January 2020 "In the Absence"

General Update

I've been in Missouri the entire month of January, but that doesn't mean I have nothing Korean-related to write about! On the contrary I've had loads of time to finish some assigned readings I was too busy for during the semester, study language, watch dramas and music videos, and overall keep up with Korea happenings.

I've also had time for some silly things, like lip-syncing to Korean songs. It may not sound like a worthwhile activity but it helps with language learning and pretending to rap is just too darn fun. 😂 I love recreating artists' facial expressions as I try to keep up with the lyrics, but I rarely indulged in lip-syncing while living in a dorm because I was afraid my roommate would walk in unexpectantly and recognize me for the embarrassment I am. 😳 But now that I'm home and there's usually no one but the cat to judge me, I embrace the opportunity to look a fool. The song Miroh by Stray Kids (link) is the song I'm trying to memorize now, and it's been super fun to let myself be silly. (Not uploading any video of me lip-syncing though. Some things aren't meant to be shared.)

What I'm Writing

I wrote an analysis of the possible thoughts and feelings experienced by Korean nationals who converted to Catholicism while living in Japan in the 1500s and 1600s as my final paper for last semester's History of Korean Religions class. My essay draws from letters Jesuit missionaries sent one another to relate conversions, baptisms, and martyrdoms. (The historian Juan Ruiz de Medina collected these letters in a book called The Catholic Church in Korea: Its Origins, 1566-1784, which was translated to English by John Bridges.) I find the joy Korean martyrs expressed at the prospect of death for the sake of their faith most striking, especially since these martyrs actively and unnecessarily pursued it. To explain the phenomenon I explore everything from nationality to mental stress, and the analysis helped me understand and relate to these martyrs in a way that escaped me when I first read the letters. I hope you find my essay interesting!

Korea and the World Stage-A Jesuit Epistolary Study of Korea’s First Martyrs in Japan (link)

A depiction of the crucifixion of 26 Christians on February 5, 1597 in Nagasaki, Japan. Image from Wikipedia

What I'm Watching

I'm sure many of you have heard about Parasite, a Korean film that won best cast at the Screen Actors Guild Awards last month, and received a nomination for best picture at the Oscars this year (among other things). I don't need to add my voice to the argument over international films' representation in American culture, so I'll keep to other things.
Besides Parasite, Korea received another Oscar nod in the short documentary department, and I was able to find it online for free.

In the Absence-Korean Short Film (link)

(Earlier I mistakenly titled the video "Field of Vision" and not the correct title, "In the Absence." Field of Vision is the name of the website where you can view the documentary.)

The film contains footage and testimony from the April 16th, 2014 Sewol Ferry Disaster, in which poor and selfish decisions on the part of those in power resulted in more then 300 deaths, 250 of which were high school students on a field trip. The public condemned officials, including then-president Park Geun Hye, for responding slowly and inappropriately. The tragedy caused nation-wide mourning, and played a part in the president's eventual 2016 impeachment. Korean citizens are still emotionally reckoning with the event, and part of that healing takes place in pop culture. The first movie about Sewol, Birthday (link), came out in 2019, and centers around a couple torn apart by the sudden loss of their son. Musicians have also released songs with allusions to Sewol (but K-pop is famously apolitical so most claims to a connection with Sewol are speculation). Through these mediums I'm beginning to understand better and better how much this tragedy shook the country; many felt betrayed by those who were supposed to protect them.

My roommate last year revealed her mother's close friend's daughter died in the sinking, and both women have hardly spoken since. One is waiting for the other to open up to her, but the loss is still too painful.

The capsized Sewol Ferry

Every year on April 16th people display a yellow ribbon to remember the tragedy.

The Sewol disaster is only one example of mismanagement in a country heavily plagued by political and corporate corruption. A similar incident occurred in June 1995 when the Sampoong Department Store collapsed, killing 502 people. Ignored structural issues resulting from fraud and greed led to the catastrophe, and the fallout included more than 20 arrests.

Sampoong Department Store documentary 

I didn't intend to mention so many dark things, but might as well finish what I started. Don't feel sad or defeated! These are things Korea's aware of and working on!

I'd like to highlight another short film that features a societal issue: plastic surgery. When I first heard that some people receive double eyelid surgery (to make their eyes seem larger) for their birthdays, or that K-pop artists face extreme pressure to possess exceptional looks I shook my head in distain. But when I thought about it, I don't see small cosmetic surgeries as any different from inserting metal bands in children's mouths to make teeth straighter (notice I'm not talking about people who need braces for more serious reasons). I won't deny the stressful reality of aesthetic competition that plagues both men and women, but I also won't wag my finger anymore like I know better. Looks determine much of one's opportunity, and though most people probably wish it weren't so, I can't deny that that's the way it is. So I'll try harder not to fault people who find it hard to accept their looks as are. People are not less than for not fitting the standard, but they're also not less than for trying to fit the standard. But I'll get off my high horse now. 😅

This short film below, Human Form, uses a striking beauty standard to highlight how extreme the desire to fit in can become. It's a bit creepy, and the story will stay with you.

Human Form Korean short film 

As a bonus, here's a prezi I made on plastic surgery in Korea while I studied abroad there in 2016. Feel free to browse, though I'm sure some statistics have changed since then.

Leslie's Prezi Presentation on Plastic Surgery (link)

What I'm Listening to

Zico

Thinking about Sewol reminds me of an artist who created songs that run 4 minutes and 16 seconds as an ode to the disaster (The songs are Well Done and Tough Cookie). This R&B artist, stage name Zico, took the disaster really hard, perhaps because he learned a fan of his then-boy group fell among the victims. Zico went so far as to invite that fan's parents to his group's concert, dedicate a rap to her, and even attend her funeral. He also has a tattoo of the Sewol ribbon.

I'm not just trying to sing the praises of this particular artist, but I want to highlight how personally everyone in Korea takes the Sewol sinking. Most people seem connected in some way to either a victim or a victim's family, and for those who are not the solidary Koreans feel between one another compels them to share their grief and anger.

More on Zico

I'd like to mention a bit more about Zico since he's grown substantially in popularity recently, and I believe his decision to write songs about real experiences has aided this. He's proven himself a legitimate artist over the years, and after he left his boy band (Block B) in 2019 to start his own music label his talents came on full display. Since then he's released two legitimately wonderful mini-albums called Thinking 1 and Thinking 2, both of which contain songs about the confusing condition of being human.

For my part, I've always liked him for the great facial expressions he exhibits in Block B's chaotic music videos (see below).

From Block B's music video for Jackpot (2014). Zico's the one in yellow.

Block B's music video for Very Good (2013). Zico wears multiple styles in this, most notably man buns. 

The 2019 song, Balloon, from the album Thinking 2 has become a favorite of mine for the music video's animation and for lyrics that highlight the difficulties of understanding why life turns out the way it does.

I would also like to mention Any Song, released January 2020. The music video's fun to watch as it centers on a birthday party Zico's not so happy to receive, and the lyrics encourage letting go of worries by turning on whatever song promises to lift the mood. However, the video suggests that even hanging out with friends sometimes doesn't satisfy. Whatever the meaning the song has certainly become popular, partly because Zico introduced a simple dance and challenged viewers to learn and upload their own versions of it. Both celebrities and fans worldwide participated, which led to more than 1.3 million uploads.

Any song music video

Any Song Challenge (link)- A news report on the dance Zico introduced. There's no English subtitles available, but you'll be able to see the multiple videos sent in by fans.

Random

I've been enjoying lots of podcasts over my break to keep up with Korean politics and the like. Below I've listed ones I enjoy regularly, most of which focus on North Korean issues. They're all on iTunes Apple Podcast, and The Korea Society and The Impossible State appear on Spotify as well.

1. NK News.org
2. Korean Kontext
3. The Impossible State (CSIS)
4. The Korea Society

What I'm Doing (Photos)

Happy New Year from my wacky family!

Celebrated my bother's birthday on the 4th

Some shopping and coffee-sipping time with mom

Baked goods and coffees of January

Delicious foods of January

Friends I got to meet this month!

And my cat. What will I do without you in Korea?

Our dining room table, where I spend most of my time these days and currently sit as I write this post. My parents have kindly tolerated my things and gently move my stuff when it's time to eat. 😂

Seeing BTS merchandise in the US still feels surreal for me. I often feel as if Korea and the US are on different planets so I can't help but take a picture when those worlds collide!

My version of the Any Song Challenge. Featuring a giant cat.

 

마무리까지 읽어주셔서 고맙습니다! 다음에 뵙겠습니다!