Column- ‘Cheongchuleoram’(A Disciple Who Has surpassed his Teacher in something), Power of the Korean Wave

SEOUL--(Korea Newswire)--Can a Korean idol group be accepted at all even in Japan-a paradise for idols? In the midst of great concerns and expectations, a Korean girl group, “Sonyeosidae [Girl's Generation]”, that has heralded its launching into Japan by releasing their regular single album in the Japanese market, is driving on without a stop while ranked 2nd in the Oricon Chart. Another group, “Kara”, who made a debut in Japan early last August, is assuring the global competitiveness of Korean idols as it has an exceptionally long run in the Oricon Chart.

It is analyzed that the point in their success lies in the fact that they appropriately used the Korean Wave which has currently taken up its position as the mainstream of Japanese culture together with the fact that Korean idols have already been verified for their works as stably popularized items in Korea just like the Korean Wave TV dramas and pop songs in Korea.

It is specially noteworthy that the Japanese fans for Sonyeosidae and Kara are not limited to the existing male fans but are widely distributed even to female fans in their teens and twenties. It is generally analyzed that Sonyeosidae and Kara captivated the hearts of Japanese women with their stylish appearance, refined stage manner, and powerful performance unlike Japanese female idols who have shown their cute and precocious appearance at most.

The successful launching of Korean girl groups in Japan suggests that the consumer group of the Korean Wave centering on middle-aged & older class, started with the appearance of Yonsama Bae Yongjoon, has come to encompass broadly of people in their 10s and 20s.
 
The Korean Wave is originated from a small country of East Asia, Korea. The Korean Wave is now expanding its worldwide grip up to the Middle East and South America going as it advances beyond Asia to the Hollywood culture, and Korea is transferring as a culture power having a worldwide influence by dint of the Korean Wave-the advance guard of Korean culture.

The tourist revenues in foreign currency earned by the Korean Wave have amounted up to billions of dollars annually, and if additional revenues, including the exports of the Korean TV dramas, advertisement, ticket sales of the concerts by Korean stars, and return from their albums, are counted, the Korean Wave is forming an enormous smarket.
 
Then, how can Korea create such a massive stream as the Korean Wave even when it has a handicap that it has a smaller national territory than Japan or China, and moreover, when it is the only divided country in the world? The answer to this question is “Cheongchuleoram [A disciple that has surpassed his teacher in something]” i.e, the answer could be found in Koreans' own capacity and characteristic DNA.
 
The opportunity for the Korean Wave to come into reality is attributable to the fact that satellite channels, together with the development of scientific technology, were expanded into ordinary families. At that time, Japan, which opened the multi-channel era while importing diverse contents and broadcasting them for the first time in Asia, imported mainly Korea-produced dramas and show programs among its neighboring countries, such as, China and Taiwan. There were two reasons for such practice: First, Korean dramas were relatively cheaper than Japan-produced programs, and second, the Korean TV dramas have less cultural repulsion in comparison with those of China and Taiwan.
 
The Korean dramas began to gain popularity with their unique emotion, sensibility, fast-paced story development, and stimulating contents. Particularly, the drama “ Winter Love Song”, which touched the heart of middle-aged Japanese women, succeeded in gaining sensational popularity by arousing the purity of first love that Japanese people had forgotten.

Actually, the drama "Winter Love Song' was a failure in its popularity among Korean people; however, the drama succeeded by digging up the unexpected competitive power and suggested the directivity of the Korean Wave. In addition, Korean pop singers, who launched into China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, also began to get a grip on mass culture quickly by going around the markets, such as, Internet, satellite channels and DVD, and provided speed to the Korean Wave with their special concept and grasping power of stages that could rarely found in other countries.

At present, the Korean Wave has an influence throughout culture in general, such as, movies, games, TV entertainment programs, music, and sports, etc., and has encompassed more multilateral and extensive fields comparing to the Hong Kong or Japanese culture that had the most influential only for a specific period.

Particularly, the Korean Wave, shattering experts' opinions about the uppermost limit of the Korean Wave and their prediction that the influence of Korean Wave would not last long, is ever expanding its power by attempting to transform itself in the diverse directions.

The competitiveness available only for the Korean Wave is unquestionable. It is the very point that “the Korean culture lacks its own identity” which Koreans often criticize for their own accord. However, looking in different way, to say that the scarce identity means the possibility of being able to mingle at any place at ease.

The fact that the countries boasting their time-honored and splendid culture, such as, France, Russia, and China, are short of cultural advancement into other countries comparing to Hollywood or the Korean Wave, which suggests the point that their conservative and firm yardstick of their own culture has been the obstacles to their culture exports reversely. It is because of their refusal to accept so-called “ McDonaldization” which is a process of spreading onto all over the world by representing the US culture and placing on “efficiency”.
 
The Hollywood culture represented by ‘McDonald’ is referred to as ‘the melting pot of culture’, and it has a strong point peculiar to America which can digest not only the merits but also the demerits of other cultures. As a viewpoint of such an extension, the Korean Wave is also more fast-paced in its capacity for other cultures than any other country, and with the addition of the characteristic of our culture in “Faster, Faster”, transforming itself into a merit.

Professor George Richter, who is then author of “ McDonald and McDonalization: Utopia or Dystopia? [1993]” and also who set up the concept of “McDonalization”, points out that, “at the foundation of the Korean Wave is contained the major principle of McDonalization”, and he once said that Korean movies, dramas and music borrowed America technic and philosophy. If America makes a success with ‘McDonalization’, the Korean wave, which has accepted the merits of the Hollywood culture and added the strong point of Korean culture, can be said to be an outcome of “Cheongchuleoram.”
 
Here, we need to pay attention to Korean DNA which created the Korean Wave. This race has been industrious and diligent and the people have never spared any efforts to draw the best results on whatever matters since the old days. The nuclear power generation triggered by technological assistance from France and the US had developed enough to the export nuclear power generation, and Korea, which was devastated by its on-going internal war situation, has developed into a country that renders assistance to other countries in less than 30 years since Korea was receiving end of assistance from the United Nations where the US, Somalia, and others rendered the assistance.

In addition, it has been only about 120 years since Christianity was introduced to Korea, but the rate of missionaries to dispatch to other countries is ranked 2nd after the US, and this rate is more than a twofold difference in numerical figure comparing to England which is ranked 3rd. As such a case, Korea has its share of success stories which have always been an object of awe and exclamation to people around the world are now linked to the success of the Korean Wave.
 
The most fundamentally needed buttress for a nation to increase its national strength is no other than culture, and it is self-evident that the greatest national asset is no other than a ‘culture export’, especially at a time like today when ‘the National Brand Power’ is instantly linked to national strength and economic richness.

Actually, the Korean Wave is having a positive influence on a variety of fields, such as international trade and politics, etc. and its profits stay at an enormous level. As the only alternative to the Hollywood culture which is currently taking the lead in international stream, the Korean Wave is rapidly rising. Indeed, it is rare to find a culture more dynamic, familiar, and bigger capacity than the Korean Wave.

The Korean Wave raging fiercely by using Korean characteristic DNA as a foothold - industriousness- as the merit of Koreans, dynamic aspects, non-exclusiveness accepting all merits like a melting pot, and even up to the efforts to win firs place in everything, are surely exposed in the Korean Wave which has made its confirmation for the fact that the demerits of which people to feel ashamed are actually the merits of its people.

Columnist / Han, Koo Hyun(Director of the Korean Wave Research Institute)

Introduction of Korea Wave Research Institute (KWRI)
 
<Greetings of the President>

Korea Wave, the front runner of Korean culture reaching out to the world Korea Wave that has the foundation of excellence and mobility of Korean culture has captivated the people on the world to add its power on daily basis has become the representative culture icon of Korea. Korea Wave Research Institute (KWRI) is committed to undertake aggressive effort to expand the power of Korea Wave for entire world by undertaking the research on Korea Wave, survey of influence and analysis of demand, presentation of advancement direction for steady advancement and expansion of power for Korea Wave. KWRI will place its best effort for delivering graceful, friendly and powerful Korean culture and unlimited advancement of Korea Wave through profound understanding and research of Korea Wave.
 
<Education>
Ph D in International Relations at the Graduate School of Moscow National University of International Relations
MA’s in International Relations at the Graduate School of Moscow National University of International Relations
Graduated from Kookmin University, majored in Economy
Graduated from Seorabeol High School
 
<Experience>
Assistant Professor at Hanyang University, Research Center of Asia-Pacific Region
CEO of Hans Season Two Co., Ltd.
Member of Kim Mun-soo Gyeonggi-do Governor’s Transition Team
Cyber Team Manager for the Office of Secretariat for Kim Mun-soo Gyeonggi-do Governor’s Candidacy of Hanara Party
Senior Researcher of Research Project Team for the Russian Region at Korea University of Foreign Language
President of the First Korean Student Association in Moscow
 
<Awards>
Commendation from the Small and Medium Business Association
 
<Theses>
Comparison of Characteristics of Separation Movements of Transnistria and Abkhazia
Islam Fundamentalism and Secularism: Focusing on Turkey
Implication of SCO Strategy of Russia
Vodka, Chekhov and Swan Lake:
Russia Report of Globalization Era read by History and Culture, Park Myung-yong
Research Note: Political Influence of Internet: Focusing on Russia

Korea Wave Research Institute(KWRI)
 
Korea Wave, the front runner of Korean culture reaching out to the world. Korea Wave that has the foundation of excellence and mobility of Korean culture has captivated the people on the world to add its power on daily basis has become the representative culture icon of Korea. Korea Wave Research Institute (KWRI) is committed to undertake aggressive effort to expand the power of Korea Wave for entire world by undertaking the research on Korea Wave, survey of influence and analysis of demand, presentation of advancement direction for steady advancement and expansion of power for Korea Wave.KWRI will place its best effort for delivering graceful, friendly and powerful Korean culture and unlimited advancement of Korea Wave through profound understanding and research of Korea Wave.
 
Han, Koo Hyun

<Education>
Ph D in International Relations at the Graduate School of Moscow National University of International Relations
MA’s in International Relations at the Graduate School of Moscow National University of International Relations
Graduated from Kookmin University, majored in Economy
Graduated from Seorabeol High School
 
<Experience>
Assistant Professor at Hanyang University, Research Center of Asia-Pacific Region
CEO of Hans Season Two Co., Ltd.
Member of Kim Mun-soo Gyeonggi-do Governor’s Transition Team
Cyber Team Manager for the Office of Secretariat for Kim Mun-soo Gyeonggi-do Governor’s Candidacy of Hanara Party
Senior Researcher of Research Project Team for the Russian Region at Korea University of Foreign Language
President of the First Korean Student Association in Moscow
 
<Awards>
Commendation from the Small and Medium Business Association
 
<Theses>
Comparison of Characteristics of Separation Movements of Transnistria and Abkhazia
Islam Fundamentalism and Secularism: Focusing on Turkey
Implication of SCO Strategy of Russia
Vodka, Chekhov and Swan Lake:
Russia Report of Globalization Era read by History and Culture, Park Myung-yong
Research Note: Political Influence of Internet: Focusing on Russia
Presentation of Research Contemplation on the Globalization and Regionalization Tendency in Russian Diplomacy
Era of ‘Resource War’ and Energy Security Strategy of Korea:
Toward the East Siberia and Far Western Region
Linkage between the TKR and the TSR in Northeast Asia:
Focusing on the problems and perspectives
 
<Columns>
The Top Contributor for Nuclear Power Export, ‘Korea Wave Drama’ (Chosun Ilbo)
‘Day of Adult’, Even More Shining with Korean Clothes (Chosun Ilbo)
Song for Russia, Who Will Sing It (Chosun Ilbo)
[First 16-Round in Away Games for Korea] Special Favor in Military Service, Improvement of National Brand (Kyunghyang Newspaper, Sports Khan)
Competitiveness of Korean Tourism, Build it with Story-telling (Finance Today)
'Is Makgeolli only Korea’s Traditional Culture? (Yonhap News)
Starting-up Franchise that Remembers only the Number 1. What is the Secret of Success? (Break News)

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