Thousands of enthusiastic and knowledgeable fans on the floor of the Los Angeles Convention Center for KCON LA will dispel any doubt that K-Pop and Korean culture have become major phenomena in America. But this raw energy should definitely burn itself out. right?
Two prominent American professors were on hand on the sidelines of this weekend’s Korean Culture Conference to provide thoughtful analyzes of the current Korean wave and suggest ways in which it could be made sustainable.
Kim Seok Young, a professor at the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television, explained that K-Pop corresponds closely with Gen-Z, which is generally defined as people born between 1995 and 2010. They are ideal carriers with this group of digital natives.
Kim also describes Gen-Z as idealistic, inspiring, and welcoming to globalization, which means they are open to global culture and like free trade, borderless communities, and unlimited online consumption. They are also socially liberal, but moderate or financially conservative. Kim says that K-pop culture plays a role in many of these themes with its focus on “the little things that blend in nicely and look pretty.”
“Look at BTS’s video, you will see a lot of cute gestures and songs about the fun of spending today, because the future is pointless. [What could be seen as] The satire about the bleak future transcends being kind and sentimental. Kim says.
Why Korean culture spread, rather than that of other countries, may explain its sustainability.
“Korean is a medium-sized power. It is economically advanced, but without a colonial past. The Korean brand has weak strength,” she says. “And for cultural sensitivity.” Even sensitivity and kinship are multi-species.
She stands for “Extraordinary Attorney Woo,” a series that recently aired on Netflix. “whenever [autistic] The heroine has a penetrating penetration, she evokes whales and dolphins,” says Kim.
Kim argues that the first season of “Squid Game,” Netflix’s biggest hit of all time, was a success because of his study of human relationships. This is in line with Korean culture and brands that are “accessible and proclaim social justice and network influence.”
Sam Richards, a professor at Penn State University, describes the “magical mix” that currently makes K-pop culture successful, part of which is its lack of overt sex or violence.
“It’s not revealing, overt, gratuitous or in your face. Sex is rarely shown and not discussed. Many people appreciate this. Most people in the world are shy,” says Richards. “Indian people’s perception of sex is much closer to Korea than to America.”
And while violence was an adjective often used to describe “a squid game,” Richards simply says, “Can you imagine what a ‘squid game’ would have looked like if it had been made in the United States?”
But Richards also cautions that K-pop culture will need to evolve if its success is to have a long-term future.
Richards criticizes the high burn rate in the K-pop industry. The profit model largely revolves around introducing new work and hinders long-term fan interaction with any particular Korean musician. The problem of “aging makes it difficult for anyone 25 or older to follow Korean music, if it is constantly reinvented,” Richards says.
Richards says bigger issues loom large. Korea will have to deal with climate change (“too big to imagine”), the demographics that make Korea a shrinking, rapidly aging society, and social inequality.
Themes of social injustice have made them an entertainment value in the Oscar-winning Korean film “Parasite” and in “Squid Game,” but the problem detracts from Korea as a role model.
“Korean sophistication is one of the things that attracts us about Korean culture. There is almost nothing negative about it [South] Korea. But when inequality grows in Korea, Korean culture will lose its luster,” says Richards.
And as the K-pop business seeks wider appeal by including non-Korean group members, there may be a community backlash. This is a problem that parallels resistance to immigration as a tool for dealing with an aging population.
“There are plenty of opportunities not to follow the Hollywood model of sex and violence. But don’t make the mistake of generalizing to a group you don’t understand,” Richards said, when trying to figure out a way to keep Korean culture popular.
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