Message from gtyau

[Anonymous]

Learning about Hallyu (in both the readings and today in class) was fascinating. What I found especially interesting is how intentional (as a commodity) it has become, rather than an organic by product of the diaspora. The layers of government support pop culture and intellectual property in South Korea receives is interesting to say the least. The socialist/nationalistic motivations combined with the capitalistic business models is similar to China in many respects, yet doesn't carry a lot of social equity issues that China presents with its self-promotion. The back channel economic infrastructure and government oversight in both South Korea and China feel similar (from my rather naive perspective) but the content and sentiment attached to the content is wholly different. I wonder how intentional that is?

Is how South Korean pop culture is produced and distributed more of a response to Japan, China or U.S.? On the surface I would assume it's a direct response to how Japan has treated the country, but I don't know enough about the history of the Korean peninsula. Why hasn't China done the same?