WP3- Son Heung-min
Aidan Banan
Writing 150
Dochterman
November 5th, 2021
Son Heung-Min
Son Heung-Min. A consensus top 20 footballer in the world. Star forward for the Tottenham Hotspur and captain for the South Korean Men’s National Team. In Europe, and throughout Asia, Son is one of the most popular athletic and celebrity figures. Before he came into stardom, Manchester United was by far the favorite soccer team for South Koreans, but Son’s existence propelled the mediocre Tottenham team to be by far the most popular among South Koreans. He is so popular that South Korean teenage girls line up on the street wherever he is and faint in the presence of the superstar. However, here in America, the overwhelmingly common answer I get when bringing up Son Heung-Min is, “who is that?”. The common answer to this question would be the distance gap between America and South Korea, or the fact that soccer is not popular in the United States. However, I am more interested in the fundamental difference in values between the two nations, and the role this has played in few Americans knowing who the best Asian soccer player in the world is.
While some may argue that cultural differences have nothing to do with an athlete popularizing in America, I argue that the difference in cultural values and sports culture between South Korea and America raised Son Heung-min to be a reserved and polite individual and athlete, which does not translate well to America.
South Korean culture is built on values of status and respect. From a young age, it is common for parents to teach their children that they cannot repay their debts to their parents. This results in South Korean children being diligent and hard working, humble, and respectful to their parents and elders, in hopes their parents will be proud of them(Bennett). These characteristics often translate into adulthood, and we see South Korean men being more polite and reserved than the average American man.
On the other hand, American culture is very different. The United States is a diverse mix of customs and traditions, resulting in different households raising their children in different ways. We see less respect shown by American children compared to South Korean children, because elder status is not preached religiously. This results in American children not seeing them as, in a way, inferior to their parents, teachers, or other older figures, which may cause them to stand up for themselves. As individuals don’t keep quiet from a young age, it is more likely they are less reserved as adults.
You may be asking yourself, what do these differences in values have to do with Son Heung-min? Because they are the reason he is not popular in America. As a result of his upbringing in South Korea, Son is a stereotypical South Korean man. He is quiet, he is respectful, and he does not see himself as the super star he is because he was raised to believe he is inferior to his elders. Son is just 29 years old, with no children. He is still a fairly young man, and he does not see himself as a celebrity figure to his fans, to his parents, and to his nation. Therefore, Son does not talk trash to his opponents, show off, or show extreme emotion on the pitch because he was raised to believe these actions are disrespectful, and because he sees himself as nothing more than a talented soccer player.
We can look to examples of one of America’s biggest athletes, Kobe Bryant. Each of these individuals embraced an unapologetic approach to the game, where they knew they were the best in the world, and made sure everyone around them knew it as well. Kobe Bryant created the Mamba Mentality, which preached passion, honesty, and fearlessness. He talked trash, criticized his teammates and opponents, and told the world he was the best basketball player ever. He used this approach to become the most feared basketball player in the world, and as a result, he has the most loyal legion of fans the sports world has ever seen.
While some argue the unpopularity of Soccer in America is the reason for Son’s poor translation to America, I argue cultural differences is the primary reason. Soccer is undoubtedly unpopular in America. It’s viewership is much lower than other prominent American sports, and Major League Soccer has gained little recognition among American fans. However, we can look to Christiano Ronaldo to disprove the idea that Son hasn’t translated because of Soccer’s popularity. Christiano Ronaldo is a very popular athlete throughout America. If you were to ask around, most people would know who he is, but it’s not because of how good he is. Son and Ronaldo are both consensus top tier soccer players in the world. They both have made huge impacts for their soccer clubs, and have impacted the game of soccer greatly. While Ronaldo is a slightly better player, he is not much better to the point where everyone in America should know who he is, and not who Son is. Similar to America’s top athletes, Ronaldo is a flashy, emotional, and unreserved player. He created and promoted his own brand to gain international recognition, and to be remembered for something other than soccer. And these traits all stem from Ronaldo’s upbringing in Portugal. Portugal, like America, has been heavily influenced by western culture. They share core values of expressiveness and free thought, which can explain the popularity of Ronaldo in the United States (Cultural Atlas).
Son Heung-min has celebrity status throughout Europe and South Korea, however Son’s personality as an individual and player has not translated to the United States because of his South Korean upbringing. His upbringing taught him respect, which shows in his fundamental play style and humbleness at such a high status. He has not fully embraced the fame he possesses, making for little exciting media about Son in the United States.
http://freebooks.uvu.edu/NURS3400/index.php/ch11-korean-culture.html
https://www.koreanculture.org/korea-information-sports
https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/portuguese-culture/portuguese-culture-core-concepts
