The Evolution of a Subject Position (Cassandra Allen)

Reflection

by Cassandra Allen 

  Change is inevitable except from a vending machine. This change can be measured in the growth of a mindset or perspective. After coming to South Korea or rather traveling the world in general it is impossible for one to stay the same.

    My perspective of South Korea was purely based on the fantasy land depicted in popular Korean music and drama. However, the media at home which highlights the tensions evolving between North Korea and South Korea lead me to believe that everyday life in South Korea would be based on fear, yet that was far from the truth. This rose colored filter painted by Korean popular culture was convoluted by American media. I now realize that the subject position of America, being that of a world power fixated on maintaining it’s status, has biased my own subject position when experiencing other countries and cultures. Somewhere in the back of my mind I felt that kpop was influenced by Western culture, and that I was strange for investing my time in a culture that didn’t seem so open towards Western people in regards to their entertainment industry. Therefore, when I engaged in Korean popular culture I had believed the reality there to be a society based on consumption due to the lavish and elaborate visuals within the MV and drama. South Korea in my mind was hanging on by a thread, and the string could snap at a moment’s notice due to the proximity of North Korea.

    The initial perspective couldn’t have been farther from the truth. Upon arrival and throughout my stay in South Korea I have found that this society is fiercely independent from that of Western society, and that is fantastic! The South Korean people are passionate, humble, and selfless people the pride they have in their country and their dedication to continue improving it. After experiencing many new things, I can confidently declare that our world shouldn’t be homogeneous, after all diversity promotes creativity which then fuels the evolution of kpop.

    A month ago you could have asked me “what is kpop?” and you might have received a witty comment such as “ Korean music duh”. If you ask me now you would hear me reply “kpop like most things in the world is a result of the interaction between cultures in fact a synthesis of diverse ideas, even Western products, and nobody can say that it is copying western sound because in reality nothing is ever truly original. However that isn’t necessarily a bad thing simply because we are adapting, evolving, and enhancing the music until it becomes a masterpiece.”