Koreanization: The subtle transformation
Courtesy of Sandi Bendedicta
Koreanization is the process of adopting specific traits or behaviors rooted in Korean culture and society. Obviously, this transformation can occur through the pervasive influence of Korean popular culture, including makeup, music and films. BTS have encouraged countless people to pick up a Talk to Me in Korean textbook and learn the difference between “sarang” and “soltang.” The award-winning film “Parasite” prompted many to discover Bong Joon-ho’s filmography and influences. The endless supply of Korean Netflix content has people reaching for airplane tickets.
But Koreanization is about more than just the presence of Koreaboos in Southeast Asia or Oli London, wherever he is these days. Of course, it does mean that beauty shops in America now have whole sections dedicated to Korean products and “gochujang” is available to buy in Western Europe. But Koreanization also takes place at a deeper and more fundamental level after extended exposure to South Korean society. It is often characterized by subtle, subconscious changes in people's habits and mannerisms.
I see hundreds of international students from all over the world visit Korea for anywhere from 4 weeks to 4 years as part of their education. Some arrive with an incredible passion and knowledge of the country. Others are here because they couldn’t get to Japan or it just seemed like a cool holiday. But after their time in South Korea, they all leave influenced by the country to varying degrees. Some may become Koreanized as little as 0.0001%, finding the country and the culture not to their liking. Others will return home, or even stay, fully transformed by their time in a way of being so different from where they are from. Either way, a form of Koreanization has taken place.
After nearly twenty years here myself, it’s fair to say I’ve also become Koreanized to a certain degree. My own culture taught me to stand-up straight, look people in the eye, speak my mind, and be confident when expressing myself. As somewhat of an introvert more at home with books and music, these weren’t necessarily easy skills for me to learn, but because they conferred social advantages and cultural capital, I took them onboard. Coming to Korea gave me the complete opposite set of skills. In a sense it completed the set in that it showed me I had to sometimes make myself smaller in the presence of others, to listen and support rather than talk, to say I don’t know, and to bow with my eyes down. It’s not that one set of practices is better than the other, but rather they can complement each other. Providing the Yin to the Yang.
How it unfolds
Koreanization unfolds as individuals unconsciously incorporate Korean elements into their lives. The slow and subtle adjustments in dress, hair, makeup, and behavior to align with Korean cultural norms. The wardrobe that little more conservative, the hair bouncier, the make-up less harsh, the voice softer. The influence seeps in gradually as individuals navigate the streets of Korea, observing and emulating aspects of daily life such as fashion choices, preferred drinks, hangout spots, and even how to walk and (not) talk on the subway. It’s feeling safe while alone at night or knowing the concept of “maeum spacing” when leaving our expensive belongings unattended in cafes. It’s the search for 1+1 bundles and the dependence of iced Americanos even in the depths of winter. It’s instinctively lowering your head in greetings or handing things to friends using both hands.
Koreanization is ordering multiple dishes to share between you and your friends and not having something to yourself. Koreanization is visiting photo booths in groups and smiling. It’s singing with your friends in a Karaoke room. It’s those little grunts people make when communicating. The long higher higher-pitched ones used to say goodbye on the phone. The shorter and softer ones repeatedly used when arranging things on a desk or putting things in their correct place. Koreanization is the feeling that people are looking at you when you do the recycling. Being conscious of the stares in the office. It’s knowing “nunchi.” It’s saying “uri.”
Koreanization is also waiting for someone else to move. It’s a willingness to go with the flow rather than to assert one’s opinion. Koreanization is humility when discussing your skills and abilities. It’s showing deference to your seniors and adopting a certain conservativism in your actions around them. It’s the relationship with your professor and classmates. Koreanization is showing a great love for Japanese and Chinese cultural products and people while remaining conscious of the animosity that exists at a national level because of a violent history as yet largely unresolved at the psychological level.
Perhaps the pressure to conform and fit into a still largely homogeneous society pushes individuals toward assimilation. But sometimes it's not about blending in but instead driven by a natural human curiosity. It’s questioning and contemplating why Korean people adopt certain practices and what the results would be like if we were to do so. And for many, there appears to be an inherent allure in Korean culture and mannerisms. Is it the perceived cuteness of Korean mannerisms? Is it rooted in an orientalism and fetishization of Asian people, enticed by their perceived exoticness? Alternatively, is it instead a genuine appreciation for Korean traditional culture and values, driving a desire to become part of that culture?
Some of these behaviors may simply be the results of ingrained body programming, gradually fading over time. However, certain attitudes and habits that enhance efficiency or comfort are likely to stay with us even when we travel to other parts of the world. You’ll know this is true if you’ve ever been somewhere else and bowed at someone before slowly realizing you didn’t intend to do that. These cultural nuances become the latest export and contribute to the gradual Koreanization of other countries.
Beyond Westernization
In a somewhat paradoxical turn of events, Korea as a country and its citizens are also undergoing a process of Koreanization. Values and mannerisms are evolving here to align with the demands of the new society they've created. The once bustling and hectic atmosphere has given way to profound silences on subways while traditional behaviors like spitting and smoking have been replaced by contemporary alternatives such as vaping and engaging in activities like Pilates.
We have often been told to think of the world in terms of globalization, modernization, or Westernization. Cultural distribution and transformation were a one-way street. Things emanate from the core and permeate the periphery, sometimes seductively, other times violently. But such a model seems outdated now. The center cannot hold. We now inhabit a more liquid and flexible system of cultures, languages, identities and ethnicities. Korea has become an integral part of this new ecosystem and its influence on a growing number of individuals is evident if yet hard to measure or quantify in any reasonable way.
Dr. David A. Tizzard (datizzard@swu.ac.kr) has a Ph.D. in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He is a social-cultural commentator and musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He is also the host of the "Korea Deconstructed" podcast, which can be found online.