Korean Wave An Introduction

1. Korean WaveAn Introduction Hilary Finchum-Sung

2. Korean Wave Korean popular culture’s sudden popularity outside of Korea’s borders • Asia: Taiwan, mainland China, Japan, Vietnam, Philippines, Mongolia, India • Europe • Africa • U.S.

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. Folk Music민속 음악 (minsok ǔmak) 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 • 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

10. 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

11. 20th – 21st Century Developments Occupation, 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.

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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”

15. 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

16. Themes of Dramas Love Family loyalty “Star in My Heart” “Autumn Tale” “Winter Sonata” The Dramas The Music • OSTs • Individual Artists • Success regionally defined • Pan-Asian stars (BoA, Rain)

17. 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

18. Spin-off successes include: • Korean food • Korean language • Korean-style fashion • Korean textiles • Traditional medicine

19. Tourist industry Theme parks Hallyu package tours Promotion of Korean culture Re-emphasis of rhetoric defining Korea’s identity in the global marketplace Hallyu’s Role in Economic and Cultural Development 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

20. 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 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.

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. “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.

25. 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)

26. 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