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[MK Opinion] Is Hallyu Positively Shaping the Image of Korea?
During the first two months of 2016, the ECCK President Jean-Christophe Darbes will be making weekly contributions to Maekyung Business News opinion column. Each week, the Chamber will share the published article as well as its English translation.
Please click here to access President Darbes’ 6th article and read below for the English version:
Is Hallyu Positively Shaping the Image of Korea?
I had a business trip to California over the Seolnal holidays. Years of my stay in Korea prompted me to avoid fatty foods and head to a local Korean restaurant where I could talk to a few Korean-Americans about their experiences in Korea.
They were all very proud of their Korean origin, but the image of Korea they held was quite different from the images held by most local residents of Korea. I was particularly impressed by a young man who said he wouldn’t dare live in Korea because he hated Korean men’s obsession with make-up, skin care, and fashion.
It’s true that Korea suffers misrepresentation outside its borders. Despite its achievements, the country is often portrayed in a negative or distorted light, possibly because certain aspects of Korean society are introduced in an extremely blown-up fashion.
I think Korea is represented – intentionally or not – through four main
channels: Government promotion; “Hallyu” or the Korean Wave, created by the media and entertainment industry; foreigner’s experiences as visitor or resident; and unfortunately, frequent attention referencing North Korea.
Association with North Korea undeniably imposes a negative image on South Korea. Moreover, since Korea has fewer long-term foreign residents in comparison to Hong Kong or Singapore, this small population’s opinions is not influencing enough even if the development of social media is changing the paradigm. The country’s recent reputation has been largely formed via media with the international popularity of dramas and k-pop music. Without a doubt, this has developed positive familiarity with the Korean culture.
Nonetheless, the Hallyu phenomenon, driven by the strictly-managed actors and K-pop singers could have fixated a distorted and formatted image of Korea. From a foreigner’s point of view, Korean singers and idol groups’ singular uniformity seem exaggerated and unrealistic. Their concerns towards physical appearance and style have been excessively on the spotlight, thus often misapplied to represent the entire Korean population. Indeed, my friends overseas have half-jokingly told me that I live in “a country of teenagers”.
Of course, liking a particular singer or actor depends on personal taste. However, it’s also true that the government and media companies are leading the promotion of Korea’s image through Hallyu. When it comes to the promotion of Korea, it seems more worthy to highlight/introduce Koreans’ mature, genuine sides. Korean history could be a valuable driver: How many people overseas know that Korea has one of the longest dynasties in the World History?
[MK Opinion] Is Hallyu Positively Shaping the Image of Korea?
During the first two months of 2016, the ECCK President Jean-Christophe Darbes will be making weekly contributions to Maekyung Business News opinion column. Each week, the Chamber will share the published article as well as its English translation.
Please click here to access President Darbes’ 6th article and read below for the English version:
Is Hallyu Positively Shaping the Image of Korea?
I had a business trip to California over the Seolnal holidays. Years of my stay in Korea prompted me to avoid fatty foods and head to a local Korean restaurant where I could talk to a few Korean-Americans about their experiences in Korea.
They were all very proud of their Korean origin, but the image of Korea they held was quite different from the images held by most local residents of Korea. I was particularly impressed by a young man who said he wouldn’t dare live in Korea because he hated Korean men’s obsession with make-up, skin care, and fashion.
It’s true that Korea suffers misrepresentation outside its borders. Despite its achievements, the country is often portrayed in a negative or distorted light, possibly because certain aspects of Korean society are introduced in an extremely blown-up fashion.
I think Korea is represented – intentionally or not – through four main
channels: Government promotion; “Hallyu” or the Korean Wave, created by the media and entertainment industry; foreigner’s experiences as visitor or resident; and unfortunately, frequent attention referencing North Korea.
Association with North Korea undeniably imposes a negative image on South Korea. Moreover, since Korea has fewer long-term foreign residents in comparison to Hong Kong or Singapore, this small population’s opinions is not influencing enough even if the development of social media is changing the paradigm. The country’s recent reputation has been largely formed via media with the international popularity of dramas and k-pop music. Without a doubt, this has developed positive familiarity with the Korean culture.
Nonetheless, the Hallyu phenomenon, driven by the strictly-managed actors and K-pop singers could have fixated a distorted and formatted image of Korea. From a foreigner’s point of view, Korean singers and idol groups’ singular uniformity seem exaggerated and unrealistic. Their concerns towards physical appearance and style have been excessively on the spotlight, thus often misapplied to represent the entire Korean population. Indeed, my friends overseas have half-jokingly told me that I live in “a country of teenagers”.
Of course, liking a particular singer or actor depends on personal taste. However, it’s also true that the government and media companies are leading the promotion of Korea’s image through Hallyu. When it comes to the promotion of Korea, it seems more worthy to highlight/introduce Koreans’ mature, genuine sides. Korean history could be a valuable driver: How many people overseas know that Korea has one of the longest dynasties in the World History?