Korea and GlobalizationThe concept of globalization has been a rapidly growing phenomenon in todays world where technology and accessibility to information across the globe have been increasing interactions between countries on personal and national levels. For the purpose of a uniform definition, I would like to define globalization as the process of spreading something around the world through exchange of trade and interactions between countries that almost standardize and make the world “smaller.” South Koreas globalization holds unique characteristics in different categories of its economy, popular culture, and migration.
“Economic development has made East Asia more assertive” (Holton 146) and many South Korean companies have been spreading and asserting its presence into the global market. South Korea has been rapidly growing, transformed into a developed economy in the 1980s (Robinson 177), and now is an indispensible part of global trade. The “rise of the automobile as an integral part of Korean life” (177) has definitely been standardized in South Korea. Owning a car used to be a leisure, but South Korea with its flourishing economy through the emphasis on its export economy, advanced its domestic automobile industry, increasing car availability to the common people. Brands such as Hyundai, Kia, and Daewoo are not only thriving in the domestic market, but has expanded its car industries to other countries as well. South Korea has the worlds 13th largest economy(Sang-hun). This I believe, ties back to the work ethics South Koreans possess. By the 1970s, Koreans held one of the longest work hours per week, with an average of about 54 hours weekly (Robinson 133). The expansion of South Koreas economy during Park Chung Hees rule is often referred to as the “Miracle on the Han” because of the amazing speed in development of an industrialized economy. The Korean culture of discipline and hard work traced back from the Joseon dynasty has helped South Korea reach its economy that holds a respected position in world trade today.
Globalization always arises from intercultural give and take. The idea of Korean media and culture influencing other East Asian countries, as well as even western countries, is not such a foreign concept to many nowadays, illustrating the extent to which South Korea has begun to influence the rest of the world. The Korean wave, a broad idea of anything Korean gaining success, has flooded and is embraced by many(Kim 2007,48); Korean dramas, music, and food are all loved by the Japanese, American, and many other countries by old and young alike. One example would be the drama, Winter Sonata that became a huge hit in Japan after its release there in 2003, achieving a level of success that cannot be ignored (50). Then there is also the recent hit song from 2012, Gangnam Style. This is the most viewed video on YouTube today, which is double the amount of views
; a single Korean man’s desire to understand and appreciate the way the world’s society views a girl. A Korean man as well as Koreans are also drawn to what Westerners perceive to be Western culture in the Asian countries, being seen as different types of things and more likely to be perceived with different eyes. That also is true of Asian culture, which is still seen as different and often misunderstood to Koreans. That phenomenon of Koreans becoming “likes” by Westerners is also seen in other areas of public perception (e.g., politics, entertainment, sports) as well as in Korea by Westerners. That phenomenon is the case for a large number of Korean publics, and an understanding of people’s identity, their cultural differences, has been very strong in recent years. In 2008, for example, two major public television projects, Hwasong Hwa (Hwa TV in Korea) and Kim Nol (Kim TV in China), were broadcast in South Korea, and were able to establish a large viewership (50). Hwa is one of a series of three television shows (the other series being, The North Face). The series shows two distinct characteristics: a South Korean family culture, and a South Korean family culture. North Face was a popular show on TV beginning in the early 1990’s (51). When Kim Nol first appeared in South Korea, only a handful of people responded to him, mostly to say “thanks” and not much more. Kim Nol did not win many “friends” (this is one reason why some Korean Koreans would view her as more important than others because she gained international recognition for something like American and South Korean television). Kim Nol’s ability to connect to the community is also something in which many Koreans find valuable. His music has not simply been considered an art and not that attractive. On the other hand, Kim Nol is one of a group that has recently been able to increase viewership on Korean public television. The number of South Korean publics tuned to Kim Nol’s shows has doubled from 1.4 million to 12 million in the same period (47). Many South Korean publics also believe that the Korean community as a whole is strong, that they know how to support a group, and thus have a strong foundation of support, for the Korean community (49). Korean publics are also keenly aware of the fact that their entire Korean society is not like that of Western society. That said, some people will probably find that the general Korean population doesn’t feel comfortable around so many South Korean politicians regardless of other South Korean political viewpoints. It might be that the general Korean population is more willing to go along with the idea of a North Korean puppet government than the South Korean people do, but this is a different story because the general Koreans will tend not to go along with it. In this instance, a majority will consider the idea that more and more people will be exposed to Western values of democracy and human rights. However, in the case of the South Korean public, one should not underestimate that these people believe that the South Korean society is more or less liberal. It is difficult to understand the phenomenon of society being a good and respectable thing, due to two major factors: People like those who are well respected or admired even by their peers; and the population that is very loyal to the government and its government. This is why there are so many people who