Seminar Strikes Hallyu as Organic Power
By Kim Bum-soo - Contributing Writer
Singer Park Jin-young, center, former master of ceremonies Park Jung-sook, left, and Prof. Carter Eckert of Harvard University exchange opinions during the “Hallyu in Asia: A Dialogue” seminar at the J. F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Friday.
/ Yonhap
CAMBDIDGE, Mass. _ Hallyu or Korean wave is garnering serious attention from U.S. academics not only as a cultural phenomenon but as a factor in international relations.
``Hallyu in Asia: A Dialogue,’’ was held last Friday at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. The main topic of the discussion was how hallyu could affect international relations in Asia. The discussion was co-sponsored by Harvard Korea Institute, Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies, and International Negotiation Club.
Park Jung-sook, one of the special presenters, drew attention with her representation of hallyu as an organic power, rather than soft power.
Currently based at Columbia University the long-time master of ceremonies for all three major networks in Korea and a star in the Asian mega-hit “The Jewel in the Palace” explained that “hallyu goes beyond Joseph Nye’s concept of soft power because it is a consumer-based and grassroots phenomenon. As such, it can help people throughout Asia develop a collective identity that goes beyond national boundaries.”
Park Jin-young, the singer and producer extraordinaire who was the other special presenter, delighted the packed auditorium with his honest sharing of his personal experiences and insights about hallyu. “Hallyu must now become more than a Korean thing,” he declared. “Hallyu must become internationalized. Hallyu must become a system, rather than just contents, in order to really succeed in the long run.”
The discussion drew more than 250 students who packed the Starr Auditorium where the event was held. Students came not only from Harvard but also from surrounding Boston schools such as Wellesley, Northeastern, and Boston University, testifying to the interest that hallyu generated among the students in Boston. More than 100 people had to be turned away at the door because of a lack of seating.
Other discussants included David McCann and Eileen Chow from Harvard, Ian Condry from MIT, and David Leheny from Madison-Wisconsin University.
Carter Eckert from Harvard who moderated the discussion drew an appreciative applause from the audience when he called this panel the “coolest panel that he has ever been on.”
Satoshi Ezoe, a mid-career MPA student at the Kennedy School who is a medical doctor in Japan, agreed afterwards, “This was an excellent discussion. I learned a lot. I will definitely have longer conversations about this with my classmates.”
From The Korea Times, 02-19-2007 18:34
Analyzing from what JYP said here, I feel that without him, Rain is just another k-pop singer... ;(
Why I Want no Part of the Korean Wave Yeah, really mr, jyp, u're only a business one, in fact
Here are some things I’ve been told over the years.
"Thank you for having publicized the excellence of Korean culture far and wide." "You're a real patriot." "Things Korean are things global. Stop imitating American music and make something Korean on your own."
Of course, I said each time, "Yes, I do my best." Sometimes, I felt a glow, as if I had really all of a sudden become a patriot. Sometimes, I felt pressure to make things Korean, so I put a bit of samulnori, the drum-intense traditional Korean music, into my music. I grew up swearing allegiance to the national flag every day, after all; perhaps I wanted to play the patriot myself.
But for some time now I have found it hard to suppress a sense of unease. I am, in fact, not a man who is making products that can be called Korean culture. Actually, I am making African-American music. I started liking it when I was seven and I have been engrossed in it all my life. It has become my job and I have even had some success in America, its birthplace.
Strictly speaking, I am not a patriot but a traitor. When I started working as a composer in America, I concealed my Korean identity as much as I could. With Hip Hop being a kind of indigenous music of African Americans, people believe that other ethnic groups can't play it as well, so on all my demo CDs I put just my initials J.Y.P. rather than J.Y. Park.
I’ve heard many times that Asian composers can’t succeed in America. Shareholders in our company refused to spend money on things that seemed to have small chances of success. So I had to start working in America by just renting a room and a garage from an acquaintance.
But I managed to sell my work to top American singers, a first for an Asian composer. I found recognition as a composer with three songs in the top 10 Billboard Charts. Now I’ve launched the debut of a Korean singer called Min in America in cooperation with Lil Jon.
In this process, there was no Korea. Korea exists neither in my music nor in the hearts of the Americans who recognized me. They just liked my music and bought it. Oh, I think, he's just such a narcisst, isn't he?
Is this the Korean Wave? Am I a patriot? I became confused. Is the duet by Korean singer Rain and American singer Omarion really Korean music? If Min succeeds in America, could we say the Korean Wave has now swept the U.S.? Or will I be derided as a singer who imitates American singers and a composer who imitates American music? Definitely!
I know too well that the maxim "things Korean are things global" is significant in terms of cultural diversity. But if this maxim were imposed on all pop musicians, it would work only as an obstacle. I believe that if we do well whatever we like doing, we can go global, whether what we do is Korean or not. I don't think that Indian chefs can only succeed if they stick to curry. Anybody can be a world-renown French cook if they absorb themselves in the French cooking all their life.
Culture and Tourism Minister Kim Myung-gon has once said that the Korean Wave is a medium to publicize Korean culture far and wide. I’m not sure if my African-American music comes under the category of Korean culture as defined by the minister. It’s fine if people abroad use the term “Korean Wave.” But should we label our own pop culture that way? Should it really be for us to draw on it as a source of pride or dignity?
My Korean roots are irrevocable. I just think I am contributing more to making friends with foreigners than to publicizing our country's culture. That’s why I don’t like being called a figurehead of the Korean Wave.
The column was contributed by pop musician and producer Park Jin-young.
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200702/200702130035.html
A Good Counter For JYP colum (Different perspective)
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Black Rain's Gonna' Fall
So, Park Jin-young, the very talented singer/producer and founder/CEO of JYP Entertainment (and management company for the singer Rain), spoke at Harvard U., talking about the Korean Wave and how he would be much happier seeing less mindless nationalism in the media's coverage of the success of Korea music outside of Korea. Good for him. The Chosun published a brief precis of his speech here.
First of all, as a pretty strong anti-nationalist, I liked Park's basic position:
...[T]here was no Korea. Korea exists neither in my music nor in the hearts of the Americans who recognized me. They just liked my music and bought it. Is this the Korean Wave? Am I a patriot? I became confused. Is the duet by Korean singer Rain and American singer Omarion really Korean music? If Min succeeds in America, could we say the Korean Wave has now swept the U.S.? Or will I be derided as a singer who imitates American singers and a composer who imitates American music?
So far, so good. What does it mean to be Korean? What is imitating, and what is co-opting? Good questions. But then Park also said things like this:
I am, in fact, not a man who is making products that can be called Korean culture. Actually, I am making African-American music. I started liking it when I was seven and I have been engrossed in it all my life.
So, downplaying nationalism in his success abroad, good. But saying he has been making "African-American music"... That is not so impressive. First of all, "African American" is hardly a monolith. American blacks have been instrumental in forming a whole spectrum of music, not just R&B/hiphop. Frankie Knuckles and others were the founders of techno and house. Sure, it bounced off of Europe and Kraftwerk and whatever... but there is no denying the core role African Americans played in developing techno. And rock music. And other music forms (including classical).
As for soul and R&B and hiphop, all those genres have a great and wide array for sub-genres, and great underground scenes, just like "white" rock/alternative music.* Calling mainstream, poppy R&B/hiphop "African-American music" is pretty lame, imho. Usher? Kayne West? Ugh. There is so much better stuff than that.
Park is somewhat reminding me of the French-Canadians and French-French and others who have exoticized the sound and culture of the "ghetto" and the suffering the black man... While it is nice to know good music is being appreciated, it also seems to me to be somewhat condescending and stereotyped.
Anyhow, I guess my bigger point is that Park, like so many musicians in Korea in 2007, does not seem to be digging very deep in his exploration of world music. Still very much in the well. He is obviously very talented and smart and has a lot going for him. But there is a world of difference between being a first-rate follower and a leader. And leaders are what is needed to make a difference. JYP's singer Rain (or "Bi" or whatever we are calling him) is nice enough, but he is a follower of a follower. Which is the main reason he will never be a significant force in pop music/pop culture.
I wish Korea had more people trying to lead. To experiment. To try different things. There are a few, but they are not popular and they are very few and far between. And what is truly perverse, if you explore the history of Korean music, you will discover that Korean traditional music was in fact extremely diverse and free-form for hundreds of years, different from anything happening in the rest of East-Asia. Even in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, there was so much amazing stuff going on. But the bureaucrats and mindless military leaders of the modern era deliberately and systematically tried to stamp out those styles, turning Korean music into enka and marching songs and pablum. Korean music for the last 20 years has nothing to do with Korea. Square pegs and round holes. Very frustrating.
* (Major apologies for all the quotations and slashes... And ellipses... Totally overdone, I know. But that's the way I roll... and punctuate).
** (Oh, a little gossip to end this mini-essay... Maybe everyone knows this already, but Rain's contract with JYP Entertainment is nearing its end. Just 2-3 months left. And right now most people think he will not resign with JYP. Which is why JYP is pushing so many new acts, like Wonder Girls.)
Posted by Mark Russell at 12:53 AM in his Korea Pop Wars blog (Mark Russell is a part time writer for Hollywood Reporter & Billboard.
Singer Park Jin-young, center, former master of ceremonies Park Jung-sook, left, and Prof. Carter Eckert of Harvard University exchange opinions during the “Hallyu in Asia: A Dialogue” seminar at the J. F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Friday.
/ Yonhap
CAMBDIDGE, Mass. _ Hallyu or Korean wave is garnering serious attention from U.S. academics not only as a cultural phenomenon but as a factor in international relations.
``Hallyu in Asia: A Dialogue,’’ was held last Friday at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. The main topic of the discussion was how hallyu could affect international relations in Asia. The discussion was co-sponsored by Harvard Korea Institute, Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies, and International Negotiation Club.
Park Jung-sook, one of the special presenters, drew attention with her representation of hallyu as an organic power, rather than soft power.
Currently based at Columbia University the long-time master of ceremonies for all three major networks in Korea and a star in the Asian mega-hit “The Jewel in the Palace” explained that “hallyu goes beyond Joseph Nye’s concept of soft power because it is a consumer-based and grassroots phenomenon. As such, it can help people throughout Asia develop a collective identity that goes beyond national boundaries.”
Park Jin-young, the singer and producer extraordinaire who was the other special presenter, delighted the packed auditorium with his honest sharing of his personal experiences and insights about hallyu. “Hallyu must now become more than a Korean thing,” he declared. “Hallyu must become internationalized. Hallyu must become a system, rather than just contents, in order to really succeed in the long run.”
The discussion drew more than 250 students who packed the Starr Auditorium where the event was held. Students came not only from Harvard but also from surrounding Boston schools such as Wellesley, Northeastern, and Boston University, testifying to the interest that hallyu generated among the students in Boston. More than 100 people had to be turned away at the door because of a lack of seating.
Other discussants included David McCann and Eileen Chow from Harvard, Ian Condry from MIT, and David Leheny from Madison-Wisconsin University.
Carter Eckert from Harvard who moderated the discussion drew an appreciative applause from the audience when he called this panel the “coolest panel that he has ever been on.”
Satoshi Ezoe, a mid-career MPA student at the Kennedy School who is a medical doctor in Japan, agreed afterwards, “This was an excellent discussion. I learned a lot. I will definitely have longer conversations about this with my classmates.”
From The Korea Times, 02-19-2007 18:34
Analyzing from what JYP said here, I feel that without him, Rain is just another k-pop singer... ;(
Why I Want no Part of the Korean Wave Yeah, really mr, jyp, u're only a business one, in fact
Here are some things I’ve been told over the years.
"Thank you for having publicized the excellence of Korean culture far and wide." "You're a real patriot." "Things Korean are things global. Stop imitating American music and make something Korean on your own."
Of course, I said each time, "Yes, I do my best." Sometimes, I felt a glow, as if I had really all of a sudden become a patriot. Sometimes, I felt pressure to make things Korean, so I put a bit of samulnori, the drum-intense traditional Korean music, into my music. I grew up swearing allegiance to the national flag every day, after all; perhaps I wanted to play the patriot myself.
But for some time now I have found it hard to suppress a sense of unease. I am, in fact, not a man who is making products that can be called Korean culture. Actually, I am making African-American music. I started liking it when I was seven and I have been engrossed in it all my life. It has become my job and I have even had some success in America, its birthplace.
Strictly speaking, I am not a patriot but a traitor. When I started working as a composer in America, I concealed my Korean identity as much as I could. With Hip Hop being a kind of indigenous music of African Americans, people believe that other ethnic groups can't play it as well, so on all my demo CDs I put just my initials J.Y.P. rather than J.Y. Park.
I’ve heard many times that Asian composers can’t succeed in America. Shareholders in our company refused to spend money on things that seemed to have small chances of success. So I had to start working in America by just renting a room and a garage from an acquaintance.
But I managed to sell my work to top American singers, a first for an Asian composer. I found recognition as a composer with three songs in the top 10 Billboard Charts. Now I’ve launched the debut of a Korean singer called Min in America in cooperation with Lil Jon.
In this process, there was no Korea. Korea exists neither in my music nor in the hearts of the Americans who recognized me. They just liked my music and bought it. Oh, I think, he's just such a narcisst, isn't he?
Is this the Korean Wave? Am I a patriot? I became confused. Is the duet by Korean singer Rain and American singer Omarion really Korean music? If Min succeeds in America, could we say the Korean Wave has now swept the U.S.? Or will I be derided as a singer who imitates American singers and a composer who imitates American music? Definitely!
I know too well that the maxim "things Korean are things global" is significant in terms of cultural diversity. But if this maxim were imposed on all pop musicians, it would work only as an obstacle. I believe that if we do well whatever we like doing, we can go global, whether what we do is Korean or not. I don't think that Indian chefs can only succeed if they stick to curry. Anybody can be a world-renown French cook if they absorb themselves in the French cooking all their life.
Culture and Tourism Minister Kim Myung-gon has once said that the Korean Wave is a medium to publicize Korean culture far and wide. I’m not sure if my African-American music comes under the category of Korean culture as defined by the minister. It’s fine if people abroad use the term “Korean Wave.” But should we label our own pop culture that way? Should it really be for us to draw on it as a source of pride or dignity?
My Korean roots are irrevocable. I just think I am contributing more to making friends with foreigners than to publicizing our country's culture. That’s why I don’t like being called a figurehead of the Korean Wave.
The column was contributed by pop musician and producer Park Jin-young.
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200702/200702130035.html
A Good Counter For JYP colum (Different perspective)
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Black Rain's Gonna' Fall
So, Park Jin-young, the very talented singer/producer and founder/CEO of JYP Entertainment (and management company for the singer Rain), spoke at Harvard U., talking about the Korean Wave and how he would be much happier seeing less mindless nationalism in the media's coverage of the success of Korea music outside of Korea. Good for him. The Chosun published a brief precis of his speech here.
First of all, as a pretty strong anti-nationalist, I liked Park's basic position:
...[T]here was no Korea. Korea exists neither in my music nor in the hearts of the Americans who recognized me. They just liked my music and bought it. Is this the Korean Wave? Am I a patriot? I became confused. Is the duet by Korean singer Rain and American singer Omarion really Korean music? If Min succeeds in America, could we say the Korean Wave has now swept the U.S.? Or will I be derided as a singer who imitates American singers and a composer who imitates American music?
So far, so good. What does it mean to be Korean? What is imitating, and what is co-opting? Good questions. But then Park also said things like this:
I am, in fact, not a man who is making products that can be called Korean culture. Actually, I am making African-American music. I started liking it when I was seven and I have been engrossed in it all my life.
So, downplaying nationalism in his success abroad, good. But saying he has been making "African-American music"... That is not so impressive. First of all, "African American" is hardly a monolith. American blacks have been instrumental in forming a whole spectrum of music, not just R&B/hiphop. Frankie Knuckles and others were the founders of techno and house. Sure, it bounced off of Europe and Kraftwerk and whatever... but there is no denying the core role African Americans played in developing techno. And rock music. And other music forms (including classical).
As for soul and R&B and hiphop, all those genres have a great and wide array for sub-genres, and great underground scenes, just like "white" rock/alternative music.* Calling mainstream, poppy R&B/hiphop "African-American music" is pretty lame, imho. Usher? Kayne West? Ugh. There is so much better stuff than that.
Park is somewhat reminding me of the French-Canadians and French-French and others who have exoticized the sound and culture of the "ghetto" and the suffering the black man... While it is nice to know good music is being appreciated, it also seems to me to be somewhat condescending and stereotyped.
Anyhow, I guess my bigger point is that Park, like so many musicians in Korea in 2007, does not seem to be digging very deep in his exploration of world music. Still very much in the well. He is obviously very talented and smart and has a lot going for him. But there is a world of difference between being a first-rate follower and a leader. And leaders are what is needed to make a difference. JYP's singer Rain (or "Bi" or whatever we are calling him) is nice enough, but he is a follower of a follower. Which is the main reason he will never be a significant force in pop music/pop culture.
I wish Korea had more people trying to lead. To experiment. To try different things. There are a few, but they are not popular and they are very few and far between. And what is truly perverse, if you explore the history of Korean music, you will discover that Korean traditional music was in fact extremely diverse and free-form for hundreds of years, different from anything happening in the rest of East-Asia. Even in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, there was so much amazing stuff going on. But the bureaucrats and mindless military leaders of the modern era deliberately and systematically tried to stamp out those styles, turning Korean music into enka and marching songs and pablum. Korean music for the last 20 years has nothing to do with Korea. Square pegs and round holes. Very frustrating.
* (Major apologies for all the quotations and slashes... And ellipses... Totally overdone, I know. But that's the way I roll... and punctuate).
** (Oh, a little gossip to end this mini-essay... Maybe everyone knows this already, but Rain's contract with JYP Entertainment is nearing its end. Just 2-3 months left. And right now most people think he will not resign with JYP. Which is why JYP is pushing so many new acts, like Wonder Girls.)
Posted by Mark Russell at 12:53 AM in his Korea Pop Wars blog (Mark Russell is a part time writer for Hollywood Reporter & Billboard.