The Korean Wave As a Localizing Process: Nation As a Global Actor in Cultural Production
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
THE KOREAN WAVE AS A LOCALIZING PROCESS: NATION AS A GLOBAL ACTOR IN CULTURAL PRODUCTION A Dissertation Submitted to the Temple University Graduate Board In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY by Ju Oak Kim May 2016 Examining Committee Members: Fabienne Darling-Wolf, Advisory Chair, Department of Journalism Nancy Morris, Professor, Department of Media Studies and Production Patrick Murphy, Associate Professor, Department of Media Studies and Production Dal Yong Jin, Associate Professor, School of Communication, Simon Fraser University © Copyright 2016 by Ju Oak Kim All Rights Reserved ii ABSTRACT This dissertation research examines the Korean Wave phenomenon as a social practice of globalization, in which state actors have promoted the transnational expansion of Korean popular culture through creating trans-local hybridization in popular content and intra-regional connections in the production system. This research focused on how three agencies – the government, public broadcasting, and the culture industry – have negotiated their relationships in the process of globalization, and how the power dynamics of these three production sectors have been influenced by Korean society’s politics, economy, geography, and culture. The importance of the national media system was identified in the (re)production of the Korean Wave phenomenon by examining how public broadcasting-centered media ecology has control over the development of the popular music culture within Korean society. The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS)’s weekly show, Music Bank, was the subject of analysis regarding changes in the culture of media production in the phase of globalization. In-depth interviews with media professionals and consumers who became involved in the show production were conducted in order to grasp the patterns that Korean television has generated in the global expansion of local cultural practices. In conclusion, the Korean Wave has rekindled national forces in spreading local popular content globally in three ways: 1) by deconstructing a binary approach of West vs. non-West, and Global vs. Local in order to understand media cultures and practices; 2) by understanding the rise of East Asian media connections as part of a global culture; and 3) by decolonizing non-US/UK state actors to perceive their actions, which hinges on the ongoing centrality of nation-states in the global media sphere. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS On July 26, 2015, I received a call on my way back from New York City. My father calmly said over the phone, “Your uncle passed away this morning.” The silence in the bus kept my lips closed, and only tears dropped from my eyes upon seeing the sunset through the window. When I was chosen as a recipient for the Korean Government Scholarship in 2010, which allowed me to pursue my doctoral degree, the National Institute for International Education requested that I find two joint sureties in order to guarantee the completion of my education. My uncle, Sang-Yong Kim, signed the required form without hesitation. His absence led me to exert myself so as to complete this work, and I hope my bottomless gratitude can reach him in heaven. Most of all, I am deeply grateful to Dr. Fabienne Darling-Wolf, who has walked with me throughout this long journey. Even when I was inexperienced and unsure in my early years at Temple University, she held my hand. Her patience and belief in my abilities helped me to emerge from my chrysalis. Dr. Nancy Morris was a guiding light when I was still in the darkness. She has helped me, not only to be a better teacher and researcher, but also to be a better person. Dr. Patrick Murphy has always guided me to choose the right path in the academic world. I have learned from him the importance of being aware of my privileged life, which helps me stay humble every minute of my professional career. Dr. Dal Yong Jin has served as a role model, who transitioned from a nationally leading professional to an internationally renowned scholar. His insightfulness, diligence, and consideration are greatly reflected in this work. I would like to express my gratitude to the Media and Communication Doctoral Program, which provided me with great opportunities to prepare myself as an iv independent media scholar. I would also like to thank the Center of Humanities at Temple for awarding me the Graduate School Senior Doctoral Fellowship, which helped me complete this dissertation research in the spring of 2016. Dr. Petra Goedde, Dr. Priya Joshi, and the CHAT fellows have considerably helped me refine my argument and writing in this research. I would like to thank two lifelong mentors in the completion of this doctoral research: Daehyun Cho, the former president of KBS, who initially led me to this fifteen- year journey, by choosing me as the writer for the documentary series China in 2001, and Dr. Myungjin Park, an emeritus professor from Seoul National University, who shaped the foundation of my knowledge in communication studies. I was destined to delve into this research topic since I met these two mentors, and their guidance has given me both dignity and confidence. This research could not have been completed without numerous informants who shared their valuable knowledge and experiences in media production. I thank my Korean friends, Hyangwon Kang, Soyul Park, Hyungil Oh, Jiyeon Kim, and Hye-yoon Kim, who introduced me to some of the informants. While I was cloistered in the Ph.D. Office, writing up the draft of this dissertation, numerous cohorts kept me company. I would like to thank my dear friends: Chiaoning Su, Hojeong Lee, Jaehyeong Jeong, Hocheol Yang, Songyi Lee, and Melissa Meade. My writing group members and mentors at the Writing Center—Lorraine Savage, Danielle Scherer, Diane Garbow, Taylor Benjanmin-Britton, Felicidad Garcia, and Eloise Murphy—were also incredibly helpful to me in developing my writing and argument. I must give my most sincere thanks to Dr. Caroline Toscano, who read through my drafts and helped me with finding v the best use of language in English. Finally, I would like to mention my family in South Korea. My father, Sangmin Kim, who devoted his life to teaching, awakened in me the value of being a great teacher. My mother, Jonghee Kang, is the reason I have grown up as a diligent person. My sister, Juyeon Kim, my brother, Heechan Kim, and my sister-in-law, Eunha Lim, have shared the family responsibilities; this has allowed me to focus on my academic career. My beloved niece, Soyoung Kim, who has sent me smiles and greetings every Friday night, is the impetus for completing this dissertation. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... iv LIST OF TABLES .............................................................................................................. x LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... xi CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................ 1 Why the Korean Wave Now? .......................................................................................... 6 The Chapter Outline ...................................................................................................... 17 CHAPTER 2 GLOBALIZATION AND CULTURE ....................................................... 19 Cultural Globalization: Conflict, Imperialism, and Hybridity ...................................... 21 Why Do Regional Connections Matter? ....................................................................... 27 The Korean Wave: An Imagination of National Culture .............................................. 29 CHAPTER 3 GLOBAL MEDIA AND PUBLIC BROADCASTING ............................ 38 The Global Perspective on Public Broadcasting ........................................................... 41 Going beyond Hollywood Studios ................................................................................ 44 Media Convergence and Audience Fragmentation ....................................................... 47 The East Asian Feature of Production ........................................................................... 50 CHAPTER 4 METHODS AND DATA .......................................................................... 56 Critical Discourse Analysis: Discourse, Power, and Hegemony .................................. 58 In-Depth Interviewing ................................................................................................... 61 Examining the Korean Sample ...................................................................................... 65 Triangulation: Method and Data ................................................................................... 67 CHAPTER 5 RETHINKING THE KOREAN WAVE ................................................... 71 Globalization as the National Agenda ........................................................................... 74 vii The Political Discourse of Globalization ...................................................................... 79 Three Phases of the Korean Wave ................................................................................ 84 The Transnational Consumption of Korean TV Dramas ........................................... 85 Korean