Korean culture is all about presenting an image of wealth. Where you live, where you shop, what
you buy, what you drive, what you wear, where you’re seen. I don’t live in the Gangnam, perhaps
the ritziest area of Seoul, but my neighborhood, Mokdong, is quite affluent
itself. It is home to the 69-story Hyperion Tower, the second tallest building
in Seoul and one of the tallest residential buildings in the world, according
to good old Wikipedia. The figures
I heard for monthly rent blew. my. mind.
Anyways, rich or not, Koreans take a lot of pride in their image. And appearing wealthy is far more
important than actually being wealthy. Even if it’s a hideous designer bag,
it’s all about the label. Plastic
surgery to achieve double eyelids and pointier noses is practically a routine
procedure that many girls get upon turning 18.
When I found out that many Koreans live deep in credit card debt, I was
not too surprised. Adults average
five credit cards. Credit card debt is 155% of disposable income (138% in the
US). Due to Seoul’s incredible economic growth in the 1990s borrowing on credit
seemed relatively safe. A few years later the government encouraged spending to
lift Korea out of the Asian financial crisis. There are many wealthy Seoulites,
but I wonder if I should be concerned about a bursting bubble…
Oppa is Gangnam Style. If
you don’t know what I’m talking about, let me introduce you to the K-pop hit “Gangnam
Style” by PSY. Every Korean knows
the song and dance. I occasionally
even hear the youngest of kindergarteners mumbling the words, even though it’s
not age-appropriate. The first time I experienced this music video, back in the
US, I could hardly believe people genuinely listened to the song, granted it is
incredibly catchy. You can’t go to
a club and not hear it at least once or seven times. Ridiculousness and all, “Gangnam Style” has taken over Korea
and is topping American charts…and I think Koreans are taking pride in its
international success. The music
video features lavish displays wealth.
It embodies the Korean mentality of appearing rich. You really must see it for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0
It took help for me to realize the undertones in this song. Though it may not be blaringly obvious considering the language barrier, it
is actually satiric in nature and gently pokes fun at the materialistic
side of Korean culture. PSY
acknowledges the absurd lengths people go to for appearance. While
Korean pop tends to be relatively tame, “Gangnam Style” is a subtle challenge
of contemporary Korean class structure.
Gotta know more about “Gangnam Style” and debt?
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/08/gangnam-style-dissected-the-subversive-message-within-south-koreas-music-video-sensation/261462/
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