NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, the Spice Girls, and Destiny’s Child, but has turned into somewhat of a rarity now besides the recently disbanded One Direction.
Of course, when the general public thinks of South Korean music, they instantly will recall PSY’s Gangnam Style, the runaway hit of 2012 which made the news for its explosive popularity. However, before this, South Korean entertainment and culture had already been making strides in the market. In an overarching umbrella called ‘Hallyu’, a term first coined by a Chinese newspaper to describe the Korean entertainment wave, this has grown to include not only Korean movies, dramas and music, but also fashion, makeup, food, and more. Makeup brands like Tony Moly and the Face Shop and other chains like the Korean bakery chain Tous Les Jours have popped up overseas, including multiple locations on both the coasts of the United States.
In this new generation, the most effective way they communicate is through the internet. It has allowed this generation to be able to live in the United States but be able to talk to someone in countries far away like Saudi Arabia or Germany instantly, sharing culture, ideas, and media. South Korean entertainment has been able to thrive using this platform. Popular Korean dramas such as Boys Over Flowers, Secret Garden, Dream High, My Love From Another Star, Reply 1997, and Descendants of the Sun have permeated popular culture in Asia and found its niches in the Western world, even broadcasting on several local channels as well as having a pop up of multiple official and unofficial drama sites where you can watch them with subtitles of all kinds of languages. Popular Korean movies such as Old Boy, Miracle in Cell No. 7, The Handmaiden, Silenced, and Train to Busan have also been hits abroad and shown in multiple international theater outlets and can be found even on Netflix with subtitles. The newest generation of Korean pop groups such as EXO, TWICE, Black Pink, GOT7, and BTS are internationally winning awards with the last group, BTS, an acronym for their Korean nameBangtanSeonyeondan, making particularly impressive headway despite being from one of the smaller entertainment companies. All the while, veterans such as BIGBANG are still able to hold their own and remain cultural icons home and abroad.
Through the spread of Korean ‘Hallyu’, the numbers of foreigners coming to Korea exploded in the 21st century. Youth come to Korea to study and learn the language in huge numbers while others are coming to Korea on vacation to witness a country they have seen through their TV and computer screens in dramas and movies. They go sit at a coffee shop or walk the same street the lead characters in a drama had done, but also come to experience Korea at a deeper level. One of the results of this share of Korean entertainment has been a resulting increased interest in the culture, history, and people as well.
What was once a relationship built on an alliance in war, has now grown to be even much more. Currently, the United States has around 28,000 soldiers stationed in South Korea, keeping their 60 year old military alliance with the country and protecting it from war and invasion from the North. The United States and South Korea also share trade and economy. As part of the FTA (Free Trade Agreement), import/export taxes have been lifted between the two countries in mutual agreement to allow a flow of trade. South Korea’s booming industries of steel, semiconductors, motor vehicles, and ships export their products to the United States who in turn export their own products such as aircraft, motor vehicles, machinery, and mineral fuels. American-made entertainment such as movies like Iron Man, Harry Potter, and Avatar and dramas such as House of Cards and Game of Thrones or music acts like Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, and Bruno Mars have been exported to the country and found their audiences in South Korea. Whereas South Korean-made entertainment has been exported to the United States and gained a large following among passionate fans as well. This shift in connection between the two countries is, of course, due in part to the overwhelming effect of progress. And most undoubtedly, a lasting example of international friendship.
Written by: Lacey Bonner
Originally from the Washington DC metropolitan area, 3rd year student and Candidate for a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and
a Candidate for Bachelor of Arts in the Korean Language at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa,
current exchange student for a 1-year period at Korea University and
intern at VANK (Voluntary Agency Network of Korea)