Is Korean culture a bad influence on the youth?

 

Written by Nurunnahar Nur & Zareen Subah Haque

It will surely be shocking if someone says that he or she hasn’t heard of the words k-pop or k-drama yet. Korean culture, sometimes referred to as "Hallyu" or the “Korean wave”, is not only popular in Korea now but also is spreading globally. It primarily consists of Korean pop music, dramas, films, manhwas, and webtoons.  Each category rose in popularity at different times.

Let’s try to know more about these categories.

K-drama and movies:

Korean dramas, widely known as k-dramas, are taking the world by storm with their really romantic and dramatic plotlines. They are pretty family-friendly and binge-worthy. Most of the k-dramas contain 16-20 episodes. K-dramas seem to be a very popular medium of entertainment right now. The dramatic and romantic plots are both very interesting, and the little bit of romance makes everything seem perfect. People can watch them over long weekends along with their family, partner, or friends as due to censorship Korean dramas avoid nudity, sex, or showcasing a lot of blood or violence. Even a few years ago this immense popularity that they gained seemed next to impossible. To learn more about k-dramas go here:Kdrama – The Complete Guide to Korean Dramas

K-pop:

K-pop, which stands for "Korean pop music," is a well known music form originated from South Korea. This form of music is performed by a couple of bands. Each band contains somewhat between four to twenty-one members or artists, and its songs draw inspiration from a wide variety of genres. K-pop aspirants put in long hours in the studio,mastering choreography and other skills preparing for their debut and live performances.Kpop idols have millions of admirers worldwide. BTS and Blackpink have made K-pop a global phenomenon within no time with its  distinctive blend of addictive melodies and slick choreography after spending years in grueling studios learning to sing and dance in synchronized perfection.

Junkook performing "Dreamers" on the stage of Fifa World Cup 2022

Manhwas and webtoons:

Manhwa is the Korean word for comics and print cartoons. Webtoons grew out of manhwa and are becoming more popular in Asia and, to a lesser extent, in the West. 

In theory, manhwa and webtoons are interchangeable terms for the same thing. Indeed, they are comics. However, not all webtoons are manhwa and not all manhwa are webtoons. The word "comics'' in Korean is "manhwa," hence works by Korean artists are referred to by this title. Korean comics are called "manhwa" because "comics" is manhwa in Korean. Webtoons are internet comics. After hours of ideation, artists create webtoons digitally. Long chapters are usually given as one scroll. Webcomic crucial sequences typically have music. One of the most popular webtoons is Lore Olympus, a romanticized version of Hades and Persephone.

 

Lore Olympus

Korean culture’s influence on our young generation:

Korean entertainment heavily influences Bangladeshi youth. Korean culture influences fashion, food, makeup, and room decor worldwide, including Bengalis. Korean music made its way through the heart of Bengalis back in 2017 through PSY’s "Gangnam Style", which was the biggest musical hit at that time across the world.  Over time, the Korean music industry charmed the youth with its out-of-the-box lyrics, synchronized singing and dancing, catchy tunes, and well-groomed and attractive performers who wrote songs about happiness, peace, and mental well-being. However, k-music is not only liked by the youth but also by older generations, as shown by the world cup theme song "Dreamers" by Jungkook of BTS. Korean series and movies are the second most popular form of entertainment for youngsters here. K-dramas and movies helped teenagers cope with depression during Covid-19.  It also worked as a gateway from the tedious, boring, and monotonous life of ours. Watching dramas and movies help them learn Korean and find jobs in Korea. The Bangladeshi youth also picked up some dietary habits from Korean cuisine as we can see the rapid popularity of ramen and hot ramen sauce, dim sums, tteokbokki, and Korean egg fried in various Bengali households and restaurants. . South Koreans value makeup and skincare. The well-groomed k-industry artists inspired our youth to take care of themselves and look presentable in front of others with makeup, skincare, and stylish clothes.

Korean culture should be promoted more in Bangladesh.

Wrap-up: 

In conclusion, we, both authors, believe that Korean culture should be promoted more and more here as a means to spread positivity. Bangladeshi tv channels should air Korean movies and dramas like they do many  Turkish and other foreign dramas to inspire and entertain us. Even if someone dislikes Korean culture or isn't into it that much, they should not consider it as a bad influence but rather accept the positive sides that accompany it.