The Wave of Korean Culture and Politics at Harvard
by Sue Jean Cho
2007 is proving to be an exciting year for Korean studies at Harvard. The Korea Institute organized several events to examine the growing global reach and influence of Korean culture and politics.
On February 12th, Mme. Park Geun Hye, recent South Korean presidential candidate and former chairperson of the Grand National Party, spoke at the John F. Kennedy School. Her talk, entitled “Korea in the 21st Century: Challenges and Prospects,” addressed issues ranging from U.S.-South Korea relations to North Korea’s security threat. As the daughter of former South Korean president, Park Chung Hee, Mme. Park also spoke about her father and his policies as president. Mme. Park also met with Harvard students in a more intimate setting to answer their questions about the issues facing South Korea’s domestic and foreign policy, with Professor David McCann leading the discussion.
Another Korea Institute event addressed the Korean pop culture wave, or “Hallyu,” that has swept the world in recent years. The forum, entitled “Hallyu (Korea Wave) in Asia: A Dialogue,” asked a panel of both scholars and South Korean entertainment industry experts to discuss the relationship between the export of Korean culture and Korean nationalism. A topic that generated significant debate was how to interpret the popularity and spread of Korean pop culture to global audiences. The event marked a rare convergence of academic and industry expertise about contemporary cultural currents and made for a rich and dynamic discussion. Jin-Young Park, CEO of JYP Entertainment and actress Jung-Sook Park represented South Korea’s pop industry on the Hallyu panel, while Harvard professors Carter Eckert, Eileen Chow, David McCann, MIT’s Ian Condry, and University of Wisconin-Madison’s David Leheny comprised the panel’s academic contingent.
