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Psy(chology): Not the True Korea

The Singer Psy

Take a moment and go check out this article: “Psy’s new track ‘Gentleman’ Banned in South Korea. Yep, that’s right Psy has made another video. Brings back traumatic memories of a certain song being stuck in your head for days when every radio, club, restaurant, and Wal-Mart was airing it.

The first video “Gangnam Style” was so popular, it drove searches for South Korea through the roof. I was living in the Gangnam (aka Kangnam) area when the song first came out. Previously, when friends asked where I was, I had to explain carefully where Korea was; trying to explain “South” Korea usually was more than they cared to get. But suddenly, everyone know where the country was. Korea was popular, the entire nation suddenly became a big hit.

However, what a lot of people didn’t understand was that Gangnam is a strange sort of area within the greater city of Seoul. It’s kind of like their version of Beverly Hills/Hollywood. When you visit Gangnam, you see huge, expensive shopping centers. International financial banking companies. Here are the headquarters for the big international companies (Samsung, Hyundai, etc.). The average cost per square foot is about $1,000. Check out pictures and articles, this is the most expensive place to be in the country. This is where the movie stars live. Where the heads of state shop. Where the CEO’s come to do business. Think uber-elitist. And with it you get all of their strange habits. Anyplace where you have wealthy, spoiled people interacting with one another in large masses, you get oddities. You get people who dress up their pet bugs with gemstones. Women who wear clothes straight off the models’ runway. These aren’t your average citizens; these people have private stables, flashy dresses, and drop thousands of dollars for one night in a club.

So when Psy made that video, the Koreans thought it was hilarious. He was mocking this “movie-star”esque area and the people who live there. Everyone in Korea, Japan, China and the surrounding nations knew that this was satire. The people were strange; everyone thought so. The video was funny, people loved it. So they shared it. And suddenly the video went viral around the world. The problem? People who lived outside of the Asian community (particularly in the U.S.) didn’t get the joke. Like I said earlier, before this video came out a lot of people didn’t even know where South Korea was. The only association they had with anything Korean were M*A*S*H* episodes (not historically accurate), old Korean war photos (practically ancient by now), and Korean restaurants (which are actually often staffed by non-Koreans). They’d never heard of Seoul, much less understood the unique situation that is Gangnam. They didn’t know that Psy has always been a bit racy, crude, and Lady Gaga-ish. He’s out there, so to speak, in the Korean music industry. But Americans in general weren’t aware of his past, so they took him at face value–Gangnam Style was Korean Style. And suddenly Korea took on a whole new shape in the minds of the world.

“Gangnam Style”

But, this wasn’t too bad. Sure, “Gangnam Style” made them look a little strange, random, and brainless. It also had a good beat, a fun dance, and it showed people a glimpse of the funner side of the Korean culture. But now, Psy strikes again. This time, his new song is “Gentleman.” It went viral the minute it came out, thanks to his success the last time. But this time, he isn’t making fun of the pop-stars and heiresses. This time he’s mocking their traditional culture in general. You see, Korea thinks VERY highly of the concept of gentlemanly behavior. Go watch a K-Drama and you’ll see. They love their knights in shining armor. Men in Korea are actually expected to act like gentlemen. They still hold the door, buy her flowers, and pull out her chair. If you ever go to a mall near a college campus, sit and watch the exchange students from Asia. You’ll notice that the couples are really lovey-dovey. Holding hands, laughing, and wearing couples shirts (identical shirts). The guy dotes on his lady, it’s a cultural thing. And frankly, it’s one of the things I loved most about Korea. As a girl alone in the nation, there were a lot of times when I needed some gentlemen to help me out. To carry my 50lb suitcases, to grab a taxi and give directions, to escort me through the more dangerous parts of the city. And more than anywhere else I’ve ever visited, Korea was built for this. Gentleman-like behavior is ingrained into their hearts, lives, and history. It’s amazing.

And Psy is attacking that. Once again, he’s gone back to his roots–Satire, Vulgarity, and Weirdness all thrown into one. His new video is filled with gross hits at the Korean belief in gentlemen. It’s disgusting and hardly worth watching, and most people familiar with Korean culture will understand its stupidity. But what about the rest of the world? Those people whose entire understanding of Korea is based off of “Gangnam Style”? Will they figure out just how un-Korean this video is? Will they be able to differentiate between Psy and the country he seemed to represent? Or will they once again fall prey to his portrayal of the Korean lifestyle?

N Seoul Tower View

So just a reminder from someone who appreciates all that the Korean culture actually does have to offer. South Korea is not what Psy portrays. So don’t be fooled. Treat his videos like Onion Posts. Sometimes Funny, but to be taken with a dump truck of salt.