The Korea Times

Korean dramas vs K-dramas: What is a mother?

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

Apr 30, 2022By David A. Tizzard

Korean dramas vs K-dramas: What is a mother?

Opinion

The Korean kids are alt-right

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

Apr 23, 2022By David A. Tizzard

Opinion

Is Kim Jong-un progressive?

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

Apr 16, 2022By David A. Tizzard

Opinion

Korean grand narratives: the problem of ideology

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.

Apr 9, 2022By David A. Tizzard

Korean grand narratives: the problem of ideology

Opinion

Mark Fisher and stagnation of K-pop

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

Apr 2, 2022By David A. Tizzard

Opinion

Moon, Yoon and a load of crackers

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

Mar 26, 2022By David A. Tizzard

Opinion

The beauty of Korean democracy

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

Mar 19, 2022By David A. Tizzard

Opinion

I'm a feminist

Courtesy of Tima MiroshnichenkoBy David A. TizzardI grew up in the U.K. with Elizabeth II as queen and Margaret Thatcher as prime minister. My family was also matriarchal as our grandmother presided over a large collection of cousins, aunties, and relatives. Therefore, throughout my years of development, it was second nature for me to see women in positions of power and influence. In that sense, I was very lucky. I didn't have to rationalize anything nor did it take any moment of moral enlightenment. I wasn't born benevolent or possessing any natural abilities; instead, my environment and the social climate shaped my understanding of people, power and gender.Since then, I've spent 15 years working at Seoul Women's University. There I've listened, learned, taught and communicated with thousands of young Korean adults. I've helped countless Korean women, in what little way I can, enter graduate school, move abroad, get jobs, obtain internships, and generally succeed at life. Pushing them up and beyond their current status as much as possible. Having grown up seeing women as leaders and

Mar 12, 2022By David A. Tizzard

Opinion

The pandemic's psychological effects on Korean youth

gettyimagesbankBy David A. TizzardTry explaining Confucianism to someone. Or how Korean people will often instinctively become aware of the hierarchy in a room and know where to position themselves, what language to use, and who to defer to. Try conveying the feeling carried by the scars and trauma of Japanese colonization and the anti-Chinese sentiment that gets whipped up sporadically. And then how Korea's journey toward modernization and democracy has demanded many individuals quieten their own identity and dreams. Has the economic and cultural success been worth it? And what of that cultural success: why are large swathes of the world going nuts over hyper-sexualized and overly-choreographed Korean idol groups?None of these is easy to answer. They are difficult questions and don't lend themselves to explanations in a tweet. They require exploration, nuance, dialectical interactions, questions, challenges, humility and sensitivity. And then you still might not get close to coming up with an answer that satisfies everyone. Korean studies is a brilliant field to explore. It's never

Mar 5, 2022By David A. Tizzard

The pandemic's psychological effects on Korean youth

Opinion

Jang Gi-ha's 'Levitating': Experiments in minimalism

Courtesy of DooRooDooRoo Artist CompanyBy David A. TizzardI've been listening to music for 40 years. Once you get that long in the tooth, you start realizing that you've heard most of the ways people can get from A to B over a chord progression. The next big thing dominating the headlines immediately reminds you of that group that was kind of popular 20 twenty years ago. The big summer hit leans heavily on a melody from an 80s rock number. The number one song we all have to listen to is either a direct sample or a duet with an aging wrinkly making moves for the Tik Tok generation. Basically it becomes hard to find something new. To find something new and good even harder.There's something unmistakable about Jang Gi-ha's voice. It's instantly recognizable: not only in tone but also in the syncopation and rhythms. The amount of syllables he puts into each bar is ridiculous. Triplets give the voice bursts of speed and forward momentum. His use of inflections and techniques normally only heard in spoken Korean are also emphasized frequently. You will hear sharp intakes of breath, you hav

Feb 26, 2022By David A. Tizzard

David A. Tizzard

Read more

Korean dramas vs K-dramas: What is a mother?

The Korean kids are alt-right

Is Kim Jong-un progressive?

Korean grand narratives: the problem of ideology

Mark Fisher and stagnation of K-pop

Moon, Yoon and a load of crackers

The beauty of Korean democracy

I'm a feminist

The pandemic's psychological effects on Korean youth

Jang Gi-ha's 'Levitating': Experiments in minimalism

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