The modern South Korean pop culture has formed under the influence of Westernization, improvement of the socio-economic situation and decline of the role of Confucianism in the society. As a result of these changes, Korean people now have more freedoms and opportunities than they ever had in the past, when the economy of the country was still in decline, and old traditions and views on gender roles and the role of a family in the life of an individual were still in force. However, the biggest changes happened during the last half a century in the ideals of female beauty and attitude, as well as in their roles in the economic and socio-political spheres. Analyzing the position of women in the Korean society from the historical perspective, it is evident that their rights and freedoms have progressed with incredible speed, but still the situation is far from being satisfactory. While on the surface it might seem that women reached the relative equality with the men, in reality there is yet a very small number of women in the South Korean government, as well as in the top positions of big corporations. The current illusion that a Korean woman is free to explore her chances in a men’s world, as well as explore her sexuality without being condemned by the society is supported by the Korean culture of consumerism. Women have become targets of numerous marketing campaigns of clothing and accessories brands, plastic surgery cabinets, cosmetics and various types of media. As a result, these businesses partially shape the mindset of many modern Korean women and girls. For example, many advertisements, TV dramas and video clips craft image of women as open-minded, free to wear revealing clothes, but at the same time they still support the old stereotypes that ideal women are tender, quiet, chaste, meek, childish, and dependable on men, who are a source of fulfillment and protection. At the same time, women keep being objectified in pop culture throughout the world, and South Korea is not a lucky exception. Yet, there is still a part of the popula entertainment media that mocks the current standards and idea and promotes a woman’s independence and her value as a person.
The first analyzed video clip is “Gee” by the girl-band Girl’s Generation nowadays consisting of eight members. Partially to increase attractiveness of the group and widen the fan base and partially because of the influence of Confucianism, the K-Pop groups usually consist of many singers. In the beginning of this 2009 video clip, the girls are shown as inactive dolls in a shop that is attended by a young good-looking Korean man, who chooses one of the girls and takes her away with him (“Gee”). The girl being a doll cannot resist or make her own decision about whether she wants to go with him or not. This way, the very beginning of the clip portrays Korean woman as lacking initiative and surrendering to a man’s will. In the further scenes of the clips, the beautiful, but same-looking girls, who wear similar seemingly innocent, yet sexy outfits, repeat the same dance routines all over again. It is worth mentioning that all of these girls have approximately the same height, body type, skin and hair color and style. Thin, pale, tall, with hair dyed in brown and let loose, they represent the ideals of the Korean sweethearts and perfect girlfriends. Wearing revealing shorts, yet hiding their upper body in most scenes, they are the testimony of the Korean view on women sexuality. Thus, Korean women are still condemned and judged if wearing overly revealing clothes like girls in the American and European video clips, but are encouraged to show the beauty of their body and not be very conservative. The song tells about girls being in love with the same guy, who picked up one of them in the beginning of the story, and their affectionate feelings toward a man make them blind and their bodies tremble. They also sing that they are too shy and lack the courage, again underlying the inert position of the Korean women, who are not expected to take the matter into their hands and are left dreaming until a man comes and fulfills the dreams. On a brighter note, the clip encourages neither promiscuity, nor the overly obedient behavior and reflects the romantic feelings of many teenage girls in love.
On the contrary, the 2013 video “Gentleman” by the infamous PSY is very controversial. PSY is known for his mockery of the conservative and arrogant upper-class part of the Korean society. However, unlike his previous entertaining world-record hit “Gangnam Style”, “Gentlemen” is far from innocent mockery, as it clearly objectifies women. At first, it may seem that PSY simply pranks girls, and this is a part of his crazy non-conventional personality. In this part of the video, pranking and hurting girls may be thought as just funny or be attributed to personal issues, including insecurities, but the lyrics of the song sweep away all doubts, as the singer tells to the listeners that he is going to make a gild sweat and wet, as well as praises various parts of a girl’s body. One of the most criticized scenes is the one, where PSY’s video clip soulmate eats meat on a stick with cream on top of it, reminding of the oral sex (“Gentlemen”). This and many other scenes feature the girls wearing sexy and very revealing outfits. Their bodies are just the same as in the previous video clip, thin and pale, and their hair and faces improved with plastic surgeries and cosmetics look very alike, as well. This is the second video clip that shows the female sexuality standards, but this time it degrades women by making them sexual objects. Of course, personality of PSY’s partner is important to him, as they seem to be on the same wave length; however, this wavelength implies that a girl will be wearing little clothes and repeating PSY’s moves, including the thrusting moves in the dance routine. Another interesting feature is that other girls abused by PSY do not complain or fire back at him for his actions, but merely look stunned and stay inactive. One of such girls falls down on the floor in a restaurant, waits for assistance to stand up and then accepts the hand of a waiter with a shy smile (“Gentleman”). No doubt, the man takes away his hand and makes her fall down again. In this video, girls are again shown as inactive, shy, meek, silent, yet dressed in the revealing clothes to appear attractive.
In the last video called “Miss Korea”, a famous Korean artist Lee Hyori takes a very different position from the one projected in “Gentleman” and “Gee”. Lee Hyori sings about the necessity to maintain self-confidence and the lack of value in the public opinion on the girls’ beauty and behavior, in particular. She sings about independent women, and the scenes of her video clip support the thesis that Korean society has gone mad about the cosmetic surgeries that so many girls go through to be perfect for the public. She changes a number of outfits, including a revealing bodysuit and several feminine chic dresses. Thus, despite condemning plastic surgeries, Lee Hyori still supports the Korean beauty standards and views on female sexuality with her own looks. She always wears a lot of heavy make-up and is never shown in the casual clothes, which would help the listeners relate to the song better. Instead, she shows that women should be empowered and strong, while still tries to fit the standards that will be appreciated by her viewers. Thus, this video clip contains stereotypes about beauty and sexuality, but at least shows that girls can be strong, proactive, powerful and self-sufficient.
Korean popular culture would not exist without the corresponding demand in the society. If producers create girl bands and show girls as sexual objects, then there is an audience that agrees with these standards. The same goes about the ideal characteristics of girls, such as chastity, shyness, inactivity. Despite the progress of the women’s role in the Korean society, they are often fooled by the media into thinking that empowerment and independence come from the possibility to wear revealing clothes, which was never allowed before and would have been considered promiscuous. However, the true change in the perception of females will arrive once the Korean women stop being satisfied with the existing situation and fight for their rights and against the dictated standards and ideas.
Works Cited
“Gee,” Performed by Girls’ Generation, 2009. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7mPqycQ0tQ.
“Gentleman,” Performed by PSY, 2013. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASO_zypdnsQ.
“Miss Korea,” Performed by Lee Hyori, 2013. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhxjEXDAy6s.
