BLACKPINK, Britain, and Bases
By David Tizzard
Rather than a tale of cities, this week in South Korea we've seen a tale of two embassies. For one it has certainly been close to the best of times; for the other, most definitely the worst.
On Monday evening, citizens who have sacrificed much while social distancing, enduring economic hardships, the loss of physical contact with loved ones, and the stress of having young children largely unable to go to school, looked on aghast as footage came out of a party at an American military base which showed hundreds of people dancing and laughing without masks or any other of the recommended protections.
The video was particularly galling as South Korea's daily numbers have been steadily rising amid fears from health officials that it could reach record highs in the coming days. Na Seong-woong, deputy commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, remarked that because the latest wave is not limited to a specific region, location, or event, it's far harder to control through the relatively previous successful methods of focused testing and isolating those at risk.
The video from Camp Humphreys' Flightline Tap Room of a packed party full of people with alcohol and no masks was an ill-timed shock. The following day, reports emerged that similar events had been taking place at Osan Air Base as well.
In response, the United States Force Korea (USFK) has closed both facilities and reaffirmed its commitment to COVID-19 mitigation measures as well as to the Korean people. But, as the local proverb goes, it does feel a little like fixing the fence after the cow has already run away.
To compound matters for the United States, reports then emerged from Newstapa on Wednesday that dioxin, a group 1 carcinogen, has been detected at the Yongsan military base previously inhabited by American forces but set to be returned to South Korea in the near future. The discovery and reports of dioxin at the base (which is in a prime downtown location in Seoul) comes after the same carcinogen was detected at a military site in Busan that was returned four years ago and at Camp Market in Incheon's Bupyeong district. Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho did not make “The Host” without good reason.
Camp Eagle and Camp Long in Wonju were returned to South Korea in December last year and the Moon administration has pressed the US to expedite the handover of as many as 26 American military installations while President Trump makes outlandish claims about defense costs in the region.
These developments once again raise the rather contentious issue of the American presence in South Korea. Some see the 28,500 troops here as a mark of imperialism and representative of the lack of sovereignty of the South Korean people, hindering the inter-Korean peace process through its installation of the THAAD missile defense system and pursuit of quashing communism. Others see the US as a great supporter of Korean freedom, democracy, economic development and human rights that would have otherwise been lost in a turbulent and often authoritarian Northeast Asian region.
The conversation is obviously a complex and complicated one, particularly for a post-colonial state like South Korea that has focused on nation building and the construction of an ethno-nationalist narrative while it battles for legitimacy both at home and abroad. Nevertheless, it's healthy and vital for discussions to take place about the ROK-U.S. relationship despite how difficult they might be.
Another country that's no stranger to imperialism and which has had just as long a presence in the region is the United Kingdom. In terms of their relations with Korea, this has been a far better week.
Son Heung-min continues to set the English Premier League alight with his blistering pace and clinical finishing. His goal in the North London derby against Arsenal last week was breathtaking, and he has established himself as one of the top performers in the league, if not the world.
BLACKPINK have also cemented an incredibly strong position in the United Kingdom. British Vogue declared the quartet “the biggest K-pop girl band on the planet” and in July they temporarily held the honor of being the South Korean act with the most ever songs inside the U.K.'s top 40 when How You Like That debuted at number 11.
In a strange parallel to the conversation elsewhere about chemicals on American military bases, British Ambassador to the ROK Simon Smith tweeted on Wednesday that they were delighted to be working with BLACKPINK and YG Entertainment to promote a greater conversation on environmental awareness ahead of the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) which will be held in Glasgow in November. BLACKPINK also released a video produced in conjunction with the British Embassy in Korea in which the four members declared their support for greater global awareness, learning, and participation.
Key to the message being delivered was that while Lisa, Jenny, Rose, and Jisoo were not experts, they were embarking on a journey of discovery and encouraged others around the world to join them. The hashtag being used in support is #ClimateActionInYourArea.
If you're anything like me, you will have just said that hashtag out loud in the distinctive and catchy way that has characterized many of the group's hits from “Boombayah,” “So Hot,” “As If It's Your Last,” and “Kill this Love.”
This is obviously a global issue (climate action, not saying the catchphrase) and should be framed as such, but for the U.K. Embassy to be working with YG Entertainment and one of the world's biggest groups is a marvelous thing to see ― particularly when it addresses such an important topic. Bonds of community, cooperation, and friendship can be fostered to help make the world a better place, not only for us but for those who will inherit it in the future.
The past week should not be a reflection of the entirety of Korean relations with either the U.K. or the U.S.: They are far more complex. However, it should, or could, perhaps suggest one thing to us.
We can, if we try, move finally towards a post-Cold War world: a world not framed by military movements, troop locations, chemical deployment, or ideological antagonisms.
We can visualize a world that is shaped by shared interests, cultural exchange, sports, arts, music, diversity, and love. I'm sure even John Lennon, as cynical as he sometimes was, would agree with that.
It might not be easy, but we can at least try. And with BLACKPINK's 54.5 million YouTube subscribers, 32.6 million Instagram followers, and 17 million Spotify followers, the conversation might finally take off.
Dr. David Tizzard (datizzard@swu.ac.kr) has a Ph.D. in Korean Studies and is an assistant professor at Seoul Women's University. He discusses the week's hottest issues on TBS eFM (101.3FM) on "Life Abroad" live every Thursday from 9:35 a.m. to 10 a.m.