The year 2020 has marked an unprecedented year for the tourism industry. According to the United Nations, the COVID-19 crisis has cost the global tourism sector 460 billion USD in lost revenue during the first six months of 2020. Therefore, cultural exchange events are naturally decreasing worldwide. 

However, K-culture has continued to actively promote itself across national borders and around the world. In particular, new trends have emerged beyond the existing K-culture in recent years. Trot* has been highlighted as a new approach for cultural diplomacy in the future, with tremendous popularity both domestically and internationally. 

Moreover, curiosity regarding Korean traditional culture is spreading to several countries around the world. Foreigners have been interested in Korean traditional outfits, known as Hanbok, since various K-pop stars, such as BTS and Black Pink, wore them.

To define the 2020 cultural trend, cultures that were considered aged are newly emerged and are receiving attention. 

*Trot: One of the K-pop genres that consist of repetitive rhythm. Although it was most popular during the 1970s, it gradually lost popularity.

Trot

Before the latest reinterpretation of trot that has been popularized through survival auditioning programs, the perception of trot was not positive in Korean society. It was called Bbong-jjack (a phrase used to make fun of trot, in English) and regarded as music that is outdated. In addition, the unique singing skills and glittering costumes of trot singers were often considered silly. Therefore, using the combination of trot and survival programs to shed light on this genre in the current entertainment field was akin to winning a lottery.

However, the image of trot began to transform, and the younger generation started to grew attracted to trot culture. The reason that enabled the younger generation to become attracted to trot seems to be the modernization of this genre. The participants appeared in modern and neat costumes with amazing stage decorations, which ensured that the show resembled a high-quality performance. Moreover, the prominent emotional expression in trot has also played a notable role because recent pop music and culture are focused on expressing one’s emotions. Trot focuses on emotions, such as Han (resentment that is specific to Korean, in English) and Heung (excitement that is specific to Korean, in English). Currently, trot is reinterpreted as a new trendy genre for emotional expression and drawing a consensus across all generations.  

If trot had reappeared in the same form as earlier without changes, it would not be popular as it is now. However, due to the changes that occurred, it has secured strong support from the younger generation. 

With the support of that generation, trot is advancing into the world. The TV program, “Trot God is Here,” has already indicated the possibility of globalization by receiving both international and domestic attention. Currently, many people are looking forward to the future where trot contributes to the national tourism industry and earns foreign currency. The change of trot from a minor genre to a globally-beloved phenomenon has just begun. However, to sustain its popularity, trot must continuously produce attractive stars. This depends on the changes that the genre will undergo.

Traditional Culture

Three months ago, the Korea Tourism Organization created a promotional video with a band called Inalchi based on fusion traditional music. This video has currently accumulated 3265 million views on YouTube. The fusion of Korean traditional music and trendy dances that merged modern and visual aesthetics earned praise from foreigners who wish to visit Korea.

 Since the TV show “Kingdom”* gained worldwide popularity, foreigners have been interested in the Gat (Korean traditional hat that was worn by adult men, in English) worn by the main characters. 

The gat was once regarded as an antique item and was only displayed in the museum, but is now drawing attention from the world. The sales volume of the gat has increased on overseas online commerce sites, and in addition to the gat, articles praising the charm of the Hanbok are posted on numerous social media websites.
The popular boy group, BTS, has also contributed to the Hanbok craze. BTS have frequently used Hanbok as costumes. In addition, a music video filmed by Black Pink, the popular Korean girl group, features the members wearing a fusion hanbok, and has recorded approximately 700 million views.

*Kingdom: A Korean zombie TV show that is set in the Joseon Dynasty, and was produced by a streaming platform, Netflix.

Power of Millennials & Gen Z

These new cultures are expected to lead to the increase of cultural exports and public diplomacy. A remarkable factor in this situation is the power of millennials and generation Z. Before gaining popularity abroad, these cultures require strong support from these generations because the influence and purchasing power of these generations are widely known to surpass that of other generations.

Sometimes they act as cultural propagators by using social media websites, such as YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram, and communicating with foreign fans of Korean culture. In particular, by writing comments on YouTube, they convey information about Korea, similar to a cultural diplomat. These generations also act as cultural discriminators. It is difficult to determine whether everything related to Korean traditional culture is popular abroad. Among various Korean phenomena, those that are cherished by millennials and have been altered to suit the current trends have survived. Therefore, the cultural industry of Korea in the future must focus more on these aspects. 

In the 21st century, the importance and value of cultural diplomacy are gradually increasing. Korean cultural exports must be constantly cultivated. Meanwhile, the Korean Wave that is spreading around the world is bound to serve as a warning for other countries, because the soft power of culture and art has as much influence as an economic and military power. As a result, there has been a sharp increase in recent years wherein those in China have attempted to claim aspects of Korean culture and heritage as their own. They argued that Korea was a subordinate state of China and that China has led the path to the emergence of Korean culture. Chinese media has also attempted to claim that Hanbok belonged to China and has portrayed distorted nationalism. The only way to stop this ridiculous argument is to further promote Korean culture. A culture that is beloved by millennials and gen Z in Korea can be the answer to solve this problem.

Global interest in K-contents is moving from simple consumption to a desire to learn about Korean culture, including the Korean language. Korea must, henceforth, pursue the harmonious intersection between tradition and modernity.

Sung Jung-min
sjm2572@uos.ac.kr