[Editorial] Reactions to hallyu

Massive number of tourists travelling between Korea and Japan and the popularity of hallyu dramas and K-pop singers in recent years have helped reduce the tension that existed between the peoples of the two neighboring countries for a century. So, we are puzzled, or just amused, at occasional reports about negative reactions from some narrow-minded Japanese to what they call cultural invasion of hallyu. Yet, there are worrisome signs too.

The latest in the hallyu (Korean wave) trend was Japan MacDonald’s release of new hamburgers based on Korean barbeque and “gochujang” hot pepper sauce. The KBQ Burgers apparently targeted those who had developed a taste for the Korean flavor through travelling here, but the U.S. franchise’s sales pitch touched some nationalist nerves in Japan.

A spate of complaints hit the cyberspace along with many welcoming remarks. “Koreanalds, oh, no!” one exclaimed. Another lamented, “Crazy, everything is crazy. I won’t eat it.” These screams echoed the protests at Fuji TV in Tokyo last month in which thousands of demonstrators complained of the major broadcaster’s heavy broadcasting of Korean dramas and pop music.

Yonhap News reported some 3,000 people turned up in front of the Fuji TV building at Odaiba, Tokyo, on Aug. 7 and twice that number attended a second rally on Aug. 21. Demonstrators shouted, “Stop showing Korean dramas.” They said they were not against Korea or Koreans but were protesting the network’s “absurd programming” to raise the ratings at minimum costs.

Fuji TV is only supposed to air Korean dramas 40 hours a month but hallyu programs sometimes run six hours a day ― a quarter of the total daily schedule, including shows featuring Korean pop singers and other entertainers. In comparison, NHK allocates an average of four hours a month to hallyu and TBS 20 hours. Ironically, Fuji TV is owned by leading conservative daily Sankei Shimbun.

Few can deny that the Japanese rightist protests are evidence of the steady rise of the popularity of Korean entertainment products in Japan since the epoch-making “Winter Sonata” series. Some comment that the Japanese entertainment circles felt uneasy as Korean idol groups continued to reach the top ranks of the pop charts. Popularity is spreading from middle-aged women to a broader demographic, including teens.

Among the Japanese mainstream media, the mass circulation “Weekly Bunshun” reported the spreading of Korean hairstyles and makeup among Japanese youths in its latest edition while the Nihon Keizai business daily carried two analyses last week on the growing influence of Korean foods and other cultural products on the younger generations of Japan.

Kodansha, one of the oldest publishing houses of Japan is preparing to publish a hallyu magazine. It sent an editor to Seoul to negotiate with Jang Keun-suk, whose popularity in Japan has surpassed those of hallyu stars Bae Yong-joon, Lee Byung-hun, Chang Dong-gun and Won Bin, to use his picture on the cover of the magazine’s inaugural edition. Jang, who has signed up with the largest Japanese brewery, Suntory, is now one of the hottest figures in the Japanese ad market.

Here in Korea, Japanese tourist arrivals have almost reached the pre-tsunami level and all generations of visitors are crowding Seoul’s Myeong-dong and Insa-dong streets, milling around with Chinese groups. If the culture authorities of the government still have any restriction on Japanese cultural activities here, it is not known to the Korean public. Broadcasters would still not allow Japanese singers to sing in Japanese, but this too will have to change in the near future in the name of reciprocity.

Fuji TV may or may not change its programming in response to the protests but all players in the two countries ― either on the right or left or in the center ― need to recognize that time has come for the two countries to wide open their doors for full exchange of their similar but different cultures. Demonstrations at Fuji TV should be remembered as an episode in a meaningless effort to stem the tide of free cultural traffic, which is vital for developing human civilization.