Contributor
David Tizzard is a professor at Seoul Women’s University, holds a PhD in Korean Studies, and hosts the Korea Deconstructed podcast. He has lived and worked in Seoul for more than two decades. Reach him at datizzard@swu.ac.kr.
Korea is no stranger to revolution. Although many think of Korea as a very conservative culture, stuck in the past, and mired in tradition, the truth is very different. This is a country and people that have experienced incredible change over the past few decades. And during that time, much of the vision has been forward. Looking at the future and achieving the impossible.
Ask foreign students whether Korea is modern or not and you will get lots of different answers. Many will nod their heads and point to the first-class infrastructure and public transportation that safely whizzes them around the capital city with free WIFI. They will acknowledge the technology on display at every moment, from the gadgets people hold in their hands to the digital kiosks and delivery systems which provide citizens everything, from kimbap to cosmetics. Others however will be a little more apprehensive to call Korea modern and will cite worries about gender inequality, a lack of systemic protections for the gay community, general ignorance of trans issues and personal pronouns and pedagogical problems in the schools.
Le Sserafim performs its debut track, "Fearless," during a press event in Seoul, May 2. YonhapBy David A. TizzardStarting the recent EP from Le Ssefarim, I must confess I wasn't expecting to be greeted with dirty techno, Japanese lyrics, the word bitch in a single, and a chorus unashamedly declaring “I don't give a shit.” After all this is K-pop. However, it probably explains why the video had 16-year olds gyrating on the floor in sweaty clothes, but I'll leave the analysis of sexuality to others and stick to the music. This was the debut of Hybe's first girl group following their phenomenal success with BTS. I went into it with very low expectations having spent the past year being called racist and old for suggesting that “Dynamite” and “Butter” were derivative, bland, and middle-of-the-road. BTS' star power ensured that people talked about these songs, just like they did the Chicken McNuggets, but the tracks themselves were boring. Had they been released by the original songwriters, they would not have made any kind of impact on the music scene.
Courtesy of Dickson PhuaBy David A. TizzardWhat is a mother? Are there certain standards regarding age or socio-economic class that determine when it is acceptable or desirable to become a mother? Do these standards differ by country and over time? Finally, do Korean dramas have a responsibility to show us reality or fantasy? There will be various answers to all of these questions and it is for that reason that a popular television drama has the country debating what is acceptable in terms of television portrayals of motherhood. First, some context about Korean television and why we should differentiate between K-dramas and Korean dramas. K-dramas are international. They get hyped by the Netflix behemoth and have articles written about them in the NYT and Guardian. They are often very good and thus become part of the global zeitgeist, inspiring Halloween costumes and late-night comedy parodies. They can feature incredible violence, swearing, adult themes, transgender characters, and zombies. Like with K-pop, it might be argued that a large percentage of target audience for this conte
Courtesty of Elle MorreBy David A. TizzardTranscultural diffusion is real: ideas, technology, beliefs and styles move between cultures and nations all the time. Sometimes this diffusion is generated by expansion as powerful nations stretch outward, increasing their influence over a growing number of countries and peoples. Elsewhere, relocation diffusion sees individuals travelling abroad, creating diasporas, and bringing their cultures with them unconsciously in the lining of their coats. Social media has added an incredibly powerful dimension to these diffusions, moving ideas at breakneck speed and connecting similar classes and interests around the world. Social media has also had an incredibly damaging effect on societies and democracies however, exposing some of our worst human traits as influencers clamor for attention, outrage, and profits. More and more frequently, analyses of Korea project examples of American culture wars onto the country. Every few months, we'll get a spate of articles decrying the South Korean president-elect as Trump, men here as alt-right, and young peop
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, center, attends a parade to celebrate the 110th birth anniversary of its late founder Kim Il-sung, at the Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, April 15, in this photo provided by the North Korean government. AP-YonhapBy David A. TizzardAs someone who grew up in the 80s and 90s, I've generally understood human rights to be a good thing. Freedom of thought, freedom of movement, freedom of religion, and to not discriminate against people on a political, racial, gender, sexual, or class basis are good for us and the people around us. The basic ideology being that everyone's equal and deserves a fair crack of the whip. At the same time, I've been cognizant of the social construction of human rights and how some see them as a political tool. Nevertheless, when you throw aside all the tankie posturing, I would suggest most of us want to inhabit a society where we can travel freely without government interference. We want to live in a world where our thoughts and speech are not regulated by a Ministry of Ethics. We want to be free to call the god our
Courtesy of Memi BeltrameBy David A. TizzardMuch of modern politics and discourse has become a question of morality. When people vote, they are not simply expressing a preference over economic policy or the correct distribution of limited resources. Instead they are seen as taking a side in a Manichean battle of good versus evil. This environment has been fostered by social media and is reinforced daily by ideologues on the right and left. One of the reasons it has so successfully taken hold is because when things are a moral question, there is a simple and easy answer that doesn't require any deep contemplation or thought. There is no cognitive dissonance. There is no appreciation that most situations presented to us are highly complex and with no obvious answer. A more realistic perspective, however, would be that the world is, for the most part, gray. It is made up of squiggly lines that overlap and bleed into each other without clear demarcation. Moreover, there is no answer book nor any set procedure other than what we see as best for the current situation. And there's the rub.
Courtesy of OnnolaBy David A. TizzardThe slow cancellation of the future is an idea that echoed through Mark Fisher's work. It points to a condition in which life continues but time has somehow stopped. Cultural progress is halted. There is no longer any real or significant development taking place. Instead, we find ourselves repeating the past. Afraid of moving forward, we take refuge in yesterday. The 21st century is no longer characterized by innovative content but rather new technology. We are given 20th century products in high-resolution digital format, shared all around the world instantly: Chris Martin from Coldplay like you've never seen him before; Snoop Dog still stoned but now appearing alongside hyper-real K-pop groups to promote a country that will, somewhat ironically, put you in jail for even taking a puff of the stuff; the Fresh Prince of Bel Air dominating our media and still acting against all of his mom's wishes by getting into fights; Spiderman and Batman as box office trends, but now with added cultural diversity and a darker and more grittier realism than you'v
Courtesy of Kristian BjornardBy David A. TizzardWhen President Moon Jae-in came to power, there was a great deal of optimism about what he would achieve. Many people here felt the country was finally turning a corner and a man of the people would wrest control from out-of-touch elites and place it in the heart of those who had fought for democracy and freedom. President Moon seems like a decent man. He has led Korea with dignity on the world stage. He has earned the support of many citizens of this country. His approval ratings remain higher than any other Korean president leaving office. He has also had the unenviable task of leading the country's battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. To be the president in our age seems incredibly difficult. Social media has warped political discourse beyond recognition: Rumors, gossip, slander and just straight-up fake news fly around society with little-to-no accountability. Digital platforms are well aware that controversy and hatred garner more user interaction than nuance and thus emotions become a driving tool of conversation. Politics has be
gettyimagesbankBy David A. TizzardMany of us take democracy for granted, believing it to be the natural state of man or the logical progress of all and every society and culture around the world. Such beliefs, however, do not always conform to reality. Backsliding, single-party states, dictators and a whole host of other factors demonstrate that democracy is a variable rather than a fixed phenomenon. What was considered democratic practice in the past is no longer held so today. In the current age, states also differ in their degree of democracy. So how do we measure democracy? How do we know if we are living in a democratic society today? How and when did South Korea transition from a feudal slave society, through colonization and authoritarian military rule, to a country that has some of the OECD's finest democratic practices today in just over a century? It's an important yet obviously very difficult question. Nevertheless, while platitudes and stereotypes remain somewhat ingrained in many, I would suggest that in 2022 South Korea's democracy is a marvelous thing and now superior