The National Association Of Korean Americans
After the Korean War, the Korean philosophy was marked with a mad rush towards modernization. A lot changed after the war. Some Koreans who were devastated by the war immigrated to America, and gradually, the number of immigrants grew.
In 2002, the US Senate acknowledged the 100th anniversary of the Korean immigration. This was a result of the growing number of Korean Americans and their contribution to the mainstream society.
The increasing number of Korean Americans also gave rise to organizations such as NAKA.
They have been playing a significant role in shaping the policies of the US regarding the immigrants.
Korean Culture
Korean culture has faced many changes, and in the modern times, like every other culture, Korean culture too, has been modified. In recent times, Korean pop culture has gained much popularity all over the world, especially in Asia.
Korean pop music bands started embedding American musical culture and styles in their own creations. This marked a new era for Korean pop music and thrust them under the spotlight.
Their music videos started featuring dances, probably inspired by the music videos of the Western cultures.
Korean movies gained popularity after the release of Shiri. It was a top-rated movie and became a blockbuster in Korea soon after its release. The success of Shiri grabbed the attention of a lot of Hollywood movie makers, and they started remaking the movies in English. Unlike the other nations where Hollywood dominated the viewership, in Korea, the native movies were earning the big bucks. After some time, their movies started screening all over the world.
Shiri, A Korean Movie
Korean animation is one of the best in the market. The Simpsons is one of the most excellent examples of back-end Korean animation. Movies like Avatar also employed Korean animators and artists. Several animes in Japan also employ them.
Technology in Korea has been increasing at an exponential rate. Moreover, the best thing about it is that the technology is reaching to all segments of the society and not just one.
90% of Koreans have mobile phones which they use for various purposes apart from calling. Korean companies like LG and Samsung have captured the world markets in phone technology.
Several English words have infiltrated the traditional Korean language. This has given rise to Konglish. This is fast becoming a trend nowadays. Confucianism heavily influences religion in Korea. They believe in hard work, respect towards higher authority, the importance of group over oneself, harmony among all things, delayed gratification and long-term relationships.
This is mainly followed by the elites in the Korean society. The work ethics among the Koreans is noteworthy. They work long hours, and most of them suffer in terms of relationships due to their devotion to work. They are very driven, and thus, appear very cold. Loyalty is an essential part of a Korean’s life. They remain faithful to their family, and it is common to see Koreans sending money to their families.
This work culture is being seen favorable for the corporations, and their work ethic seems to inspire others. However, the stress due to a massive amount of work is getting to the Koreans, and many such workers are having trouble handling it.
Hallyu Korean Fever
In the year 1999, a word was introduced to the world, Hallyu, which meant the popularity of Korean culture through movies, music, fashion, food, hairstyles and other factors. The Korean wave, which swept throughout the world, was due to Korea’s increasing stature in terms of international trade and tourism. Korean movies and music started gaining international fame, and Korean TV series became famous in specific regions in Asia, and then spread towards the West.
The fact that Korea was becoming economically stronger can be the cause of the widespread fame of Korean culture.
The economic strength of a nation is directly proportional to the ability of the nation to propagate its culture. With the help of movies and TV series, Korean culture has spread throughout the United States and the rest of the world, since watching TV affects the perception through which an individual looks at the world.
Hallyu or the Korean wave has gained much popularity, and it continues to do so, thanks to the increasing strength of the nation’s economy and finance. Korea has recovered after the severe war due to their native culture, and even if they change, the core values of their culture are going to be largely unchanged.
