Hi, Everyone,

If you would like to read more about K-pop and BLM, here are two different takes: 

https://theconversation.com/rethinking-the-k-pop-industrys-silence-during-the-black-lives-matter-movement-141025

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/jul/20/k-pop-black-fans-creatives-industry-accountable-race?fbclid=IwAR23UuopbtdSNA-hY5PVPoMysPQNQWtVx1SU4hz8n_Gh1-qKh5BB__hDMzU

Please feel free to post responses here, but we can also discuss in our live Zoom session next week.

I feel so behind when it comes to Korean culture. It feels like Boys over Flowers just ended and that Girl’s Generation just broke up 2 / 3 years ago. But, something that I have certainly noticed in the examples that Dr. Jung-Kim provided, is that this wave seems noticeably bigger than previous ones - and that if trends continue, the waves will only get bigger into the 2020s. We have Korean artists on American talk shows, which was unheard of before. And the access to korean media from Meokbang on Youtube to fully produced shows on Netflix is so much greater now than having to go to sketchy websites and spend hours looking for subtitle files. This increased access has certainly welcomed criticism. I remember that gender norms and skin tone affinities were big criticisms of korean culture discussed in sessions prior. But, I also found Tiffany Red’s story and the influence of Black music on Korean music very enlightening because it seems to be creating a more international and common knowledge of discrimination and labor inequity. Korean culture now has to face issues of black exploitation and fair compensation, which are themes so common to industries in America. It will be an interesting new hurdle for everyone I think especially as cultures become so interconnected.

Also - Thanks for this Hyukoh recommendation! I love indie bands and they're great.

Personally, I don't listen to k-pop music but I now understand the whole culture aspect that it involves as well the social movement that has been out there for many decades, it is very interesting to see the k-pop bands and all their philatropic efftort. I love how this music genre has been influeced by many other interesting aspects and the most important one how it has cross borders all over the world. It is also interesting to think how and see that korean culture has exprienced difficulties along the way like many other nations and subcultures. I am sure their music has inspired many young girls and boys to be themsevles and help others. As a language teacher, I really admire how this music has motivated people to study korean language. When we learn a new language we're also learning a new different culture and Korean life is a very mesmerizing one.  

The Korean Wave, coming into play over the past few decades, appears to highlight the combination of resources and a little bit of luck that go into pop culture trends. This case also reinforces the notion that "everything is political" with Nye and Kim's article insightfully laying out what's at stake at the political level. While part of the story of Hallyu has been organic, the South Korean government, with its arsenal of resources not available to many poorer countries, indeed has also played a crucial role in promoting content through numerous channels like television networks in the Middle East. This is presumably done to help win the "hearts and minds" of populations that the government is engaging with, not to mention the economic profits (e.g. tourists, business growth) that accrue from fomenting a globally recognized South Korean brand. Choi further sheds light on the processes of ever deeper immersion in which fans of K-Pop or Korean drama come to gradually become consumers of various South Korean products and goods and even the language itself.

There is, nonetheless, a slippery slope that needs to be carefully navigated to avoid aggravating neighbors (e.g. Japanese and Chinese governments) with an overly political and competitive approach. A question this all entails is: what happens to culture when it becomes merely an instrument of states to pursue absolute or relative gains over peers? Can it still function as a vehicle for bridging societies and opening dialogues? There is, regardless, certainly an entire infrastructure emerging outside the sphere and control of the state in the digital age and notwithstanding bans (e.g. Tik Tok in India) it is increasingly difficult to prevent this diffusion.

Students could think through some of these processes in a comparative manner - what are their own experiences with K-Pop or similar global phenomena? Have they ever dug deeper and grown an interest in a particular place or society based on their fandom of a specific product/piece of work? If K-Pop and dramas are a crucial part of soft power for South Korea, what are US parallels? Should governments be actively involved in promoting a country's pop culture (what are pros and con?) and what, if any, should the limits to this?
 

It is really inspiring after viewing the presentation videos as well as checking out these resources. I don't personally listen to K-pop, but it has gotten my attention that many of my students, who are non-Asian, are K-pop fans. I never realized that all of these Korean cultures that I have been enjoying more or less, such as Korean foods, clothing, beauty products, movies, TV dramas, music, etc, are making me influenced by Korean waves and they are part of Korean soft power to attract the world. The power of the cultural attraction comes from making people like the country subconsciously. In Taiwan, there are many Korean cosmetics shops, clothing stores, Korean restaurants, and even eyewears is Korean style. I can definitely feel the Korean influence in Taiwan, but not much here in Ohio, a midwest state. Compared with California, Cleveland is not as diverse in terms of the influence of East Asian culture. That is why it surprised me when noticing many students are actually K-Pop fans in my class. I am wondering how much does Koeran government get involved in using Korean culture as a global soft power? In a digital world today, I think soft power will become more and more powerful and we should consider how to better utilize it in positive ways.

I never really considered how much a nation’s soft power impacted their diplomatic relationships with other countries. I wonder if the soft power of the US has decreased a lot in the last several years, due to international and domestic issues connected to our president, as well as how the world is looking at how the government is responding to protests around the country, detainment of immigrants and how COVID-19 is being handled. 

I started watching dramas in late February on Netflix and now I subscribe to a couple Asian entertainment streaming services and listen to lots of K-pop and K-drama OSTs on Spotify, so I definitely can see how different areas of Hallyu build off of each other.  In my Art classes, we could definitely talk about cultural transmission and how cultures share ideas, look at art made by Korean artists giving context from culture and history, and make connections to how K-pop is influenced by hip hop made by African American artists. We can look at bicultural artists and other parts of the world, and how their art tells their story and reveals their identity. In the arts, we gain deeper understanding by learning about the influences, expectations and culture of the artists, music ties in easily to visual art and there is a lot of overlap between them. 

I think it is really important to remember that consumption of pop culture from a place doesn’t always lead to any kind of indepth understanding of a culture.  For example, I have a friend who is a community college professor, she and her fiance are really into anime; as part of her job they have travelled to Japan through study abroad programs with students, so they have learned more about the culture creating anime. On the other hand, many of the students in the Anime club at my school, easily attach themselves to the tropes in anime, without really trying to understand Japanese culture and traditions.

Through Ms. Jung-Kim's video lecture, I came to know the ban of K-pop in China in 2016 and start to allow groups tour in 2018 and was curious about the current situation.  I found this interesting video about Chinese young people's view on K-pop vs C-pop (Chinese pop) and an article on the current situation.  As it was stated in the video, Chinese youth can always find a way around the ban if they want to.  Another interesting thing is in the popular group EXO, four of the original 12 members are Chinese nationals.  Currently only Yixing Zhang is with EXO, but he is also affected by the strained relationship between the two countries and focuses more on his solo activities.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVdATXIPnkA

https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3040955/will-bts-ever-perform-china-how-k-pop-and-korean-culture