This website has full coverage of South Korea inside out at the "Entries" section.
You can check out the sources in the "References" section.
P.S Kim Hyun Joong (Male pictured above) is regarded by many female youths as one of the sex symbols of Korea.
Enjoy your stay here. Immerse yourself in the situation and imagine South Korea in it's full glory.
Also, read from bottom up! THANKS!
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Culprit in Commodifying? ***
Thursday, December 9, 2010
12:58 PM
Watch this video before you carry on reading.
As mentioned earlier, this is a music video of the song "Nobody". The catch is that the song is in English! This speaks about my impression and also my opinions towards the cause of tourism commodifying cultures and traditions of the globalizing world and also the contemporary world. Tourism has brought about a whole new dimension of culture that allows the South Koreans to be generating revenue. Whether it is a culprit, I beg to differ. It has commodified the culture but it has not destroy the culture that South Korea has. South Korea has still and will continue to embrace their own culture while assimilating the globalizing culture, South Korea carries on embracing their own culture and it is a delight to see that.
South Korea has been a role model to many other countries of achieving the status of "The Best of Both Worlds" where it garners the advantages of embracing globalization and also sustaining it's culture.
The changes that tourism has brought about has been great to a large extent. I believe that a PEST analysis (I would only be using EST into consideration as the Political factor would not be evident as compared to the other three) would be ideal to explain the changes that has happened for Seoul after being Disney-ified.
The economical aspect of Seoul would be the area that is most impacted. As South Korea exports it's pop culture abroad. It has generated 22 billion USD at it's peak of it's pop culture. The general economy is prospering at an all-time high as one of Asia's rising wealthiest countries. South Korea ranks 15th in the world in terms of nominal GDP and it doesn't surprise me due to the many components that South Korea possesses in generating revenue. The 2010 GDP growth estimated based on a Bloomberg survey shows that South Korea is placed higher than the US. This is what globalisation has done to South Korea and it has improved the economy endlessly.
On the technological aspect of South Korea, studies have also shown that South Korea is the most wired country on the planet with 76 percent of households having broadband. This is concrete proof of the technological advances that globalisation has brought to South Korea.
For the socialization aspect, the language assimilation that was brought as an example earlier on (the previous post) would be an excellent scenario to describe how globalization has impacted South Korea in terms of the social factors. The pop culture that has been uprising and trending is being influenced by American pop culture nonetheless. The catchy tunes and romantic comedies are examples of the influence that it has brought. One good example as to how globalisation would in the catchy tunes of the Korean songs themselves, let's take a song from a renowned band named Girls' Generation, their song name is titled "Run Devil Run". Have you ever thought why the song title has an english rendition to it? It is a perfect example as to the assimilation of the American culture inside South Korea.
In conclusion, the impacts that globalization has brought about to South Korea has been generally large and somewhat positive in South Korea as they have used globalisation towards it's advantages and not towards the harmful side.
"Disneyization is portrayed as a globalizing force" quoted from Bryman. It has been seen as the contemporary world displaying more and more characteristics of the Disney theme parks. Case and point: South Korea.
As I mentioned earlier, South Korea is a country with strong national identity. However, there has been an introduction of the English language in South Korea. I believe that globalization has been a crucial factor towards the insertion of the language in the country. As the global language would be English and tourists would flock in, possessing a communication platform between the tourists and the service providers would prove to be advantageous to the South Koreans. This is a very good example of the globalization that has affected one of South Korea's most important areas of cultural heritage, the language.
Thus, I believe that the "Disney" existing in South Korea would be it's capital, Seoul. As Seoul is the land of opportunities and also the "Soul of Asia", it is only practical to assume that Seoul is the state that has been "Disney-ified" the most. Districts like Myeong-dong and Itaewon and perfect examples to supplement one of the dimensions of Disneyization - Merchandising. If one was to be kidnapped in the middle of a shopping mall in Singapore and gets teleported straight away into Itaewon, the results would be very much that the victim would be suspecting anything at all.
Also, another dimension - Theming, can be found in South Korea too. Examples like World Cup Park and Dream Forest showcases the theming aspect of the Disneyization. The name Dream Forest pretty much doesn't make sense, it is actually a massive green park that surrounds 6 districts and was where Dreamland was formerly located.
The tourism board has promoted Seoul to the global audience by packaging into an all-around package for the general audience. The idea of combining all these components derives from Disneyization itself. Inevitable it may be, as the globalization culture assimilates into the seemingly unbreakable barrier that South Korea has had over the past years. The advantages it has brought has been large and the South Koreans and not stopping it from happening.
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Essence of South Korea (Education and Leisure) ***
11:25 AM
Education in Korea is very important to all the Koreans. The main objective of a typical Korean parent would be "Get my child into college". The education system is pretty much similar as compared to Singapore, where you spend roughly 12 years in Elementary School and Middle School before proceeding on to college. In Korea's context, college would be much simpler as compared to the revision and workload needed during High School. Education would also be conducted much more in English nowadays. I believe this has happened due to the rise in globalization too, where English is widely needed to improve one's ability to succeed.
As for leisure activities, there a wide range of sports and events that South Koreans engage in. Traditional sports that South Koreans engage in would be Kite flying, Bull fighting and Korean wrestling. Other activities like taekwondo, swimming, boxing, basketball and many more and also widely popular, the amount of medals that South Korea has achieved these past years in various events like the Olympics is proof of the sports excellence that exists in South Korea. Events like the 2002 FIFA World Cup and also the 1988 Olympic Games shows the sports prowess that South Korea has globally. Personally, I remember an incident when South Korea was up against Singapore during the semi-finals of a table tennis match. In the end, South Korea emerged victorious and I was deeply impressed by the dedication they put into the sport though I was still disappointed that Singapore was defeated by our Asian counterpart.
There are also a wide range of events that the South Koreans participate in to celebrate their heritage and also their culture. It is definitely a joy for the citizens and also a tourist, like me, to be able to immerse into such an exotic and lovely environment and atmosphere that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. One example would be the Seoul International Cartoon & Animated Festival where cartoon enthusiasts around the world would gather to exhibit and appreciate all the animated cartoons. There is also the Pusan International Film Festival where it acts as a landmark of the Asian countries for film appreciation. There are many more other festivals in South Korea that are culturally exciting and fantastic, each serving their own purpose and objectives in fulfulling the artistic expression of South Korea.
An exhibit at the Jeonju Sori Festival
In conclusion, South Korea possesses many features and reasons for a tourist to visit the country. It is a fabulous country that doesn't lack in any other areas of attraction and is definitely an ideal choice of country to visit. Unfortunately, the tension that South Korea has generated with North Korea would prove to be the only factor that prevents a tourists from choosing South Korea as an ideal destination. However, one should not miss out the opportunity to visit the country.
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Essence of South Korea (Traditions and Indigenous Groups) ***
10:05 AM
Traditions in Korea are unique and special, they possess their own set of values and social rules that they strictly follow.
When I think about Korea traditions, the first impression that I would garner would be the soup opera "Dae Jang Geum". It showcases the ladies dressed up in traditional Korean dresses called "Hanboks" and also Lee Young Ae whipping up traditional Korean medicines and dishes for the Royal Palace. The amazing accomplishment that traditional Korean costumes have achieved is that it has surpassed the test of time and is still a very important feature in Korea's culture. People would still clad themselves up in Korean costumes during festive seasons and it is of no surprise to see the whole town in their costumes walking around. The costumes that the male wear are called Shimui (where they would clad themselves during their free time) and Hakch'angui (worn by scholars). I believe that such costumes enhances the culture of a country and is also a really lovely thing to showcase to the tourists.
South Koreans also possess a certain set of etiquette that they strictly adhere to. For example, it is necessary to sit on the floor with your legs crossed when having a meal in Korea. Koreans uses a spoon for rice, chopsticks for noodles and side dishes. Koreans also only use their right hand to hold the spoon and chopsticks, not simultaneously. Personally, I feel that the Koreans are very patient when it comes to consuming their food. In Singapore, it is normal to hold the chopsticks and spoon together and the time spent on a meal would be much faster. However, the Koreans would concentrate on a certain dish one at a time and this is being achieved with the usage of only one utensil at a time.
Other significant meal etiquette would be:
It is rude to consume your soup directly from the bowl
Do not place your chopsticks or spoon directly into your dish as it is regarded as a offering to the dead.
Do not lift your dishes up from the table as it is considered rude.
Always offer to pour liquor rather than pouring for yourself
Religion in Korea is pretty flexible as compared to countries like Israel or Afghanistan, where most of the inhabitants belong to one religion. Almost half of the Koreans does not believe in anything while the other half do. The majority groups would be Christianity (29.2%) and Buddhism (22.8%), other religious groups would be Confucianists, Islam, Shamanism and Chondogyo.
Koreans also celebrate a certain array of holidays that represent their traditions. Korea have two Korean New Years, such is the case as Koreans go by two caldenders, one that is Westernized and theother being the lunar calender. As for the modern Korean New Year, the activities that Koreans engage in would be to gather together and bond, people would also make new year resolutions and pay respects to the ancestors. As for the Lunar New Year, the Koreans would dress up in their traditional costumes and exchange gifts, children would also receive money. It is very similar to Chinese New Year where we receive "Hong Baos".
Similar to our National Day, they celebrate Independence Day when the Koreans were declared independent from Japanese rule. It has been celebrated since 1919 and the date would be on the March of 1st every year. In my personal point of view, the Independence Day that Korea and Singapore celebrate is pretty much similar as both of the countries would survive on themselves the following years after independence. Independence Day is an annual reminder to the nation how fortunate we all are and that never to suffer from events like the Japanese Occupation ever again.
Other holidays that are exclusively Korean would be Chuseok (similar to Mid-Autumn festival) and Hangul Day (where the country celebrates the creation of their own language)
Indigenous Groups in South Korea
After doing a fair amount of research of South Korea's indigenous groups. It is safe to say there is no such major existence of indigenous groups in South Korea. South Korea is one of the most ethnically homogenous nations in the world and the number of indigenous groups would be minimal to a large extent.
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Essence of South Korea (Culture & Language) ***
8:28 AM
South Korea, the Land of Kimchi
A little background on the country of South Korea (Alternative names would be Republic of Korea; Corean, Han'guk, Taehan, Taehanmin'guk) It is an independent Korean state of collection of states that has existed almost continuously for several millenia. Why is there a division of "South Korea" and "North Korea" if that certain thought crossed your mind? The cause is due to differing governments, being the DPRK and the Republic Of Korea, setting themselves in two separate places of Korea.
However, we are focussing on the country of South Korea. Unlike North Korea, where it is being operated by a communist government and the first impression that it sends out globally would be the military prowess and huge tension that it possesses with other countries, South Korea actually possesses a unique culture that has seen themselves appeal to the marketable youths in the Asian region. Therefore, it has been of my interest to select such a country as a topic of culture.
Culture of South Korea
South Korea possesses a rich tradition for over 5000 years and the government has done an excellent job to preserve the historical sites that are available in South Korea. In evidence to South Korea's enriching culture, seven historical sites of South Korea were selected as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, examples of the sites would be Hwaseong Fortress, Jongmyo Shrine and many more.
One special thing about the South Koreans would be their vast efforts to stand out from the other countries. It can be seen from their language, traditions and cultures of the country. Personally, the first three things that would come into my mind about South Korea would be it's language, food and most importantly the modern pop culture. Firstly, language strongly reflects the culture of Korea, the language would be Korean. Unlike Singapore where diversity is encouraged and we have a variety of languages like English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil. The Koreans speak the language of Korean and this is one of the important reasons why the Koreans have such a strong cultural identity in them. Up to seventy million people speaks the language, major dialects are evident in different states of the nation. However, it is mutually intelligible among the Koreans and is not a big issue of differentiation for them.
Secondly, the food is also a huge factor towards the strong sense of cultural identity in the Koreans. As my heading stated "Korea, the Land of Kimchi" above, it is of my first impression that Kimchi comes into my mind when the word "Korea" is uttered out. For example, a bowl of steamed white rice accompanied with Kimchi and a soybean-paste vegetable soup would be an ideal meal for the typical Korean. The structure of a Korean meal is very similar to Asian style. Unlike Europeans where several courses would be served chronological, the Korean meal would comprise of a bowl of steamed white rice with several side dishes to the individual's liking.
Lastly, the pop culture that Korea possesses has been a trending and uprising topic not just regionally but globally. The pop culture has been so appealing that the Korea tourism board has promoted their pop culture as one of the niche areas of attraction to the tourists. With relentless marketing combined together with the genuine emotions that the Koreans are so expertly able to express, it is of no surprise that Korea was able to generate up to $22 billion worth of pop culture abroad. The wave was started with a soap opera named "Winter Sonata", it got so immensely popular that the lead actor, Bae Yong-Joon, was regarded as Korea's first international sex symbol and his celebrity status was at an all-time high. Many other things like Korean films and music soon followed. Just like the introduction of Korean dramas and films through the groundbreaking performance of "Winter Sonata", the same could be said for the music industry through the Wonder Girls. When they release their hit single "Nobody", radio stations would play it almost every hour and the "Wonder Girls fever" lasted almost as long as two years. The musical group was so popular that English and Chinese renditions of the song "Nobody" were recorded to target other countries. During a visit to Korea for leisure, posters of the Wonder Girls were placed everywhere in the urban cities and their songs were played out loud to the general public.
In conclusion, the culture that Korean has is one that's been of envy to many other countries. They possess such a strong national identity and also a platform of media and communications that is ever growing.
Hello, this is Hiew Qi Xiang Ben (0903404B) attempting Individual Assignment II for an elective module that is named Tourism, Culture & Society (BLR2005)
The selected country of research would be SOUTH KOREA (Yeah, the irony. Considering what is happening right down there and I'm still looking forward to researching about their colourful culture)
Though on the verge of being war-torn and so forth, it is impossible to deny the pop culture that has attracted million of fans around the world.
As the korean saying goes " JA JA FIGHTING! "
This is the start of my awesome Individual Assignment Part 2.
I would cap it off with a music video of the renowned girl band, Girls' Generation
My name is HIEW QI XIANG BEN (0903404B).
I am 18 years old.
I love Tourism, Culture & Society... yes! I DO!.
Mr Desmond Lim is an awesome teacher teaching an awesome class (P04)
As for leisure activities, there a wide range of sports and events that South Koreans engage in. Traditional sports that South Koreans engage in would be Kite flying, Bull fighting and Korean wrestling. Other activities like taekwondo, swimming, boxing, basketball and many more and also widely popular, the amount of medals that South Korea has achieved these past years in various events like the Olympics is proof of the sports excellence that exists in South Korea. Events like the 2002 FIFA World Cup and also the 1988 Olympic Games shows the sports prowess that South Korea has globally. Personally, I remember an incident when South Korea was up against Singapore during the semi-finals of a table tennis match. In the end, South Korea emerged victorious and I was deeply impressed by the dedication they put into the sport though I was still disappointed that Singapore was defeated by our Asian counterpart.
An exhibit at the Jeonju Sori Festival
