Surf’s Up on the Korean Wave

After six years of swelling, Vietnam’s still riding the Korean Wave.

After Korea’s uprising at the beginning of the 21^st Century brought us Rain, Jewel in the Palace, animated classics like There she is!! and Hip Hop and R n’ B groovers Big Bang, the K wave, dubbed ‘Hallyu’, may now be construed as Old Hat. However, as it was given a five year life expectancy it is a surprise to us all that the South Korean’s are still on top in East Asia and with a growing tourist industry polished to perfection and a growing film industry ranging from gripping horror fear fests through to seedy Rom-Coms Korea have nothing to lose in the race for the prize of popularity.

In 1997 East Asia suffered on enormous International Monetary Fund Crisis and seemed set to fail in their quest to get a foothold on Pop Culture as The United States invited the World to Disney Land to see Britney Spears. Fortunately for the Asian market, South Korea invested their energies in making Asia more accessable by utilising the Globl Networking Agency, the internet, and their fast developing knowledge of the newest electronic technologies in order to whip up a storm not only with the emergence of K-Pop culture here but also with business ventures over in the West. By 2001 Korea were the new big thing with televisual feasts such as Lovers in Paris which captivated the Vietnamese Romantics and Winter Sonata tuning in the Thais it was not long before the whole of East Asia were united by an admiration for the power of the Korean Wave.

In 2001 China had been hit by Koreamania. This symptom, not dissimilar to the 1960s Beatlemania which saw girls swooning over four Liverpuddlians and boys getting replica McCartney haircuts to match their four button, single-breasted jackets, was a sign of things to come and by the end of the year the Samsung Economic Research Institute of South Korea had developed a system to categorise Korea’s performance in their battle to infiltrate Global Culture. The boffins at Samsung came up with the four stages of the Korean Wave which by this time had swept worldwide.

Mexico, Russia and Egypt, at this time, had embraced stage one and were readily consuming and enjoying the bits of Korea that were projected through films, television and internet gaming. Taiwan, Japan and Hong Kong were at stage two as they not only enjoyed and invested in the easily accessable parts of Korean culture but also provided a space for live music events and advertising and also supplied a large tourist trade for their neighbours. But, at stage three China and Vietnam had fallen in love. Idolising products Made in Korea and coining the commonly excepted term ‘Hallyu’ (a Chinese character from a Korean compilation album which loosely translates as Korea Wave) both China and Vietnam were well on the way to becoming unified by their allegiance to Korea’s growing prestige as Asia’s biggest exporter of Pop culture. Following in the footsteps of ‘Japonism’ which saw the exportation of Japanese style and products to Europe in the nineteenth Century the S.E.R.I. predicted a fourth stage of the Korean Wave in which mimickry would cease and countries would begin to actually ‘feel Korea’.

Now in 2008, it is impossible to den the influence that Korean developments are having on Vietnam with new projects and products popping up nationwide the Vietnamese are gradually shaking off their want not, waste not roots and embracing the fully technicolour middle class lifestyle as seen on Korean T.V..In Reading the ‘Korean Wave’ as a Sign of Global Shift (2005) Cho Hae-Joang cleverly points out that “the more a society becomes accustomed to pursuing the new rather than guarding the old, the easier it is to ‘massify’ it.” This hometruth is clearly reflected by Vietnam’s youth population and was pointed out by Fashion student, Nguyen Dau Huey, when he stated “Korean Fashion is crazy fashion. They have created a new fashion in the world. It is not made to the usual structure. It is an interesting reflection of modern life.” Korea dominate the fashion and media markets of Saigon despite numerous complaints from young people that Korean clothes are too heavy for the heat in the city and as well as this they could easily be construed as the Capitalist epicentre of East Asia and so it isn’t a wonder that they have created a mass empire in the sheek and unique urban estate Phu My Hung right here in Vietnam’s biggest city.

Phu My Hung; a looming twenty block precinct with Fast Food galore, High Class dining, designer furniture and Language Schools being built and renovated in quick succession. Since it’s arrival in District 7 in 2006 Phu My Hung has been constantly growing and now plays host not only to Vietnam’s ever increasing Korean population but also Westerners, Singaporeans, Japanese and the more upmarket of saigon’s Vietnamese citizens.

East Asia, Mandy Thomas points out in East Asian Culture and Youth, and the Modernity of East Asian Countries “is no longer seen as politically or socially different from Vietnam, as popular culture is being throughout the region” and this is clearly illustrated when you step off the number 38 bus on Nguyen Van Linh and enter the concretre jungle of well kempt central reservations and dust free streets. Fashionista 20-somethings stroll around the semi pedestrianised streets with assymetrical haircuts and T shirts bearing Korean characters and English words of wisdom promoting Love, Freedom and Happiness.

So, Korea have managed to exceed expectations on evey count. The last three years have seen Korea hit the mass media despite growing speculation that it’s pop culture would just be a fad which faded away to nothing like Tomagotchis and Beanie Babies. By sharing a visual representation of the middle classes lifestyle which all of Asia aspire to, Korea have instigated a mass cult following nd it’s television dramas have captivated audiences everywhere with their highly polished production and inexpensive exporatation rates. Moreover, with the ninth biggest grossing film industry in the world Korea’s award winning films are loved by audiences everywhere. Ut, it’s not only floppy haired, highly paid actors which are keeping global audiences glued to their screens.

Tourism has gone wild in South Korea and their recent rare appearance on international television networks playing host to New York’s Philamonic orchestra even the secretive North Kkorea are following suit. Translated into 12 languages the newest campaign for ‘Sparkling Korea’ won the top prize for best sales production in the film and video category at the New York 2008 International Advertising Festival. The thirty second advertisement can be found on Utube, CNN and BBC websites and depicts a Korea of cosmopolitan sights infused with ancient heritage and leaves the viewer whet with the desire to find out what it is that really sets Korea apart from the rest of East Asia. In it’s recent collaboration with Asiana Airlines (originally Seoul Airways, with 115 branches in 21 countries) Korean Tourist Office’s ‘Korea Sparkling’ campaign offers everything for everyone. The website uses suffisticated Flash technology and exists in 13 different languages including Asian English and Arabic and includes an Incheon International Airport map to point you in the right direction for a no reservation necessary tour of Seoul and the surrounding area. If it’s a complete package you’re looking for ‘Korea Sparkling’ offers anything from Temple Stay tours to Taekwondo tours depending on your interests. If you’re more of the rough and ready backpacker type you can sit through your plane journey purusing the Seoul City Tourist Guide complete with map and introduction to the rapidly growing trends in Korea popular culture which points out the trendiest places and the cliqueiest hangouts that the alledged world’s biggest city has to offer.

Whether you’re looking for ancient traditions, edgy hip hop B-Boys or a good laugh with 80% of the Taiwanese tourists who opt for a full movie set tour trade in your com ga for kimchi and discover the Jewel in a Palace fit for the silver screen.