Culture Swap
An interesting exchange of culture has relatively recently started occurring between South Korea and the United States. I believe this exchange/influence began with the Hallyu Wave. The Hallyu Wave is a phenomenon that started in the early 2000s which refers to the exportation and popularization of South Korean culture through the entertainment medium (including but not limiting to pop culture, music, variety shows, dramas, fashion, beauty, etc). Kpop in particular received a lot of attention and many people in the west began to not only love but obsess over these groups. Though the songs were sung in majority Korean at the beginning of this Wave, the intricate music videos, unique styles, and talented members were enough to capture the attention of many Americans. In 2012, KCON (a convention) began in LA and has since then invited a variety of groups to come and perform annually. Fast forward to more recent years, kpop groups have been invited to participate in American TV. BTS, one of the most popular boy groups, has been seen on James Corden, Jimmy Fallon, and Ellen. They have been asked to perform at the AMAs, Good Morning America, The Voice, and more. Blackpink, one of the most popular girl groups, was the first kpop group to perform at Coachella 2019 and Big Bang, another popular boy group, was supposed to be performing this year if not for the current situation. Kdramas are also gaining more traction within the Western culture. Netflix is even producing their own kdramas as Netflix Originals. K-beauty is something that is also popping up within the United States. Korean influencers within the entertainment realm are always seen with such flawless skin, that their skincare and beauty tips and products are starting to be a staple in huge retail stores in America such as Sephora and Ulta. Alongside this absorption and acceptance of Korean culture within the United States, there have been some influences that Korea has implemented from the US. Many kpop songs now include certain phrases/verses that include English words as their audience has broadened. Many Korean shows now offer English subtitles and the unique fashion that the idols wear seem to have more of a blend with the fashion we see within the United States.
Very recently, there has been some controversy regarding the actions that Western cultures have taken that border on the line of cultural appropriation. Just a week ago, the UK has launched their own version of a kpop group comprising of four non East-asian members. Their clothing fashion. hair style, makeup, and even the production of the music video bares such a similarity with the current kpop music industry that it received a ton of backlash. I personally don’t think that this is acceptable. The East-Asian population is discriminated against consistently by Caucasian people. This lays the foundation of a power dynamic that is present regarding cultural appropriation. Gathering influence from a multitude of subjects and having that flourish into one’s own unique work is completely acceptable, a simple copy and paste is taking this Eastern culture and passing it off as the UK’s western culture.
Regarding the future, I’m curious to see if the UK will disband this group or make some rapid and big changes to ensure that this cultural appropriation does not continue to happen.
