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By David A. Tizzard
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Tuesday was "420:" a day on which people gather to celebrate and consume cannabis in various parts of the world. It's both a holiday and a politically-charged event, as stoners and regular folk engage in a little bit of civil disobedience to try and enact legislative change.
There is no 420 culture of note in Korea and the possession or consumption of marijuana remain both illegal activities and strong social taboos. However, it is interesting to note the seemingly increased Korean-language media attention given to the topic, and the ways in which social media is facilitating a more open and democratized conversation on the topic.
For example, mainstream news organizations are now more regularly putting out media content addressing the issue. These are not videos in the dark corners of the Internet or personal vlogs (though there are an increasing number of those too); instead, they are those placed by mainstream broadcasters on their official social media channels and platforms.
Because of the nature of YouTube and the ability to freely leave comments, more and more citizens are now able to voice their opinions on the subjects of their choice. It is no longer a case of having to shout at the television screen at home; people are now able to talk to each other and express themselves. A certain degree of anonymity no doubt also helps.
From reading through these comments to get a sense of what's going on, there is no general consensus. One of the key lessons of any study of Korean culture and society is that it is far from monolith.
Nevertheless, it is interesting to see such conversations taking place. What was once extremely hush-hush has now apparently become something that some (at least) are willing to address. On YouTube in April, there has been a whole host of Korean content covering marijuana in various ways, ranging from news of: legalization, international arrests, discussions, and celebrity involvement.
The South Korean news channel, JTBC, had a seven-minute piece on Mexico's recent decision to legalize recreational marijuana. The YouTube clip in Korean has had nearly 12,000 views and over 300 comments in a month.
A YTN broadcast last Wednesday covering a Spanish marijuana bust has nearly 40,000 views in less than 2 days. The fact that the perpetrators were of Chinese descent seems to have prompted a great deal of negative engagement on that particular video.
On April 1st, television personality Daniel Lindemann spoke in Korean while covering the pros and cons of marijuana in his "Wiseman" series for YTN News. He covers the legality of marijuana around the world, its medicinal uses, and warns of its effects on one's emotional and psychological health.
The conclusion of that particular video was that, because of the high level of social cohesion and prevailing attitudes, it is not the correct time to be discussing the legalization of marijuana in Korea ― he said while discussing that very thing. The video has nearly 70,000 views in 3 weeks and 700 comments, all in Korean, all debating the issue reasonably underneath.
I briefly covered the history of marijuana in Korea in my column last October, but far too many here still remain in the dark on certain specifics. For example, medicinal marijuana has been legalized in South Korea for a few years now. And despite it being the first country in Asia to do so, few know about this. It rarely, for example, features in any of the above comment sections.
A YouTube video uploaded 6 months ago by Subusu News, titled, "Legal Cannabis Plantations in Korea," therefore explores the only place it is legal to grow cannabis in South Korea: the "Free Hemp Control Areas" of Andong City. These locations have been permitted to plant and grow hemp for medical purposes.
The video explores the pros and cons of using CBD to treat various ailments, and has some nuanced views and informed talking heads. The video has received over half a million views and 2,000 comments in the relatively short time that it's been online.
Alongside medicinal cannabis, it is also important that people are aware of its legality. With all the talk of Canada and Colorado now making it perfectly legal to smoke there, many young Koreans don't realize it's still illegal for them to smoke it in those places.
Korea uses extraterritorial jurisdiction and expects its citizens to abide by Korean law (particularly vis-a-vis marijuana and gambling) irrespective of where they are in the world. For Korean people, it is not a case of "When in Rome," but rather, "You are always in Seoul."
When I inform young university students of how Korean law applies to Korean citizens extraterritorially, many look back with disbelief, incomprehension, or a frantic realization that they should probably delete some of their old social media posts from their time spent backpacking around Europe.
The key point again here, however, is about the access to information and the possibility for discussion. It's not my position to tell Korean people or the legal system what they should or should not think about when it comes to marijuana. Yet, I do hope that young (and old) people don't needlessly find themselves in trouble, simply due to the lack of information.
In that sense, it is very interesting to see more and more Korean-language discussion on the topic taking place on social media platforms. This debate, I think, points to the true democratization of ideas and content.
Social media can be a purveyor of fake news, agitation, hyperbole, and polarization. But it can also allow people to read, listen, and discuss a whole new variety of issues that would previously have remained very far away from them. This opportunity for discussion then allows them to make more informed decisions, enlightened choices, and hopefully avoid any unnecessary mistakes or incidents.
Oh yeah, and vaccines. Can we get some of those here soon please?
Dr. David A. Tizzard (datizzard@swu.ac.kr) has a Ph.D. in Korean Studies. He is a social/cultural commentator and musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. The views expressed in the article are the author's own and do not reflect the editorial direction of The Korea Times.
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