Park Jin-hai primarily focuses on K-dramas, entertainment shows and actor interviews. Beyond that, she also pens articles covering the broader arts scene, with a particular emphasis on classical music, dance and various aspects of lifestyle. Since joining The Korea Times in 2013, she has made significant contributions in the realms of hallyu (Korean wave), industry news and international affairs.
Hallyu fervor rekindled in Japan amid diplomatic row
BTS accepts the Worldwide Icon of the Year award during the 2018 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) in Saitama, Japan, Wednesday. / Courtesy of CJ ENM
By Park Jin-hai
By Park Jin-hai
The 2018 MAMA Mnet Asian Music Awards held at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan, Wednesday, was the place where hallyu, which had hit hard but then entered the doldrums after a 2012 diplomatic row, remained strong in Japan.
Despite the recent political hostilities between the two surrounding South Korea's Supreme Court ruling in October in favor of four Korean victims of forced labor during World War II; and controversy involving BTS and Japan's ultra-nationalist and far-right extremist group's threat of anti-Korean protests; experts say that the newly rekindled hallyu, “neo-hallyu” or the third-generation hallyu, can go beyond the politics, because it is different from the past phenomenon.
“We see the third generation hallyu in Japan began in 2017. Many people in the industry say the current Korean wave phenomenon is really beyond imagination,” said Hwang Seon-hye, director of the Korea Creative Content Agency's Japan Business Center, during a forum in Seoul, Thursday.
Hallyu in Japan has been heavily swayed by the sensitive political landscape between Seoul and Tokyo. First generation hallyu in Japan ignited with the drama “Winter Sonata” aired on NHK in 2003, and peaked around 2011 and 2012 thanks to dramas such as “You're Beautiful,” and K-pop artists including TVXQ, Kara and Girls' Generation, dubbed the second-generation hallyu in Japan. But the mood quickly froze following the visit to Dokdo by former President Lee Myung-bak. Anti-Korea fever soared and some Korean stars were refused entry into Japan.
Hwang says young people in their teens and 20s who think Korea culture and fashion are cool and consume Korean items are the center of neo-hallyu in Japan.
“In the first and second waves of hallyu, the trade was one-dimensional, exporting Korean content to Japanese buyers. But the newest hallyu is more about physical objects,” she said.
In a survey on the most talked about words among middle and high school students, girl group TWICE ranked first in the “people” category in 2017, and in 2018, BTS placed second while Black Pink ranked fourth.
Korean Dakgalbi (spicy fried chicken) topped the list and Korea's white milk facial cream ranked third in the objects category in 2017. This year, the cheese hot dog, a localized version of the Korean-style hot dog sold on the “Korean street” in Sinjuku as a popular snack topped the list.
“The cheese dog is a localized snack that is promoted as representative of Korean foods. With the younger generation sharing photos of them eating it, the food has become a big hit in Japan,” said Hwang.
She says K-pop's current popularity in Japanese youngsters is important for its future implications. “According to the New York Times, one's musical preference is decided at the age of 13 for girls and 14 for boys. This is why current K-pop teenage fans are so important.”
Also Korean musicians such as TWICE have been regarded as a “safe culture” for all generations, she says. “TWICE is cute and offers safe content. They are like the Doraemon character, giving hope and dreams. When little children and teens cover their signature TT dance, mothers aren't repulsed by it,” said Hwang.
Lee Moon-won, a culture critic, says hallyu in Japan revolving around teens and those in their 20s is deep seated and gaining more steam. He says he attributes third generation hallyu to those mothers who brought about the first generation hallyu.
“When those middle-aged Japanese women were excited about Bae Yong-jun in 'Winter Sonata,' Japan's entertainment insiders said the hallyu fervor was limited to that specific generation, who had been marginalized socially and culturally. Then they stopped the analysis, brushing it off,” said the critic. “But the phenomenon didn't end there. Those children, who have seen their mothers actively consuming Korean dramas, have developed an affection for Korean content and become strong hallyu content consumers.”