Regina Kim: Think you know Korea because you love K-pop and watched ‘Squid Game’? Think Again. - NBCNewsTHINK
To help explain the divergence in Korean pop culture preferences between South Korean and international audiences, I spoke to David Tizzard, a professor at Seoul Women’s University who hosts the “” podcast and regularly contributes to The Korea Times. He has a theory that makes a distinction between what he calls “K-culture” and “Korean culture.” “K-culture — anything with a ‘K ’— is primarily designed for export.
Moreover, this dichotomy between “K-culture” and “Korean culture” is probably being further reinforced by mainstream English-language news outlets, which tend to overemphasize certain K-pop idol acts over other kinds of Korean artists and show a predilection for covering only certain types of K-dramas.the one who’s selfishly and needlessly attempting to impose a narrow view of how Korean culture should be understood and interpreted.
So if K-pop stans are crushing on and promoting the heck out of their favorite idols on Twitter and YouTube — so much so that media outlets are forced to pay attention — well, who am I to rain on their parade? And if Americans tend to enjoy violent K-dramas while most Koreans prefer more low key and family-friendly ones, like “Twenty Five Twenty One” or “Our Blues,” who am I to say who’s right and who’s wrong? In the end, I’d still much rather see people associate my motherland with idol K-pop...
. Maybe those of us of Korean descent, who are observing this ever-expanding Korean Wave with a mixture of pride and bewildered amusement, should just learn to let go and enjoy the ride.Regina Kim is a freelance entertainment writer focusing on Korean pop culture. You can view some of her writings on her website
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