DOCSLIB.ORG

The Hallyu Influence. K-POP on Foreign Lands

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Hallyu Influence. K-POP on Foreign Lands Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-3, Issue-1, 2017 ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in The Hallyu Influence. K-POP on Foreign Lands Alexandra Elissa Necula Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea Abstract : The Korean Wave, also known as Hallyu, reason, the current paper plans on studying some represents a strong cultural manifest coming from aspects related to the perception of the Korean Wave South Korea. The movement recently began to slowly, (Hallyu) in the case of foreign individuals. But, but certainly penetrate global markets in various Hallyu itself includes a wide range of Korean ways. The most popular manner is K-Pop, Korean cultural products, the most famous being music (K- music, which has become a manifest itself, especially pop), and drama (K-drama). So, an attempt to since foreign individuals seem to not always relate it analyze all of these issues or even several requires an to Hallyu; actually, the tendency is to separate the elaborate research plan, for which reason it is better two concepts. Still, as previous research on the topic to treat each aspect individually. Thus, this research shows, overseas popularity of Hallyu and K-Pop is will be dealing with Korean music (K-Pop), and the not as high as desired, and has many weaknesses. way it is perceived internationally, with an aim of Regarding foreign markets, especially non-Asian better understanding how non-Asian publics are ones, previous research seems lacking. For this receiving not only the musical part, but the whole reason, the current study was conducted, in order to manifest in general. K-Pop, as defined by the Korean provide a starting point for future research about Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2011, targeted overseas markets. As the results show, there represents “Korean pop music sung and performed are many aspects that require attention and by Korean artists and received positively by improvements. The aim of this paper is to explain international fans”iv. Also, in order to not leave any where those weaknesses occur, and, if combined with room for confusions, a clear distinction between the other aspects, how things can be improved in order concepts of ‘Hallyu’ and ‘K-pop’ has been made to better promote K-Pop and Hallyu in general. while conducting the study. As the possibility that the two may be known individually, but without any Key words: Hallyu, Korean Wave, K-Pop, Korean relation to the other has been taken into music, culture exchange, overseas markets consideration, the concepts have be treated differently as research questions, in order to determine if and how respondents relate them. The 1. Introduction study will be analyzing foreign consumers’ attitudes towards K-Pop and the Korean wave. The purpose is The Korean Wave is probably one of the most to provide information on foreign markets, so that important cultural manifests related to South Korea. the manifest can be improved if necessary. It has managed to make the country famous in Also, as Chang and Park well observed, “the various aspects in international lands. The Korean major reason that Hallyu has been popularized even Wave itself is a complicated concept that includes in places farther away from Korea, like Europe and several cultural issues; according to Kim (2007) “the Latin America, is that creators and users can easily term ‘Korean wave’ as used in today’s Korean share their creations and feedback in the virtual society, generally refers to the exports of local i space of the Internet […] the Internet plays a cultural products to overseas markets” . Regarding significant role in connecting fans and Hallyu”v. This what exactly is included in the concept, Chang and makes Internet the main ‘tool’ for reaching potential Park (2012) provide a more specific definition, foreign consumers, not only for immediate stating that “the Korean wave or Hallyu refers to promotion of Hallyu, but also for study in the matter, Korean music, drama, film, and even fashion and in order to contribute to better strategies for long- cuisine that have swept the world since the late ii term objectives of the movement. Thus, researchers 1990s” . should keep in mind the existence and importance of As Chang and Park have already mentioned, the the Internet as a connecting channel between manifest found its way outside national borders producers and publics, and use it to its full potential starting with the late 1990s, which makes it not only when conducting analyses related to the Korean a recent issue, but also explains the continuously Wave and everything that it implies, from music and growing attention that it receives in present days. film, to fashion and traditions. Still, as Kim mentions, Hallyu is somehow restricted to Asian markets, representing “the popularity of Korean popular culture in the Asian region, led by countries like China, Taiwan and Japan”iii. For this Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 295 Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-3, Issue-1, 2017 ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in 2. Literature review Another issue with K-Pop and attempted ‘mixtures’ comes with the songs’ lyrics, where most Due to the lack of previous research on this exact producers do their best to combine the main Korean topic, the starting point for this paper is represented lyrics with English expressions, in an attempt to by other means of studying the relation between K- better reach foreign consumers. The usage of English pop and the Hallyu. in Korean songs does have its benefits and might Firstly, since the manifest has been growing lead to a better reception by foreigners; as Yang well states, “for the recent ascendancy of K-pop to rapidly in recent years, it is interesting to observe xi how the original meaning behind it has transformed continue, the use of English lyrics is inevitable” , into a business, especially in the case of K-Pop, since but the ways in which those words or expressions are this is the most popular part of the Korean Wave used is equally important, if not more important. In overseas. Supporting this idea, Park and Lee (2014) this sense, problems occur with changes in English language when English language is utilized under give a ‘business’ definition of the term while stating “ the rules of the Korean structure xii, and, probably that “K-pop music is considered to be planned ” products through a very comprehensive systematic more troublesome, the low intelligibility that vi producers manage to create in relation to their production by major entertainment companies” . As a result, the Korean Government has started English ‘preferences’, as “the familiarity of the single words is the main factor for local involving itself in the development and promotion of xiii the manifest in overseas markets; the purposes are of intelligibility” ; the result of this method (using economic nature, making Hallyu into an instrument English words while considering only locals’ perspectives) is, Yang continues, that when those that causes the government to start “collaborating “ vii single words conform to Korean structure, the with the business sector” . Thus, in order to obtain intelligibility of the lyrics to Korean people is high these financial benefits, “the Korean government xiv picked up on this phenomenon fairly quickly and however international intelligibility is low” . All in went on a nationalistic campaign to promote Hallyu all, as Yang concludes, applying the Korean structure in different ways. However, there is some concern to English language, even in short, one-word that, in doing so, it is threatening to hinder the situations, can lead to serious comprehension issues viii mostly for foreigners, but, sometimes, even for locals. potential of the movement” . As a result of this Originally, Hallyu s main purpose was that of ‘premature’ and ‘profitable’ involvement of the ’ government, the manifest itself might meet some making South Korea known to the whole world by obstacles while penetrating foreign markets, and, it “focusing on enhancing cultural exchanges with other countries xv (Kwon and Chai, 2005). Problems the worst case, it might actually lead to its ‘death’ by ” putting too much financial pressure on a movement started to occur ever since the products of the that is meant to be mainly cultural. movement have been given what Kwon and Chai call But the economic aspect of the matter seems to “stereotyped stories” and “uniformed contents”; this be only one of the problems encountered by K-Pop resulted in issues with foreign publics, as they began and the Korean Wave in general. As Unger (2015) giving more value to “the characteristics and marks of the format xvi , simply because they cannot well observes, “K-pop emulates this girl group ” aesthetics from Western pop music videos, but then actually understand the language; this applies to K- adds its own Korean cultural femininity to the Pop more than anything, because we are talking about music, where the content is the most representations it embraces creating what I call “K- important; foreigners do not comprehend the lyrics, pop pastiche”. Thus, these videos are also a site of so it is normal that they form their opinions about the “transnational cultural exchange” of hybridity, everything based on the format, the only aspect they whereby “they may be consumed in transnational or trans-Asian markets, but their production is can observe, analyze, and relate to. Neglecting the ix content in favor of a format that is meant to raise the nationally branded” . For example, in the case of popularity of Korean products and culture overseas ‘sexy’ choreography with Western roots that K-Pop tends to approach when constructing its may backfire in the end and affect the movement in a negative manner.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Effective Evangelistic Strategies for North Korean Defectors (Talbukmin) in South Korea
    ABSTRACT Effective Evangelistic Strategies for North Korean Defectors (Talbukmin) in South Korea South Korean churches eagerness for spreading the gospel to North Koreans is a passion. However, because of the barriers between the two Koreas, spreading the Good News is nearly impossible. In the middle of the 1990’s, numerous North Koreans defected to China to avoid starvation. Many South Korean missionaries met North Koreans directly and offered the gospel along with necessities for survival in China. Since the early of 2000’s, many Talbukmin have entered South Korea so South Korean churches have directly met North Koreans and spread the gospel. However, the fruits of evangelism are few. South Korean churches find that Talbukmin are very different from South Koreans in large part due to the sixty-year division. South Korean churches do not know or fully understand the characteristics of the Talbukmin. The evangelism strategies and ministry programs of South Korean churches, which are designed for South Koreans, do not adapt well to serve the Talbukmin. This research lists and describes the following five theories to be used in the development of the effective evangelistic strategies for use with the Talbukmin and for use to interpret the interviews and questionnaires: the conversion theory, the contextualization theory, the homogenous principle, the worldview transformation theory, and the Nevius Mission Plan. In the following research exploration of the evangelization of Talbukmin in South Korea occurs through two major research agendas. The first agenda is concerned with the study of the characteristics of Talbukmin to be used for the evangelists’ understanding of the depth of differences.
    [Show full text]
  • Guide to Communication for Social Integration Between North and South Koreans Table of Contents
    Guide to Communication for Social Integration Between North and South Koreans Table of Contents Introduction 2 Importance of History 4 Perceptions and Thoughts on North Korean People 6 To Live as Neighbors 16 (Methods and Recommendations on Achieving Successful Communication to Live as Neighbors) Introduction During the first half of 2019, Misunderstandings and conflict there were over 33,000 defec- can occur in conversations even tors in South Korea. We are cur- between people who were born rently living in a time when, while in the same country and are the Korean Peninsula is still di- aware of the same cultural cues. vided, the chances of meeting a But imagine how much more North Korean are high. If that is careful one must be when talking the case, are we capable of com- with people who were raised in a municating with them with no different culture and educational problems? system. Therefore, as a human rights organization, this group fo- ‘Am I prepared to meet and live cuses on the value of human be- with people who have lived in ings and considers the possibility North Korea right now? ‘ of people meeting when North Korea is more politically open in ‘Am I prepared to interact with the future. We have collected tips and understand them?’ for a smoother conversation. “I believe that reunification must begin from the heart.” - A North Korean defector, Chae Seo-Yeon - 2 Publisher: Kim Tae-Hoon Editor in chief: Nam Bada Authors Kwon Yeong-Tae | Ministry of Unification Lecturer Park Jin-Seong | Seoul Bulgwang Middle School History Teacher Song Hyun-Jin | Ewha Women’s University Unification Studies Researcher Kim Young-Ji | Ewha Women’s University Unification Studies Researcher Yujin (Julia) Jung | University of Missouri Ph.D.
    [Show full text]
  • South Korean Corporate Culture and Its Lessons for Building Corporate Culture in China
    South Korean Corporate Culture and Its Lessons for Building Corporate Culture in China Choong Y. Lee, University Professor, Pittsburg State University, USA Jennifer Y. Lee, University of Pennsylvania, USA ABSTRACT Corporate culture, as a management theory and method, emerged as an important component of organizational success in the late twentieth century. Korea’s unique style of corporate culture is a critical element to its economic success. Both China and Korea still have a strong influence of Confucianism on everyday life; Confucianism is the most dominating component in both countries’ cultures. The Western style of management philosophy, with its associated corporate culture, is generally regarded as the most efficient and effective philosophy. However, the successful experience of Korean business based on its own corporate culture has also gained attention and praise from all over the world. Many experts and businesspersons in China are looking at the Korean style of management and its unique corporate culture with serious interest, and are considering it as the most suitable style of management for China to have continued success in its economy. In fact, corporate culture in China is only at the beginning of building its own management culture and philosophy, and is facing many problems and challenges today. The success of Korea and its economy based on its unique corporate culture and management philosophy gives China and its businesses new perspectives and ideas. This paper will analyze the formation of corporate culture in Korea, and discuss deeper understanding of Korean corporate culture, including its background and influencing factors. Also, this paper will talk about the current situation and existing problems in China regarding corporate culture and propose some ideas that Chinese businesses could learn from Korea’s success.
    [Show full text]
  • MASTER THESIS Dealing with Difficult Heritage in Seoul
    MASTER THESIS Dealing with difficult heritage in Seoul (South Korea): The case study of Japanese General Government Building By So Young Hwang Submitted to Professors Kenza Benali, Marc Saner and Scott Simon Master of Arts, Geography with specialization in Science, Society and Policy University of Ottawa /Department of Geography November 19 2016 © So Young Hwang, Ottawa, Canada, 2016 ii ABSTRACT The case concerning demolition of the Japanese General Government Building in Seoul, South Korea, from the Japanese colonialism has been discussed since Korea’s liberation in 1945, but the building had been used for many functions during that time frame. This building was finally demolished during the period 1995 to 1997, despite the national (pro-conservation group) and international (Japanese scholars and jounalists) protestations. This research analysed newspaper articles to study the conflict between pro-demolition and pro-conservation groups in the newspapers to see how, and why the conflict proceeded. Korean newspaper archives were used to search four newspapers (Dong-A, Han-Gyeo-Re, Kyeong-Hyang, and Mae-Il-Kyeong-Je) from the time period of 1991 to 1998, using the keyword ‘Japanese General Government Building’. The collected data was analysed with qualitative methodology to understand the conflicts in the newspapers. This analysis revealed three reasons put forward by the pro-conservation, Memorial and Educational Value, Art and Use Value, and Economic Value and, two reasons of pro-demolition, the Memorial Obstacle and Socio-cultural obstacle (Feng-shui as spiritual obstacle). Most reasons for pro-conservation and pro-demolition groups were classic arguments relating to other difficult heritage buildings, however, two different reasons are pertinent to this particular case: First, the government did not present any practical reasons to destroy the building.
    [Show full text]
  • K-Pop: South Korea and International Relations S1840797
    Eliana Maria Pia Satriano [email protected] s1840797 Word count: 12534 Title: K-pop: South Korea and International Relations s1840797 Table of Contents: 1. Chapter 1 K-pop and International Relations………………………………..……..…..3-12 1.1 Introduction ……………………………………………………………………..…..3-5 1.2 K-pop: from the National to the International Market: The History of K-pop………5-6 1.3 The Drivers Behind the K-pop Industry..………………………………….….….…6-10 1.4 The Involvement of the South Korean Government with Cultural Industries.…… 10-12 2. Chapter 2 Soft Power and Diplomacy, Music and Politics ……………………………13-17 2.1 The Interaction of Culture and Politics: Soft Power and Diplomacy………………13-15 2.2 Music and Politics - K-pop and Politics……………………………………………15-17 3. Chapter 3 Methodology and the Case Study of BTS……………………………..……18-22 3.1 Methodology………………………………………………………………….……18-19 3.2 K-Pop and BTS……………………………………………………………….……19-20 3.3 Who is BTS?………………………………………………………………….……20-22 3.4 BTS - Beyond Korea……………………………………………………………….…22 4. Chapter 4 Analysis ……………………………………………………….…….…….. 23-38 4.1 One Dream One Korea and Inter-Korea Summit……….…………………..……..23-27 4.2 BTS - Love Myself and Generation Unlimited Campaign…………………….…..27-32 4.3 Korea -France Friendship Concert..………………………………………..….…..33-35 4.4 Award of Cultural Merit…………………………………………….………….…..35-37 4.5 Discussion and Conclusion…………………………………………………….…..37-38 Bibliography…………………………………………………………………………….….39-47 !2 s1840797 CHAPTER 1: K-pop and International Relations (Seventeen 2017) 1.1 Introduction: South Korea, despite its problematic past, has undergone a fast development in the past decades and is now regarded as one of the most developed nations. A large part of its development comes from the growth of Korean popular culture, mostly known as Hallyu (Korean Wave).
    [Show full text]
  • Re-Thinking South Korean Postcolonial Multiculturalism in the Fine Art Textbook for Fifth- and Sixth- Graders
    Re-thinking South Korean Postcolonial Multiculturalism in the Fine Art Textbook for Fifth- and Sixth- Graders Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Young Lim Nam, M.A. Graduate Program in Art Education The Ohio State University 2014 Dissertation Committee: Professor Christine Ballengee-Morris Advisor Professor Deborah L. Smith-Shank Professor Shari Savage Professor Vesta Daniel Copyright by Young Lim Nam 2014 i Abstract This study is a critical analysis of the context of image examples for the multicultural art education portion in a Fine Art textbook, which is currently used in South Korea for 5th and 6th graders. The purpose of this research is to evaluate how multiculturalism is represented in the text. To this end, this research focuses on ethnicity construction: how politico-economic contexts and cultural representation of ethnic arts have influenced the content of the textbook. Postcolonial multiculturalism is designated as a theoretical framework and a critical discourse analysis (CDA) as a methodological framework for this research. Through CDA, I understand invisible beliefs and cultural identities that people share by paying attention to power, ideology, and intertextuality that are infiltrated in language. The findings revealed that inside/outside the Fine Art textbook promotes the pedagogy of South Korean ethnicity construction through postcolonial multiculturalism, which disrupts the idea of multiculturalism. The government is involved in narrating South Korean ethnicity and its visual art forms in a traditional artistic format. This seems to be a response to the political context where this competitive particular culture is desired and promoted to engage and respond to both opportunity and crisis in the global economy.
    [Show full text]
  • Copyright by Min Jung Son 2004
    Copyright by Min Jung Son 2004 The Dissertation Committee for Min Jung Son certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: The Politics of the Traditional Korean Popular Song Style T’ŭrot’ŭ Committee: Stephen Slawek, Supervisor Gerard Béhague Martha Menchaca Avron Boretz Elizabeth Crist The Politics of the Traditional Korean Popular Song Style T’ŭrot’ŭ by Min Jung Son, B.M., M.M., M.M. Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctoral of Philosophy The University of Texas at Austin May, 2004 Dedication To my husband Yn Bok Lee with gratitude and love Acknowledgements This dissertation would not have been possible without the extraordinary guidance of my dissertation committee. My deepest gratitude and sincere admiration must go to professor Stephen Slawek whose scholarship, insight, and advice have enhanced this project. I am indebted to professor Gerard Béhague for his invaluable advice and theoretical suggestions of the project. Special thanks are also due to professors Martha Menchaca, for her gracious, wise, and patient counsel; Avron Boretz, for his enthusiasm, expertise, and willingness to share his knowledge of East Asian popular culture; Elizabeth Crist, for her attention to detail and musicological abilities that continue to inspire my respect. I acknowledge the assistance and support of many informants of my fieldwork in 2002-2003: t’ŭrot’ŭ singers Kim Sŏn-Jung, Lawrence Cho, Han Song-Hŭi, Lee Su-Jin, Chŏng Hye-Ryŏn, T’ae Min, Ko Yŏng-Jun, and Sul Woon- Do; songwriters Park Nam-Ch’un, O Min-U, and Pan Wa-Yŏl; sound engineer Coi Dong-Kwon; producers Park Kŏ-Yŏl and Chŏng Chin-Yŏng; fans Kim Kwang-Jin and Kwon Yong-Ae.
    [Show full text]
  • Creative Industries in South Korea: the Korean Wave
    CREATIVE INDUSTRIES IN SOUTH KOREA: THE KOREAN WAVE Author: Nicoleta Stefanÿ Valean Tutor: Francesc Xavier Molina Morales DEGREE IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AE1049 - FINAL PROJECT WORK ACADEMIC YEAR: 2016/2017 CREATIVE INDUSTRIES IN SOUTH KOREA: THE KOREAN WAVE TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 3 1. CREATIVE INDUSTRY 5 1.1. Definition. 5 1.2. Origin. 5 2. SOUTH KOREA 6 2.1. The history of Korea. 6 2.2. Hallyu: The Korean Wave 9 2.3. Aspects related to Hallyu 13 2.3.1. Industry Policy 14 2.3.2. Hallyu’s Kdramas approach 15 2.3.3. Hallyu and National Prestige 16 2.3.4. Market Segmentation 18 3. KOREAN POPULAR CULTURE 20 3.1. Korean television and Kpop 20 3.2. The Big Three: SM, YG and JYP 24 3.2.1. SM Entertainment 25 3.2.2. YG Entertainment 28 3.2.3 JYP Entertainment 29 3.2.4. Trainee system 31 4. CONCLUSION 33 5. REFERENCES 34 6. WEBGRAPHY 36 2 CREATIVE INDUSTRIES IN SOUTH KOREA: THE KOREAN WAVE INTRODUCTION We live in a globalized world, surrounded by the effects of globalization in our daily life. Nowadays we have access to information about so many different cultures, countries, economies, different organizations, and so on. Thanks to the Internet, we have access to a whole new world in just a click. This is the main characteristic of the actual global situation. Personally, I am always amazed of this fact, being able to “travel" with just a click, being able to communicate with someone on the other side of the world, being able to know exactly what is happening, for example, in Australia while being in Spain, and more.
    [Show full text]
  • The Cultural Politics of Affective Bureaucracy in Service Delivery to North Korean Refugees in South Korea
    University of South Carolina Scholar Commons Theses and Dissertations 6-30-2016 The ulturC al Politics Of Affective Bureaucracy In Service Delivery To North Korean Refugees In South Korea Seo Yeon Park University of South Carolina Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd Part of the Other Arts and Humanities Commons Recommended Citation Park, S. Y.(2016). The Cultural Politics Of Affective Bureaucracy In Service Delivery To North Korean Refugees In South Korea. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/3381 This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you by Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE CULTURAL POLITICS OF AFFECTIVE BUREAUCRACY IN SERVICE DELIVERY TO NORTH KOREAN REFUGEES IN SOUTH KOREA by Seo Yeon Park Bachelor of Arts Yonsei University, 2003 Master of Arts Yonsei University, 2008 Master of Arts University of South Carolina, 2011 Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology College of Arts and Sciences University of South Carolina 2016 Accepted by: Jennifer F. Reynolds, Major Professor Marc Moskowitz, Committee Member Drucilla Barker, Committee Member Amy Mills, Committee Member Lacy Ford, Senior Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies © Copyright by Seo Yeon Park, 2016 All Rights Reserved. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation would not have been published without many others’ support. Greatest thanks should be directed to my dissertation advisor, Dr. Jennifer Reynolds. Her enduring patience and keen academic eyes on guiding the dissertation played a paramount role in the creation of this project.
    [Show full text]
  • East Asian Studies Unit 3 Korea Vs. Korea Created By
    Korea Vs. Korea Carrie Bray & Penny Harris Gilbert A. Dater High School NCTA-Oxford, 2009 East Asian Studies Unit 3 Korea vs. Korea Created by: Carrie Bray & Penny Harris Unit 2 Korea 1 Pre-Assignment: Lesson I “Get your suitcases and don’t forget your passport! We’re off to Korea.” Th e students’ passports should be prepared along with their suitcases. If you do not have these please refer to the pre-assignment for the passports and suitcases (see attached). The passport will be stamped by the teacher upon the introduction of Korea. Students will use suitcases to hold passports, rubrics, worksheets and handouts. Students will locate and color in each country on their world map as they enter that lesson. Unit 2 Korea 2 Korea Vs. Korea The Cultural Divide Lesson J Unit 2 Korea 3 Grade Level: 10th-12 th grade Standards: People in Societies: Analyze how issues may be viewed differently by various cultural groups. Objectives: By the end of this lesson, the students will be able to describe and detail the differences between living conditions in North and South Korea. Materials: • PowerPoint presentation • Projector • Books on North and South Korea Preparations: Create PowerPoint Presentation and prepare for discussion. Introduction: Teacher will ask students to raise their hands if they know where Korea is and why it is separated. Discuss how it is not the same as North and South Carolina and that people can not freely pass to and from. Ask students what they think American would be like if people who lived in these states couldn’t go to and from.
    [Show full text]
  • A Study on the Reputaton of Religion and Its Influence
    A STUDY ON THE REPUTATON OF RELIGION AND ITS INFLUENCE ON SOUTH KOREAN CHRISTIANITY A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of Asbury Theological Seminary Wilmore, Kentucky In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Missiology Dissertation Committee Dr. Michael A. Rynkiewich, Mentor Dr. Stephen Offutt, Reader By Shin-Ho Choi April 2017 Copyright April 2017 Shin-Ho Choi All rights reserved TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ..............................................................................................................v LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................... vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................ viii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY ...................1 Background of the Problem .................................................................................................... 1 Social Change in South Korea ............................................................................................ 3 Personal Experience ............................................................................................................. 4 “Gae Dok” or “Gae Dok Gyo” and “Muk Sa” ................................................................ 6 Trust Index of the South Korean Protestant Church ....................................................... 8 Religious Context of South Korea: Religious-Market Situation ..................................
    [Show full text]
  • Rea: Finnish Employees’ Perspective and Thematic Analysis
    Cultural and communicational challenges when working in South Ko- rea: Finnish employees’ perspective and thematic analysis Marla Ylikortes Bachelor’s Thesis Degree Programme in Interna- tional Sales and Marketing Abstract 31.12.2020 Author(s) Marla Ylikortes Degree programme International sales and marketing Report/thesis title Number of pages Cultural and communicational challenges when working in South and appendix pages Korea: Finnish employees’ perspective and thematic analysis 56 + 2 This research paper aims to identify, explain, and analyse the aspects of South Korean culture which have an impact on cross-cultural communication with Finnish employees in the South Korean work environment. It investigates parts of the national culture which may influence communication. The theoretical framework is a combination of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions theory and Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner’s framework for understanding cultural differences in business and management. The data analysis is done through six dimensions picked from the theories and reflected in the context of South Korean culture. The data was gathered from 10 Finnish employees with experience of working with South Koreans in South Korea. The data was gathered as semi-structured interviews conducted in face-to-face meetings, through phone or by email. The aim was to acquire experiences and opinions about the challenges and differences employees have faced when working with South Koreans. The interviews were conducted during spring, summer and autumn 2020 in Seoul, South Korea. The results suggest that there are clear factors influencing the communication that can be traced to the national culture of South Korea. Cultural dimen- sions like high for power distance index, strong collectivism, and diffuse way of perceiving social relationships shape the way of communication between South Korean and Finnish employees.
    [Show full text]