The Korea Times

Korean democracy and its silent death

Today’s young people are incredibly opinionated. They have a whole range of views on gender, nursing strikes, Park Chung-hee, China, Japan, and much much more. What’s interesting is that when you take the time to talk to the young people of Korea, you find that their answers are varied, complex, and defy easy categorization. There is a huge silent majority out there, young adults who vote, study, work part-time jobs, and pay taxes. And yet, you will likely never hear from them.

Mar 24, 2024By David A. Tizzard

Opinion

Why you don't have friends in Korea

My daughter was jumping around the room, happy she was going to play with the girl next door. I looked at her and asked simply, “Your friend is coming round later. Are you happy?” Without missing a beat, she stared up at me and replied, “Daddy. She’s not my friend. She’s my Unnie.”

Mar 16, 2024By David A. Tizzard

Opinion

Karina and capitalism of parasocial K-pop relationships

“Do you think BTS will get back together?” I innocently asked one of my students this week after she introduced herself as a fan of the group. Her reaction was something else. She went quiet, looked down, and then burst into tears. But this wasn’t a quiet sob. And there was nothing performative about her behavior. It was an outpouring of genuine grief played out in front of a large lecture hall of people she was meeting for the first time. The effect of K-pop idols on people is real. My understanding of what questions can and can’t be asked is increasing by the day.

Mar 14, 2024By David A. Tizzard

Karina and capitalism of parasocial K-pop relationships

Opinion

Time to look back at Korea's history

One of the most contentious issues to discuss here in Northeast Asia is not feminism, it's not mental health, nor is it politics. It's history. In Korea, it is the kind of thing for which there is an overarching grand narrative to which one is expected to bend the knee and brook no dissent. And while you will find a whole host of articles, webtoons, Netflix dramas and YouTube videos exploring issues of gender and sexuality from a wide range of perspectives and playing a very critical role in brokering important discussions, history is often left under-represented. And there are reasons for this.

Mar 4, 2024By David A. Tizzard

Opinion

Hauntology: the ghosts of Korean trauma

Any reader of my column will recognize that I have a largely positive view of Korea, its people and its society. I recently categorized the nation as "antifragile" because it has not only continually demonstrated the quality of being able to overcome great adversity, it has also achieved remarkable success. While other nations might have succumbed to the lingering effects of colonization, civil war, and military dictatorship, Korea has fought its way through them and achieved a series of revolutions (economic, political and cultural) to establish itself as a place of relative luxury, freedom and desire.

Feb 10, 2024By David A. Tizzard

Opinion

The death of 'Han'

This week I received a request from a friend and professor in the United States: “Can I please explain the concept of ‘han,’ particularly how it manifests in contemporary society and the benefits it provides to the community.” Korea clearly continues to fascinate many people around the world and a lot of them are looking for the secret code or key to understanding why Korean people are the way they are, why their K-dramas resonate the way they do, and why their favourite idol’s eyes linger on screen a little more than is comfortable. Could it be than this is all due to ‘han’? Certainly we are no strangers to articles and YouTube videos declaring “How Squid Game Reflects Korean People’s Unique Sense of Han” or “Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite Shows the Economic Han of Modern Korea.”

Feb 4, 2024By David A. Tizzard

Opinion

Korea is antifragile

Modern society and the online world present us with many success stories. Yet we generally only see the aftermath of this success. We see the tree reaching to the sky, but the roots that made the growth possible remain invisible. Let me start with a story of personal failure.

Jan 27, 2024By David A. Tizzard

Opinion

Can Korea have an ethnic revolution?

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.

Jan 20, 2024By David A. Tizzard

Opinion

Understanding Korean Modernization

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.

Sep 23, 2023By David A. Tizzard

Opinion

Le Sserafim: Whisper-pop techno

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.

May 7, 2022By David A. Tizzard

David A. Tizzard

Read more

Korean democracy and its silent death

Why you don't have friends in Korea

Karina and capitalism of parasocial K-pop relationships

Time to look back at Korea's history

Hauntology: the ghosts of Korean trauma

The death of 'Han'

Korea is antifragile

Can Korea have an ethnic revolution?

Understanding Korean Modernization

Le Sserafim: Whisper-pop techno

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