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South Korean TV dramas create a lifestyle frenzy
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THE final episode of the South Korean TV drama “My Love from the Star” was aired in China on the last day of February, showcasing the luxurious lifestyle that has earned it a frenzied following among young Chinese fans. They want more of the same.
The show is an absurd tale of an alien with superpowers whose spaceship crashed 400 years ago. He has become a distinguished university professor and has fallen in love with a mortal woman, a famous actress.
After lead actress Jun Ji-hyun (who played Cheon Song-yi) stated in the show, “How can I celebrate the year’s first snowfall without fried chicken and beer?” There was a rush by young Chinese to Korean communities to share the ambience praised by their idol.
And the chicken-and-beer junk food pairing has achieved an almost sanctified status among viewers.
In Shanghai, I used to enjoy a quiet cup of coffee in the afternoon on small narrow Hongquan Road in the Korean community, which is not far away from my apartment. Today that area in Minhang District is filled with hundreds of young people, including many couples, who wait in line before Korean restaurants on both sides of the street. They want fried chicken and beer.
One day I joined the line and attempted to order two packs as takeaway but was told that the waiting list for takeaway was two and a half hours. Similar scenes are reported on Korean streets in Beijing and some other big cities.
It is no longer just about lifestyle and attractive South Korean screen idols — this craze for all things Korean has become an economic phenomenon.
According to China Central Television, when a South Korean drama, film or song earns US$100 in exports, that nation of 50 million people pockets another US$400 by selling its various industrial products.
From Wonder Girls’ “Nobody” to PSY’s “Gangnam Style,” from “Endless Love” to the latest “My Love from the Star,” South Korean cultural products are always a hit overseas. Viewers praise the exquisitely made props, costumes and exotic performances.
Despite the out-of-date screen lays and predictable story lines, the shows with pretty actresses and handsome actors in fairy-tale settings guarantee a big viewership. They offer a touchable daydream based on a South Korean lifestyle — the best promotion for the country and its products.
Our neighbor South Korea experienced hard times during the global financial crisis, but the economy has largely recovered with the aid of its cultural exports, according to CCTV’s International Channel.
South Korean electronics, gadgets, food and fashion now represent style trends not only in China but in many other countries and regions.
Soft power
However, I have never heard of any Chinese lifestyle frenzy triggered by Chinese TV dramas, films or music. Though some Chinese products, like DVD player, are best sellers overseas, it’s difficult to say that they convey any soft power.
In fact, Chinese style today is far from being well received overseas, far from attracting fans, and certainly no worshippers.
Take a look at what’s aired on Chinese TV screens during prime time: soap operas set during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1937-1945) or imperial power struggles in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
Most of them are crudely made. Viewers are usually surprised by strange dialogue, weird costumes and shoddy props. The key message is alto defeat your rival or kill your enemy. Even in romantic comedies, the lead actor must fight his future parents-in-law, his competitors and his ex-girlfriend to win his new beloved.
The South Korean government has enacted preferential policies to support its strategy of boosting cultural exports of all kinds. The effect has been a major economic success as well as a victory of soft power, according to CCTV.
Meanwhile, Chinese TV producers complain that the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression is not their favorite subject, but it can be easily approved by the state media watchdog because of innocuous content.
Perhaps our culture authorities have been too focused on ideology, which doesn’t win overseas fans. Why not learn from our neighbor to do a better job of projecting the soft power?
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