Daily Archives: January 6, 2013

Jan6

The Stream – K-Pop Diplomacy

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An interesting documentary on the South Korean pop culture by Al Jazeera. It mentions the underlying popularity of PSY’s Gangnam Style and the K-Pop phenomenon, as well as the differences between the two. Furthermore, the video touches upon the topic of K-Pop groups’ attempt to penetrate into the U.S. market and how most groups are brought up in a controlled environment where image plays an important role in marketing.

My Thoughts:

— Simon and Martina state that the reason for PSY’s Gangnam Style going viral is that humor is a universal language. True.

— K-Pop is a form of government soft power…I agree, but K-Pop has been around for a while, which is before the South Korean government even recognized its importance for the country’s economy.

— K-Pop celebs. as PR Ambassadors. This is good for the nation’s tourism industry as it brings in profit for the South Korean government. Most tourists want to visit South Korea due to their interest in K-Pop and K-Dramas, as well as the culture.

— IT companies also benefit from the popularity of K-Pop as the sales of their products increase when they use K-Pop celebs. as their brand ambassadors.

— Of course, K-Pop stars do not reflect the majority of the South Korean population. It’s like saying, you’ll see many people that look like Bollywood stars out on the streets of New Delhi in India.

— I agree with what Simon and Martina say about people that look at K-Pop from the outside and people that really take out the time to learn about K-Pop and South Korea in general through celebs. Simon and Martina have an understanding of how K-Pop fans are like…’cause they’re one of us! =P

— One of the speakers is also right when she mentions that regular people are also working just as hard as K-Pop stars, but are only getting a slice of the pie or a smaller portion of income. Hence, they don’t have the glamor that K-Pop stars are associated with.

— Yes, popular culture being a form of consolation and entertainment (a form of escapism from reality) does have drawbacks. People let it dictate their lives. However, we must dig out the root problem of this issue. What is happening in society that is causing this type of behavior? There must be a root problem, most of it being personal.

— PSY’s Gangnam Style may be humorous, but it does show how society is like these days. I believe this not only applies to South Korea, but to many places around the world where the division between the “Haves” and “Have-Nots” is increasing. Everyone wants to flaunt what they have as people have become more concerned about status, money, and other materialistic desires…sadly.

— Being a K-Pop idol is seen as an escape from the daily lifestyle of work that non-famous people engage in. Well, people are going to go where there is more money =P I understand that and it’s kind of alarming. Aigoo! Why can’t working hours be more family-friendly or cater to the needs of people? WAE!? Oh, wait…I know why. It’s those elite people that are sucking out all the money from the working class just to gain more money and power and to keep control over all of us >:(

— Yes, K-Pop stars do work hard in connecting with their fans… There is one person that definitely comes to mind when I hear this =P

— I agree with Simon. It’s disturbing when K-Pop stars are described as Gods or Goddesses and Kings or Queens… Remember, they are human beings like us and the only difference between us and them is their profession. If I call someone a, “Prince,” it is out of friendliness and not a way of worshiping them because they are “perfect” =P

— There is no doubt that South Korea’s educational system is one of the best, but there is so much more than meets the eye. The competition is intense, which can lead to quite a few social problems.

— Going to Harvard doesn’t guarantee that you will be successful. A degree from Harvard or any of the Ivy Leagues, truthfully speaking, is seen as a status symbol these days. There has been a case where an MIT graduate had to earn a living by being a cab driver because there were no jobs available.

Overall, the documentary is quite insightful for those that don’t understand K-Pop and South Korean culture ^^

—Moonlight