Korean WaveAn Introduction

Hilary Finchum-Sung

Korean WaveKorean popular culture’s sudden popularity

outside of Korea’s borders Asia: Taiwan, mainland China, Japan, Vietnam,

Philippines, Mongolia, India Europe Africa U.S.

Hallyu (Hanliu in Mandarin) term coined by journalists to refer to

the sudden popularity of Korean popular culture outside of Korea in the form of:Television dramas Films Popular Music

Potential Impacts of the Korean Wave

Sociocultural Domestic shifts in Korean identity and

building of a contemporary South Korean global identity

Internationally—hallyu’s potential for constructing an image of Korea from others’ perspectives

Potential impacts Economic

Benefits of hallyu to South Korea’s GDP and a shifting export culture

Regional benefits as ‘globalization’ becomes regionally focused and not depending on U.S. or European imports

Potential impacts Political

Hallyu’s potential for reshaping and/or repairing relationships with its neighbors

Hallyu represents a shift in power dynamics in the region

Empowerment for South Korea after decades of foreign occupation

A Step Back: Historical Considerations Korean domestic perceptions shaped by:

Emphasis on 5,000 year history Emphasis on cultural and historical autonomy More than a century of foreign occupations Essential ideas regarding Korean cultural values

and aesthetics Colored by an East versus West perspective Colored by constructed divisions between

‘traditional’ and ‘modern’ Korea

An ethnomusicological point of view

A consideration of changes in musical forms and ideas over the past century helps us understand the dramatic shifts in Korean culture and how these shifts have laid the groundwork for internationalization through a phenomenon such as hallyu

Music of the elite Learned by rote Combination of Music of Chinese origins and

Korean characteristics Typified as restrained in nature Ritual/Secular

Confucian Shrine Royal Ancestral Shrine Processions Banquets Personal cultivation/pleasure

Court Music풍류 / 정악 [chǒng-ak] (elegant music)

Music of the common/everyday people Learned by rote Distinct regional characteristics Typified as unrestrained and emotional in

nature Ritual/secular

Shaman Ceremonial Buddhist Ceremonial Storytelling Community-building Work songs entertainment

Folk Music

민속 음악 (minsok ǔmak)

Missionaries, Western Music, and Occupations

While importation of foreign musical forms was not new in Korea, the Importation of Western music coincided with cultural upheaval marked by specific events and sociocultural developments:

Annexation of peninsula by Japan Japan’s 35-year occupation Dissolution of former hierarchies and

social structures Mass-mediated culture dissemination

through radio broadcasts and recordings

Divide between “Korean” and “Other” ensued

20th – 21st Century DevelopmentsOccupation, War, and Division of the peninsula left little room for

consideration of Korean identity, let alone cultural development. Post-Korean War Industrialization led to a push toward modernization, symbolically connected to Western culture (music, clothing, education)

Preservation legislation—1962 brought attention back to traditional culture and its worth in contemporary Korea

Minjung Movement—1980s Korea; focus on indigenous modernity and reaction against Western ‘cultural imperialism’ in Korea

Olympics—highlighted Korean heritage and turned attention to the worth of traditional music and culture

Post-Olympic domestic development of film and dramas. Films such as Seopyeonje (dir. Im Kwontaek) both celebrated Korean heritage and questioned Korean nationalistic assumptions regarding Korean identity and South Korea’s place in the world http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kojKqZk_zHg

World Cup—2002, Japan and South Korea co-hosted the international sports event, forcing a working relationship between the old adversaries.

The Wave: Beginnings Asian Financial (IMF) Crisis

Economic depression New ways of doing business emerged: Internet ventures Movement of capital, media, and culture discovered as potential route for growth

Limits on foreign entertainment imports Increased competition among domestic producers of dramas

Higher production values Heavy emphasis on beautiful scenery and people to increase competitiveness

Domestic censorship legislation helped shape the melodrama as classic Korean form

The dramas and OSTs (Original Sound Tracks) found an audience in places like Taiwan and Mainland China where local productions were of relatively low quality

Taiwan Taiwan (former Japanese colony) a ‘cultural importer’ for decades Pop covers of Korean songs in 1990s CLON—400,000 albums sold

Powerful, masculine imagery (associate with a Korean national image) Danceable rhythms—ushered in craze for Korean dance music CLON perhaps the most successful group independent of drama popularity

Dramas Melodramas appealed to Taiwan audiences

Storylines connected to an ‘Asian’ identity—similarity in values and mores helped the dramas to appeal to Taiwanese audiences

Glamorous and modern lifestyles spurred on an admiration for South Korea as a role model in global era

OST compilations proved wildly popular Few individual artists surpassed success of CLON Live performances of Korean artists most popular in ‘compilation’ form—variety of

artists performing songs made popular in dramas

Mainland China 1997, “Star in My Heart”

Ahn Jae Wook becomes star in China OST from the drama sells thousands of copies

Korean Pop H.O.T., CLON, NRG music videos spread via satellite television 2002 World Cup inspired interest in both pop stars and dramas ‘cultural ordorlessness’ of musical groups (mixture of Korean

and English lyrics, English acronyms for group names, high production values, emphasis on pan-Asian identity in marketing)

Complications Piracy Backlash against “Korean cultural imperialism”

Japan “Winter Sonata”

Primary audience female, middle-aged Fascination with lead character as ideal Korean male

Backlash Disagreement over Dokdo Island has complicated hallyu’s

reception in Japan “Hating the Korean Wave” publication sign of backlash

Continued Presence Pop stars such as BoA and Rain popular in Japan Although no replication of “Winter Sonata” popularity,

Japanese market open to drama, film, and music imports

The Dramas Themes of Dramas

Love Family loyalty

“Star in My Heart” “Autumn Tale” “Winter Sonata”

The Music OSTs Individual Artists

Success regionally defined Pan-Asian stars (BoA, Rain)

Impacts of the Wave

Economic impact In 2004, hallyu-related merchandise boosted South

Korea’s economy by 2.4 trillion won ($1.87 billion) In 2004, increased exports led to increases --$346 million

(Japan), $342 million (China), $104 million (Taiwan), $88 million (Hong Kong), $38 million (Thailand)

Film and drama exports alone boosted GDP by 2% Tourism boosted 10%

Political Impact Hallyu’s success has led to scholars theorizing about its

impact as a form of soft power

Spin-off successes include:

Korean food Korean language Korean-style fashion Korean textiles Traditional medicine

http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/CU/CU_EN_8_5_1_6.jsp

http://www.imbc.com/entertain/mbcticket/mbcplay/2004/daejanggumtheme_eng/index.html

Hallyu’s Role in Economic and Cultural Development

Tourist industry Theme parks Hallyu package

tours Promotion of

Korean culture Re-emphasis of

rhetoric defining Korea’s identity in the global marketplace

From the Ministry’s website, “Korea Sparkling” is defined thus:The underlying foundation of Korea's tourism brand, "Korea, Sparkling," is "Emotional Dynamism." This concept symbolizes the passion of Korea's people as well as the country's lively atmosphere and rich culture. It aims to convey a vitality and enthusiasm that can only be discovered on a journey to Korea at the same time as evoking the spirit of Korea's people and culture.

.The “Korea Sparking” values are further described in the following ways:•The energy and passion of Korea and Koreans is felt through Korea's creative culture, compressed into four values.•Korea offers colorful, rich culture experiences amid four distinct seasons. •Korea is full of people who have a passion for life. •Korea continues to set trends and serves as a leader in technological development. •Korea's people are creative and expressive. •Korea's people are warm and affectionate.

Riding the Korean WaveThe success of the Korean Wave and its potential for contributing to Korean economic growth

has led to the development of promotion campaigns depending heavily on hallyu stars and products

Hallyu Effect

The Korean government’s harnessing of hallyu’s power has expanded beyond a mere promotional campaign, influencing the ways by which Korea is packaged and presented to the world. A tourism ad, part of the Korea sparkling campaign, makes vivid use of imagery from some of the popular dramas such as “Winter Sonata” and highlights aspects of Korea’s traditional heritage as a source for nostalgia and romanticism while reinforcing Korea’s modernity

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3lx5aVGHCM

Hallyu Effect and MusicHallyu has offered a built-in marketing plan for the promotion of Korean heritage. Garnering interest in traditional arts has been a concern for decades. Because the

dramas and pop starts have inspired an interest in Korean culture, hallyu has become an important tool in Korea promotional campaigns.

Juxtapositioning of classical music genres and contemporary, imported genres (e.g. hip hop and classical instrumental music)

Re-fashioning of ‘tradition’ as a concept Emphasis on image Outward, international focus Emphasis on emotion and drama

Infinity of Sound (IS)—a trio of traditional instrumentalists promoting their music through pan-Asian imagery and a pop-music sound. IS offers an example of current trends in music development and promotion

“Traditional art is not a definite form that has been descended from the past but it incorporates everything we sense and feel. In “Miso,” various emotions that a woman experiences through love are expressed in traditional dance, percussion, instruments and instrumental parts.”—from the program for “Miso” at the Chongdong Theater, a performance specifically designed for foreigners’ consumption and introduction to traditional performing arts.

Chongdong TheaterSince the success of the Korean TV drama “Daejanggeum”, Korean culture is growing extremely popular not only in East Asia but also all across the globe. The Chongdong Theater is hosting a very interesting and comprehensive live performance which will give you a good overview of the various aspects of Korean culture. The show is divided into 6 acts, each of them representing a different “discipline”.

Performance Characteristics Visual and romantic qualities

emphasized Foreign/non-Korean

audiences the target consumer

Emphasis on fluidity of tradition

Rationalization of the performance’s significance to Korean heritage (in print literature)

Implications of Hallyu Increasingly inclusive definition of Korean

heritage with a sustained reliability on genres of tangible and intangible arts identified as cultural treasures

Increasing importance of arts exports in economic development

Increase of Korea’s cultural capital in the Asian region and beyond

Inverted power dynamics, with global cultural flow going from east to west