"Hallyu"

No, I'm not yodelling from the top of a mountain. This is an Asian word I recently learned about through researching one of my classes. Can you believe THAT? Not that I learned a new word but that I RESEARCHED a class! What I mean by an "Asian" word is I think it's the Korean pronunciation of a Chinese word. The rough translation is "cold current" but it's the word now used for the Korean wave. What's this Korean wave? I've seen a few waves in Korea. Waves from motorists who have just done something incredibly ignorant or are just about to; waves at Moodeung stadium during Kia Tigers games; waves in the hair of ajummas fresh from the salon; waves of Chuseok traffic, but none of these are what Hallyu refers to.

I was actually surprised when I found out how popular Korean TV programs and music are in other parts of Asia. INCREDIBLY surprised actually since I think it's all craptastic. Students constantly ask me if I know "talents" and I never do. Then they tell me that I should know these people because they are really famous. I always assumed they meant like Muan is "famous" for onions or the "famous" hiking at Sorak San. But it turns out that guys like Bae Yong Joon really ARE famous in other places than Korea. He's got a massive following of middle-aged ladies in Japan who call him "Yon-sama". The TV drama, (I supressed my gag reflex long enough to read a synopsis of the series and it's just a soap opera or melodrama at best), Winter Sonata made him famous. It was filmed in Choon Cheon and tourism there has grown to a billion, (with a b), dollar a year industry in Korea from tour packages like this. And while in Choon Cheon visiting the site of this predictable, jeuvenile, Harlequin Romance on film, why not try some of the "famous" Choon Cheon dalk kalbi?

I shouldn't joke. If millions of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino, Singaporean, Malaysian, Indonesian, Thai, and Vietnamese think it's good, it must be good, right? There's that gag reflex again. Maybe it IS good if you like that sort of stuff. I've heard that the directing is skillful and the budget was no object. In fact if you look at this phenomenon more closely you'll see that Korean music performances with pyrotechnics and never without a full complement of back-up dancers have just the level of high-budget schmalz necessary to make them attractive to the people who keep the industry alive: teenagers. It's clever marketing I have to say that. And the movies and TV shows Korea makes are also higher quality, (because of higher budgets), than some of these countries are used to. Korea now has the 9th largest film industry in the world. Didn't know that either.

But it's the SNAGs, (sensative new age guys), in the dramas and the sexy girls in the music videos that make people throng to Korea assuming Korean people are ALL like this. A lot of Asian women, (I've read), would love to have a boyfriend who they can berate and dump one day only to have him drive up to them in his BMW and Armani suit the next day teary eyed, bearing flowers and gifts and begging for their forgiveness. And Asian men, (I've read), would love to have a girlfriend who wears glitter-covered half shirts prone to wardrobe malfunctions, skin tight, leather pants and a come-hither tiger growl at all times too.

Then they come to Korea and find the super-conservative girls and guys about as sensative army sergeants. A friend of mine who was new to Korea once asked me where the best place was to find a quick one-night stand. I said, "Well you just walk down to the end of this street, then you turn... gay..." There are plenty of Korean girls who seem to ooze sexuality and maybe they aren't super-conservative but they certainly like to test their powers. My advice is not to encourage them too much. There is something Koreans call "gong ju pyeong". It translates into something like princess syndrome. For a "wonder"ful example, go to "Pipeful of dreams" on this blog and press play. I have to admit though, the song is a bit catchy isn't it?

And what of the poor women looking for the boyfriends in the BMW's? Here's a Korean guy's comment on his blog and it is almost identical to what I typed! They're not all like that folks. Don't take it from me, take it from a Korean dude. And for all the Asian, (mostly Japanese), ladies trying to hook up online with their own Korean "Yon-sama", I have two syllables: ACT ING! To quote a truly "famous" movie, "You want sympathy, look between "shit" and "syphilis" in the dictionary!"

I must say though, there is ONE good thing that came from this Korean wave: the rivalry between "Rain" and Steven Colbert. Aparently on Time magazine's list of most influential people in the world Steven Colbert has been at the top right behind Korean pop star, "Rain". I wish I knew how to put Youtube vids on here but I don't. You have to check it out though. The dance-off is classic! But I really like Colbert's song too. Hilarious! If he really wanted to zing "Rain" though, Colbert could find out what his name is in Korean. They spell it "Bi" but when most Koreans say it it sounds like "Pee". He anglicized it to "Rain" before going on tour in the States. A really good example of how finding out a little bit about the culture you are marketing your product in can help. Something not ALL Korean wavers have done according to the article in my next link.

Sadly, the Korean wave is in remission according to the latest reports. This last link is from a more serious article written by a guy named Pavin Chachavalpongpun. I don't know where he's from but it says he's based in Singapore. I'm gonna guess Thailand? If this guy hasn't been to Korea it is SCARY how well he knows the folks here! Enjoy.