Hallyu is evolving in Egypt
Mohamed Sabreen
They celebrate life, not death, family, not the individual and participation, not isolation. Their laughter and voices are audible. These are Koreans in the eyes of Egyptians.
Korea is always present in Egyptian discussions, and it usually begins with the question, "Why can't we be like Korea?" We started the journey in the same '60s, and they were able to achieve the impossible, it is a miracle, and they prove to the world that the East rises again like the phoenix. We are proud of their success, and we consider it our success, because it is our path to the future.
This deep passion probably explains what has become known as hallyu, or the Korean wave, which has reached the Middle East and is being embraced by Egyptians. Surprisingly, Koreans have quickly begun to respond and revive the ancient ties of the Korean Silla Kingdom with the Arab world. I think that Egypt has gained a "distinguished friend" on its journey toward the future, and in return, Korea is betting on Egypt as a "pivotal state" and the gateway to the Arab world and Africa and one of the leaders of the Global South. Things may seem normal, but they suggest that "things are not as usual" in the story of a strategic partnership, but more importantly, it is a love story that is being formed, driven by a civilizational stock and a desire to present a humane vision for a world that has been exhausted by Western civilization with its selfishness, arrogance and endless wars.
I think that when nations achieve success, they start to trust what they hold dear, which is their vision of life, their history, their lifestyle, their food and their music. The Middle East is witnessing a huge obsession with the boy band BTS, and this was evident in the opening of a store in Dubai last September selling everything related to the band. The crowds that the store witnessed are one of the features of the phenomenon of the obsession of young people and adolescents not only with this band or K-pop but also with Korean culture in general.
Surprisingly, my interlocutor in Korea told me that it all started with their successful hosting of the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. At that moment, they said, "We have succeeded. Now we can proudly go out to the world and present our culture, history, food and music."
Now, they want to make their hosting of the Asia-Pacific Summit a unique event, another glimpse into the world, and introduce Gyeongju, which served as the Silla Kingdom's capital for over 1,000 years. Gyeongju is located in the southeastern corner of the Korean Peninsula. Since the seventh century, Gyeongju has become a trading center of the Korean Peninsula, which led to the arrival of merchants by land and sea from the Western and Eastern regions of the Silk Roads, such as China, the Arabian Peninsula and Japan. Thus, Gyeongju became a major center of the Silk Roads and played a valuable role in the field of diverse cultural exchanges. Today, they want it to give a boost to their soft power in the future.
The ever-closer relationship between Korea and Egypt is significant for both countries in the realms of business growth, development and security.
The Egyptian ambassador to Korea, Khaled Abdelrahman, draws an ambitious road map for the future, which includes, among others, increasing Korean investments to $20 billion and establishing a Korean electric car factory.
If we go back to what flows in the river of relations between the two peoples, there are many stories that clearly reflect that ideas, feelings and dialogue of civilizations find their way without permission, including the story of Jihad Al-Barai, the first influencer to spread Korean art in Egypt.
Nine years ago, Jihad Al-Barai was watching a Korean historical series. She became attached to it and was influenced by Korean culture and life, so she decided to study the Korean language and delve into art and music, until the 27-year-old Egyptian, who holds a bachelor's degree in art education and a diploma in Arabic calligraphy, became the first influencer to spread traditional Korean art by linking it to Arabic calligraphy in Egypt.
For her part, Korea.net's honorary correspondent Alaa Amin tells her story, saying, "As a 20-year-old girl, I got to know Korea through Korean drama, or what is known as 'K-drama,' which was shown on Arab satellite channels such as MBC 3, which showed many Korean series such as 'Boys Over Flowers,' 'Heartstrings,' 'Special Taste,' and others. But when I watched them, I was not satisfied with them, and fortunately, I had (social media) and the internet, and I started watching and following the works of the actors I loved, then the language, culture and thinking, and I became one of the most avid followers of Korean dramas and culture, and then my passion also moved to Korean bands, or what is known as K-pop."
Egyptians usually look to Europe, America and the Gulf countries for living, education, work and the latest fashion and cosmetics. However, a new reality is taking shape. Korea has become a new destination for Egyptian youth, and now we see Egyptians arriving in Korea, living and working there and speaking Korean fluently.
Surprisingly, conservative Egyptian families felt safe sending their daughters to study, work and live in Korea. During my last visit to Korea, I was pleasantly surprised to find that a friend's niece had been living in Seoul for 11 years after receiving her doctorate from Korea. Two colleagues asked me to explore the opportunities for their children to obtain advanced studies in the field of medicine. One of them wants to study plastic surgery, and the other wants to study dentistry. I know that there are great efforts being made by some senior Egyptian doctors to establish a huge Korean hospital in Egypt, and attempts to establish a Korean university for information technology and future sciences.
The funny thing is, my women colleagues at the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies surprised me with a sudden question after a long talk about my visit to Korea, who I met, my impressions and the relations between Egypt and Korea. The question was: "Did you bring Korean cosmetics with you for your wife and daughter?" I told them, "Yes, but why?" They answered amid their laughter, "Don't you know that Korean cosmetics are the best and cheapest?" At that moment, I realized that the Korean wave is spreading in Egypt through various aspects of Egyptians' lives, and that we are only in the beginning stage.
For almost 24 years, Korean journalist, traveler and writer Cherry (Lee Yeon-sil) has been communicating with friends and citizens in more than 200 countries around the world. I was lucky to be one of her friends. She told me, "Arab culture is the key to understanding human history. The Arab world has been at the center of the world for a long time. If somebody does not know Arab culture, this means he or she does not know half of human history. Arab culture and history have developed humanity." It is a wonderful story. She said, "Before the Korean wave in the 20th century, in the past, there was a long Arab craze in human history. I hope that the descendants of these two civilizations will become more and more extraordinary, like the phoenix of the desert." As Cherry said, "I love the Arab culture." So, we do love the Korean wave.
As we look to the future, Egypt and Korea's bond goes beyond just diplomacy — it's rooted in shared experiences, cultural exchanges and a bright future.
Mohamed Sabreen is the managing editor of Al-Ahram newspaper. He is an expert in international affairs and the Middle East. Sabreen is also a writer for Al-Ahram Weekly and United World International Center.