33 Keys to Decoding the Korean Wave, Hallyu

#2 The Culture of Ppalli Ppalli 

8282 Republic 

 

*한류를 이해하는 33가지 코드 #2 빨리빨리 문화 <한국어 버전, Korean version>

http://www.nyculturebeat.com/index.php?mid=Focus&document_srl=4073885

 

Corona Busters? Corona Avengers?

*Korea, Wonderland? A very strange country, Overseas Culture Promotion Agency <YouTube>

 

 

#COVID19, the rise of "K-Quarantine"

 

A comparison of the coronavirus testing rate per million people around the world published in the New York Times on March 17, 2020.

https://covidtracking.com

 

When Bong Joon-ho & Company swept the 92nd Academy Awards in four categories: Best Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, and International Feature Film for “Parasite” on February 9, 2020, the pride of Koreans around the world was soaring. Around that time, however, bad news broke out from Korea, that the number of COVID 19 confirmed cases centered on the Shincheonji Church in Daegu, skyrocketed, and the number of infections rose to second place worldwide after China. The rising self-esteem of Koreans seemed to fall to the ground, but that was soon reversed.

 

By March 2020, foreign media all praised Korea’s response to COVID-19. As plastic surgeon Joo-hyeok Lee posted on Facebook, it proved that “the number of patients is not increasing, but finding patients quickly.” South Korea tested quickly, disclosed the route of confirmed patients quickly and transparently, and activated a rapid disaster text message system. By controlling the spread of COVID-19 with innovative drive-through and walking-through clinics, 24-hour testing institutions, and real-time gene amplification tests at low costs, Korea became a model country in quarantine in controlling the spread of COVID-19.

 

Who could predict that the glory of “Parasite” would lead to the kudos of COVID Prevention? While the United States and the developed countries in Europe were looking on, Korea was containing and putting out the fire at the speed of light. Koreans know how to turn a crisis into an opportunity, there is a spirit behind them. We are the people in a hurry. BBC reported that Koreans have an “unstoppable state of haste.”  “Ppalli ppalli” is most Koreans’ daily motto.

 

 

U.S. House of Representatives COVID-19 Hearing in March, 2020.  MBC-TV News capture image.

 

On March 1, 2020, the AFP news agency evaluated that “South Korea has an advanced health system and a free press and this is a factor that raises the credibility of statistical figures.” The next day, the Wall Street Journal reported that The Korean government used new technology to track and disclose the movement of confirmed patients and contacts based on credit card usage records, CCTV, mobile phone location tracking, traffic cards, and immigration records, adding that it was the most ambitious movement tracking system in Asia.

 

The Washington Post ran an opinion column by Josh Rogin on March 2, titled “South Korea shows that democracies can succeed against the coronavirus.” Rogin pointed out the statistics, writing: “South Korea’s most effective weapon against the virus has been to rapidly expand testing. It is now testing 15,000 people a day, according to government figures; 210,000 South Koreans have been tested since Jan. 3, compared to about 6,500 tests completed in the United States by Tuesday morning. South Korea’s testing, of course, caused a spike in confirmed cases, which number 7,513 as of Tuesday. But they report only 54 deaths, a mortality rate of 0.71 percent.”

 

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a Pandemic on March 11, 2020. After that ominous announcement, the worldwide media began to praise Korea’s coronavirus control measures all at once. On March 12, BBC News praised Korea with the headline “Coronavirus in South Korea: How ‘trace, test and treat’ may be saving lives.”

 

“Korea’s COVID-19 test is 98% accurate, and its ability to test many people is a ‘role model’ for other countries struggling with the spread of COVID-19.” The BBC reported that a large-scale test was carried out with the “bali bali ” gene unique to Koreans. Professor Gye Cheol Kwon, the chairman of the Laboratory Medicine Foundation, said to the BBC that this was because the South Koreans managed to design and create a test, set up a network of labs across the country and get it all to work in 17 days.

 

 

#From “The Land of the Morning Calm” to “Country of Haste ”

 

William Elliott Griffis, “Corea: the Hermit Nation” (1882)/ Illustration “The master and servant of the village”.

 

At the end of the 19th century, Joseon was seen by Westerners as the “Hermit Nation” and “The Land of Morning Calm.” The first Westerner who wrote about Joseon was William Elliot Griffis (1843-1928), who was born in Philadelphia and served in the Civil War in America. After graduating from Rutgers University in New Jersey, Griffis traveled to Europe and stayed in Japan for four years, where he served as a professor of physics at the University of Tokyo.

 

Although an outsider, Griffis became interested in Korea. He was particularly fascinated by Korea’s influence on Japan. Although Griffis did not set foot in Korea, he collected materials about things Korean and published “Corea: the Hermit Nation” in 1882. There were criticisms that it was a book comparing Korea and Japan, but it was meaningful as a book that first introduced Joseon to the West. Griffis described Korea as “the Land of Morning Calm” in the preface to his book. Perhaps he interpreted the meaning of "Joseon (朝鮮)" literally. In Chinese characters, “Jo(朝)” means “morning” and “seon(鮮)” means “fresh”.  That might be his misunderstanding about Korea, which was little known by the rest of the world then. But now Korea is one of the most dynamic countries in the world.

 

 

Percival Lawrence Lowell’s “Chosön: The Land of the Morning Calm” and the Korean delegation bowing to U.S. President Chester A. Arthur in 1883.

 

Percival Lawrence Lowell (1855-1916), an astronomer who was born in Boston and graduated from Harvard University, conducted diplomatic service with the Joseon Guard Trade Mission (Bobingsa, 報聘使) dispatched by King Gojong from August to November, 1883. He was an official Foreign Secretary. The Joseon Guard Trade Delegation, which symbolized independent diplomacy from the Chinese Qing Dynasty, left Jemulpo Port (now Incheon) on July 15, met Lowell in Yokohama, and arrived in San Francisco on September 2 by boat to be welcomed.

 

On May 24, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge opened after 14 years of construction, and President Chester A. Arthur attended the opening ceremony. Meanwhile, the Korean delegation was on a train from San Francisco to New York. On September 18, the Korean delegation, wearing Korean ceremonial costumes, met with President Arthur in New York and gave big greetings. After the meeting, the delegation toured New York’s hospitals, post offices, fire departments and electricity companies.

 

This first Korean delegation to America stayed in the U.S. for 40 days. The delegation included 10 representatives of the enlightenment movement, including Gil-Jun Yoo, Young-Sik Hong, Young-Ik Min, and Kwang-Beom Seo. Among them, Gil-jun Yoo at 17, stayed in the U.S. and studied at Boston University, making him the first Korean student in an American college. At the invitation of King Gojong, Lowell visited Joseon for the first time in December of 1883 and stayed for three months. Then, in 1886, his book “Chosön: The Land of the Morning Calm” was published.  Meanwhile, Gil-Jun Yoo published “Journey to the West” in 1889, a book that compiles American culture and systems, ranging from the division of political systems, party organization, tax and monetary system, military and police, education and academia, religion, food, clothing, and shelter.

 

 

“OLD KOREA: The Land Of Morning Calm” (1946) compiled by Elizabeth Keith and Elspet Keith, written by Robertson Scott and illustrated “Woman Sewing”.

 

Elizabeth Keith (1887-1956) was an artist and writer from Scotland, who was fascinated by the Asian cultures such as Korea, Japan, China and the Philippines.

While staying in Korea during the Japanese colonial period, Keith worked on genre paintings. In 1915 at the age of 28, the single Keith went to Japan at the invitation of her sister Elspet Keith Roberton Scott, who had married J.W. Robertson Scott, a Tokyo-based publisher. It was supposed to be a short stay, but she sold her return tickets to the UK and settled down.

 

At the end of March of 1919, around the time of the March 1st Independence Movement, Keith visited Korea with her sister Elspet. There she was introduced by missionaries such as Pastor James Gale, who had lived in Korea for over 30 years.  She met diverse Koreans whom she used as the models for her paintings. From nobles such as royal princesses and Viscount Kim Yun-sik to daegeum players, farmers, inn-keepers, brides, wives, kite-flying children, she painted and painted. While Elspet returned to Japan three months later, Keith fell in love with Korea and resisted leaving to paint people in Seoul. Keith also travelled to Wonsan, Hamheung, Pyongyang and Mt. Kumgang, now all in North Korea, and painted landscapes. The Koreans described by Elizabeth Keith are a peaceful, serene, and sophisticated people.

 

As a foreigner, Elizabeth Keith witnessed the brutality of Japanese militarism during her stay in Korea. She felt compassion for the Koreans who had been deprived of their mother country, and she immersed herself in Korean culture. Keith had two exhibitions in Korea, in 1921 and 1934, and she toured China and the Philippines, where she worked in engravings and watercolors.

 

In 1946, Keith published “OLD KOREA: The Land Of Morning Calm,” a book composed of her own drawings and the writings of her sister Elspet. Elspet wrote about the March 1st Movement, Korean traditional weddings, shaman dances, scholars, and hanok (Korean traditional houses) structures, while Keith contributed her drawings and descriptions. The book was published in Korea in 2006 as a translated version of Professor Song Young-dal’s “Korea 1920-1940 by the British painter Elizabeth Keith.” Being outsiders, the Keith sisters were able to see Korea and Japan objectively.

 

 

“Korea 1920~1940” by British painter Elizabeth Keith (as Song Young-dal)/ Korean Domestic Interior

 

It is said that during the colonial period, the Japanese criticized Koreans for “being slow.” During the Korean War, when the Americans in Korea made an appointment with Koreans, most of them came later than the promised time, so the nickname given to Koreans was “Korean Time.” In the eyes of Japanese and Westerners, Koreans were seen as lazy people.

 

However, in the wave of modernization in the 1960s, the people of “Korean Time” became as busy as bees. Koreans’ life rhythm started running from Adagio (quietly slow) to Allegro (fast and bright), Vivace (lively and fast) to Presto (extremely fast).

 

 

#Live Well & New Community Movement

 

“The Revolutionary Wealth” by Alvin Toffler

 

Alvin Toffler (1928-2016), a futurist and the author of “The Third Wave” and “Future Shock,” pointed out the secret of Korea’  rapid growth in “Revolutionary Wealth: How it will be created and how it will change our lives” (2006). The key was “SPEED,” that is, “ppalli, ppalli”culture.

 

Toffler analyzed the industrialization process (agricultural revolution-first wave / industrial revolution-second wave / knowledge revolution-third wave) that Korea achieved in 30 years, which took the West 100-230 years. It was because of the national character that it cannot be discharged without promptly responding. 

 

 

The slogan “Let’s live well” was a slogan that was promoted in rural areas in the 1960s. Photo: Rural Development Administration.

 

“Let’s live well, Let’s live well, Let’s live well.

If we take care of a beautiful country with one heart,

The fun of a thrifty life is also ours, and the wealth and glory are ours.

Let’s live well, Let’s live well, Let’s live well once again. Let’s live well.

 

Let’s do the work. Let us do the work.

A country that lives well beyond the ocean was built in a day.

If it is a mountain of Taesan by collecting dust, we should not save our blood and sweat.

Let’s live well, Let’s live well, Let’s live well once again. Let’s live well.

 

Let’s run, Let’s run, Let’s run, Let’s run once again.

The window of a tightly closed country opens wide to the world.

Let’s learn all the good things and run to see if we can fall behind.

Let’s live well, Let’s live well, Let’s live well once again. Let’s live well.

-Let’s Live Well (Lyrics by Unsa Han, Composed by Heejo Kim, 1962) <YouTube>-

 

After the Japanese colonial period ended in 1945, the joy of liberation was short-lived. Then the Korean Peninsula was devastated by War, which began June 25, 1950. American General Douglas MacArthur, a hero of the Korean War, predicted that it would take at least 100 years to restore the country. The U.S. military government and armistice broke the country in half, leading to the April 19 Revolution in 1960 and May 16 Coup in 1961in South Korean, making Korea a poor and chaotic country. However, Korea, which relied on foreign aid, started a five-year economic development plan from bare ground in 1962, and created a “miracle on the Han River” with rapid growth over the next 20 years.

 

General MacArthur’s prediction was wrong. Korea’s annual per capita income rose from 87 dollars in 1962 to 1,693 dollars in 1979, a 20-fold increase, and its gross domestic product (GDP) grew 28 times from 2.3 billion dollars to 64 billion dollars.  South Korea’s gross national income (GNI) per capita exceeded $10,000 in 1995, $20,000 in 2006, and $30,000 in 2017, making it a developed country.

 

According to the World Economic Outlook report of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in December 2021, Korea’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2022 will be $1.97 trillion (about 226.6 trillion won). Out of 191 countries in the world, Korea’s GDP was now expected to rank 10th. If the IMF’s forecast is realized, Korea will maintain the world’s 10th largest economy from 2020 for three consecutive years. Underlying “the miracle on the Han River” was the diligence and “ppalli, ppalli” mindset of Koreans.

 

 

 -Saemaeul Song <YouTube>-

 

In fact, even before the economic development plan, “ppalli ppalli” thinking was deeply ingrained in our lives. In an agricultural society that has four distinct seasons, it is necessary to perform planting, weeding, and harvesting on time. Since the time could not be missed, the year was divided into 4 seasons and 24 solar terms, so it was possible to earn a living by working diligently “ppalli, ppalli”.

 

The Saemaul Undong (New Community  Movement), initiated by President Park Chung-hee in 1971, was a modernization policy of “Let’s live well in the countryside as well.” Although it was a dark period of the coup d’etat and Yushin (the Revitalizing Reform) dictatorship, the rural villages were able to escape from poverty. In addition, the previously relaxed national character of “Korean Time” was transformed into a dynamic people armed with diligence, self-help, and cooperation. Also, Koreans are naturally very competitive. We like to win. It’s about life or death, pride or shame. We don’t like to lose face, we want grace.

 

The Saemaul Undong later spread to the world, influencing China’s Presidents Deng Xiaoping and Hu Jintao, as well as India, the Philippines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Peru, Congo, Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa. In Korea, the Saemaul Globalization Foundation (SGF) was established in 2013 to spread the Saemaul Undong to developing countries. Korea, which started from ashes, has become a role model for other countries.

 

 

#8282 Republic (The Republic of Ppalli-Ppalli)

 

McDonald’s delivery is also popular in Korea. Food delivery app “Baedal People (Nation of Delivery)”.

 

On April 27, 2018, the inter-Korean summit was held at the Peace House located in the southern section of the Joint Security Area in Panmunjom. President Moon Jae-in of South Korea and Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, met under the slogan of “Peace, a new beginning”. After this historic meeting, some Koreans drank kimchi soup with the anticipation that Pyongyang naengmyeon could be delivered and eaten when unification is achieved. Pyongyang is the capital of DPRK and naengmyeon, cold noodle, is famous there.

 

Korea is a paradise for delivery services. It is enough to spread a mat by the Han River and have a picnic with fried chicken from a quick delivery service. Delivery brokerage apps such as Baedal People, Baedaltong, Yogiyo and Coupang Eats provide Koreans with prompt delivery anytime, anywhere, at low prices. Home delivery service has also developed. Korea’s courier service, which picks up and delivers goods quickly, is an inexpensive express service that takes the place of Amazon’s prime service. Koreans did not experience a hoarding phenomenon during the COVID-19 crisis thanks to their trust in the delivery service and the government’s control of the pandemic.

 

In July 2018, the BBC of U.K. reported on Korea’s “ppalli-ppalli” culture in an article titled “Korea’s Unstoppable Taste of Haste,” saying:

“not long ago, Korea was a great deal slower due to its rural complexion. In 1960, a whopping 72% of the population lived in the countryside. So how did people go from transplanting rice to downloading torrents in just a few decades?”  BBC continued: “In the early ’60s, South Korea embarked upon a series of five-year economic plans put forward by then-president Park Chung-hee. These military-style campaigns brought about the Miracle on the Han River (the transformation from a war-ruined country to an economic powerhouse), and created Korea Inc, represented by such corporate behemoths as Samsung, Hyundai and LG. ... Mind-bogglingly, the country’s exports during this period grew by 30% to 40% per year.”

 

The BBC mentioned Korean food service that comes out immediately when you order from a restaurant, high-speed internet,  intensive language classes promising near-immediate results, speed-dating events, wedding ceremonies that runs for an hour every hour, instant noodles (cup noodles), 24-hour McDonald’s delivery service (McDelivery), and express home delivery service. The BBC also pointed out: “It’s remarkable enough that such service exists in a country where tipping is not practiced.”

 

It is no coincidence that Koreans are also strong in archery and shooting, where speed is the key, winning Olympic medals, and the BBC noted that Korea has won 48 medals in short-track speed skating. In addition, in the text-messaging competition of the LG Mobile World Cup held in New York in 2010, Korean teenager Umji-jok (Bae Young-ho and Ha Mok-min) took first place.  

 

 

*Talking about Koreans’ “Fast culture” <YouTube>

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIRuGaoU2eE

 

It is said that the first word foreigners learn in Korea is “ppalli-ppalli.” How do foreigners view Koreans’ habit of being impatient and unable to wait? Let’s take a look at some humorous examples of Koreans taking “Ppalli-Ppalli” too far, as selected by foreigners.

 

#1 Putting the hand in the place before the coffee cup comes out of the vending machine.

#2 At the bus stop, they often have a chase with the bus.

#3 Once he took the zipper down before entering the bathroom.

#4 Eating pork belly before it is cooked.

#5 Pressing the “close button” until the elevator door closes.

#6 Opening the lid and eating uncooked instant cup noodles.

#7 Leaving the movie theater before the ending scrolls went up.

 #8 Brushing teeth while sitting on the toilet.

#9 Closing the website when it does not open in more than 3 seconds.

#10 Sometimes they eat at the store before they pay for the food.

-KBS-2TV 'Sponge'-

#Korean Proverbs and Abbreviations: Efficiency and Humor

 

Kim Hong-do (1745- ), paddy field (left), rice threshing, <The Album of Danwon Genre Paintings>, Treasure No. 527, National Museum of Korea

 

In the Spanish language, the phrase “Mañana, mañana!” is popular. Manana, which means “to tomorrow, later!”, is a word that shows the lazy and optimistic temperament of Latin Americans, who always procrastinate and procrastinate. It’s the opposite of “quickly”. We are a nation that takes pleasure in things that are progressing in one thousand li (248.548 miles), with great rapidity. Korea is a rare country where there were almost no commercial breaks on television except for sports and art programs until July 2021. Korean viewers will not be able to forgive the interruptions.

 

Koreans may have developed this character during the economic development plan in the 1960s, when “ppalli-ppalli” become a goal for daily lives. However, its roots may be deeper. There are many proverbs that show the “ppalli” disposition and impatient nature of Koreans.

 

“Whatever route you take, you only have to go to Seoul. (The end justifies the means)”

“It’s better to be beaten first. (It’s better to face your difficulties as early as possible.)”

“Remove the bull’s horns in a short time. (Strike while the iron is hot.)”

“You got your knife, so cut at least a radish. (Once you decide on something, you have to put an end to it.)”

“Looking for scorched rice tea at the well. (To seek hot water under cold ice.)”

“Flash in the East, Flash in the West. (The person is all over the place.)”

“A fire dropped on my feet. (I am pressed by urgent business.)”

 

Maybe it’s because of the agricultural culture which made Koreans impatient, as timing is everything in farming with four distinct seasons. The wisdom of our ancestors is contained in proverbs. Don't hesitate. Just Do It!

 

“Blow the trumpet after leaving Sato (lord)”

“Close the stable door after the horse has been stolen.”

“You can’t cook because you are afraid of maggots. (If you don’t make mistakes, you don't make anything.)”

 

The abbreviation shows how much Koreans enjoy the effectiveness of language, love to communicate, and have a sense of humor. In modern times, especially in the digital age, new words, especially abbreviations, have been pouring in to Korea, while chatting, texting, SMS, and online games are used on smartphones. Long TV program titles are shortened, and abbreviations using only the initial consonants of words are often used on the Internet. To catch up with the neologism abbreviation, the average person has to accelerate out of breath. The Korean language is also evolving minute by minute through the Internet and smartphones.

 

 

#The secret of the success of the three Korean-American sisters from Brazil: Ppalli Ppalli! 

 

Three sisters Jussara Lee (from left), Iara Lee, and Jupira Lee in the West Village, NYC in 2012. Photo: Sukie Park/ NYCultureBeat

 

“The biggest Korean DNA is efficiency. ‘Quickly, Quickly!’ It is the tendency to achieve maximum effect in a short period of time. That is the secret to immigrants’ success. I’ve been in the fashion industry for over 20 years, Jupira in the restaurant business for 15 years and Iara in the film industry for more than 20 years. Koreans are good at focusing and they know how to do things better.”

-Jussara Lee, fashion designer, interview with NYCultureBeat in 2012.

 

Born in São Paulo, Brazil, three Korean sisters, Iara, Jussara, and Jupira Lee, came to New York City in the late 1980s. The eldest, Iara Lee, is a documentary filmmaker and human rights activist after graduating from New York University with a degree in film. After she founded Cultures of Resistance, a network that pursues world peace through culture, she has worked in Africa and the Middle East, and has been making her documentaries around the world. The second, Jussara Lee, launched her namesake label “Jussara Lee” after she majored in fashion design at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology). After graduating from Parsons School of Design and FIT, the youngest sibling, Jupira Lee, ran a Brazilian restaurant called “Casa” in Greenwich Village for 25 years, until 2022.

 

The parents of the three sisters, who immigrated to Brazil from Korea in 1965, raised their three daughters while running a restaurant and nightclub in São Paulo. The three daughters were named after Amazonian tribes. Even though they can’t speak Korean, they are proud of themselves for being successful in the spirit of “hurry up!” that is part of the Korean DNA.

 

*Three Korean-American sisters from New York, Ara, Jusara, and Jupira Lee: “My role model is my mother, I learned ‘quickly, quickly’”

*Amazones with a Camera: An interview with Iara Lee

 

 

#Ppalli-Ppalli Mind: Power or Poison?

 

Nam June Paik, 429 TV Installation, 1992, 4 Metrotech Center, Brooklyn

 

“There is no way to know in advance, because life has no “fast-forward” or “rewind” buttons. So, you go step by step, and if you make a mistake you try to correct it with another mistake.”

-Nam June Paik-

 

If we compare it to Aesop’s fable “The Tortoise and the Hare,” Koreans seem to have mutated from a turtle to a rabbit. In the rapid economic development, all the Koreans had to become rabbits, and speed was more important than quality. Bullet taxi, speed date, food delivery services (Baedal People, rocket delivery, Saetbyeol delivery), bomb cocktail, mixed coffee, and fast fashion, etc. Koreans have been running on the supremacy of speed.

 

Korea is a republic of 8282 (pronounced as “ppalli-ppalli” in Korean). The spirit of ppalli-ppalli is the driving force that made Korea an advanced economy, an IT powerhouse, and a medical powerhouse amid the COVID-19 outbreak. It is inevitable that Korea’s country code is 82, as well. Korea, which dominates the semiconductor market and has emerged as an IT powerhouse thanks to the development of digital technology, is proud of its high-speed Internet, which is faster than Silicon Valley. It has achieved remarkable economic growth through efficiency, diligence, quick decision-making, and quick execution.

 

However, the tireless fast-paced tendency can be both “power” and “poison” for Koreans. Korea had to suffer from accidents because they were focused on quick results and not good quality with slow processes. And due to careless moderation and impatience rather than accuracy, the Seongsu Bridge (1994) and the Sampoong Department Store (1995) collapsed, the MV Sewol Ferry sank (2014) and the Galaxy S7 exploded (2016). The culture of haste left side effects and has taught us invaluable lessons.

 

 

Sukie Park

A native Korean, Sukie Park studied journalism and film & theater in Seoul. She worked as a reporter with several Korean pop, cinema, photography and video magazines, as a writer at Korean radio (KBS-2FM 영화음악실) and television (MBC-TV 출발 비디오 여행) stations, and as a copywriter at a video company(대우 비디오). Since she moved to New York City, Sukie covered culture and travel for The Korea Daily of New York(뉴욕중앙일보) as a journalist. In 2012 she founded www.NYCultureBeat.com, a Korean language website about cultural events, food, wine, shopping, sightseeing, travel and people.

 

 

 

33 Keys to Decoding the Korean Wave, Hallyu 

Beyond BTS, Parasite & Squid Game 

 

CONTENTS

 

#Prologue: 국풍인가, 국뽕인가 Dynamic Korea, Sparkling Koreans