Reflexive conclusion
This two-week cultural and media industry immersion in South Korea contributed to my education and preparation for career and life opportunities beyond the scope of a university campus. Through learning about South Korea’s media systems within the classroom, I was able to apply and discover meaningful connections with public relations specialists, journalists, broadcasters, advertising creatives and innovative businesspeople. Importantly, I was able to build relationships with fellow UNC-Chapel Hill students, two remarkable leaders and one guide who embarked on this adventure across an ocean of curiosity with me. These new friends, most of whom I had never met before, each hold diverse educational backgrounds, passions and perspectives on the world.
South Korean Entertainment Media
As a college student, the role of media in my life has transitioned from a mere filler of boredom to a source of readily available information and entertainment through credible news and popular culture sources; traveling to South Korea granted me the opportunity to understand how media is created and consumed abroad. When it comes to K-entertainment, I was absorbed in how accurately the journal articles, which are presented in the previous sections of my research project, depict the reality of the rising tide of Korean popular culture. As I stood in the entrance of the KBS building, I unexpectedly witnessed the thrilling commotion surrounding one of today’s most idolized K-pop groups (G)I-DLE. I genuinely think I could hear the racing heartbeats of the loyal fans in the room as the stars strutted by. I noticed numerous locations throughout the city-center of Seoul where a wide age-range of girls would perform dances and songs in hopes of being discovered and becoming the next Blackpink or (G)I-DLE. In relation to a class discussion prior to the trip, K-pop succeeds on a global scale partly through universalizing the music with a mixture of Korean and English lyrics. Interestingly, this fusion of American and Korean culture shows up in a new Netflix series: XO, Kitty. The series creatively reveals the story of an Asian-American girl who travels to Seoul to enroll in a boarding school that her late Korean mother attended. Characters speak both Korean and English, and the daily events showcase distinct pieces of both American and Korean customs, appealing to a broader, global audience.
Takeaways
Humanizing Tech with the Animation Industry
As Banksalad Illustrator Dana Hong pointed out, animation provides a friendly face that can break down barriers for people intimidated by useful tech and finance products. Wherever I roamed in South Korea, I felt uncontrollably lured to every animated character store to see and touch each piece of merchandise from stuffed animals to tote-bags. However, I was not alone…these stores were packed with locals and tourists of almost every age. As a consumer of this mascot marketing, I was inspired to figure out why Korean businesses are exceptional at tying mundane products such as financial services to an animated spokes-character. The answer dwells in each customer’s inner-child. For example, the Kakao Corporation’s line of animated figures drew me into its pop-up store in the airport prior to my flight home. I felt inclined to purchase a souvenir and chose a bear-like stuffed animal. As I brainstormed a name for my new friend, I realized he already had a name and an entire life-story displayed on a tag; he is a lion named Ryan who feels insecure and unhappy because he lacks a mane. The powerful art of creating deep, emotional stories for animated creatures strategically reflects back to the umbrella company. The intentional creation of animated personalities invites consumers to invest themselves and their business into the company.
A Disconnected Tale of Work-Life Balance
During each visit with media industry leaders, at least one student inquired about the work-life balance at that company. However, the answers varied from harmonious lives to ones bordering mental health and physical health concerns. At the advertising agency Cheil, I felt a tension in the air when the speaker discussed how the company inspires creativity from a fear of competition from other agencies. This answer led me to feel uneasy and to wonder if this ambition is a norm in the media industry. Nevertheless, at the news outlet JoongAng Ilbo, columnist Kim Eun-ah spoke sincerely about the toll of work on her physical and mental health. Digging deeper into conflicting answers about managing long work hours, two reporters at The Washington Post contradicted each other. When off the clock, one reporter said that she normally deleted the email app in order to tune off her mind, and the other reporter resorted to increasing time online to check his phone and stay connected to family and friends in another country. In the future, I hope to look into this pattern of framing mental stressors and the anxiety of competition as encouragement to complete assignments, and I hope to learn about how work-life balance manifests in different countries and cultures to discover desirable work environments for my near future. Additionally, I would be intrigued to find out how K-pop and K-drama celebrities deal with the role of being looked up to by entire generations of fans.
Purpose-driven Results by Clocking-in Long Hours
From an alternative perspective to a tumultuous work-life balance, are the long hours worth it in order to stand out and even benefit the greater good? Cheil’s success with purpose-driven advertising would say yes. Cheil’s team presented an advertisement campaign, Quest For Dyslexia, which partnered Samsung with a popular video game to test children for hidden dyslexia and increase diagnosis as well as treatment opportunities. In this case, the end product of countless hours of work resulted in doing good for others. Industry leaders from JoongAng Ilbo, KBS, Cheil and more agreed on the advice of differentiating yourself with hard work when starting out in the field. At Wunderman Thompson, the speaker highlighted how vital it is to go beyond what people and clients expect of you. He gave the example of conducting your own market analysis and brief even before the clients get to it to prove yourself as worthy of their business. An editor at The New York Times strongly advised to put in the extra work to “insist on getting things right” rather than “being right.” This advice truly shifted my view on how to keep myself motivated, actively listen to people or sources and dismiss my own ego to provide accurate information to the reader.
Diversifying with Innovation
The interview with Illustrator Dana Hong opened my eyes to the reality of AI in the design world. “As a creator, I wish designers and illustrators can get more respect for their original and creative work,” Dana said. Her wish reflects the potential threats AI could pose to freelance designers or in-house illustrators. The larger media companies spoke of AI in a positive light because it is a technological innovation that is evolving day by day and is creating opportunities for businesses. However, this “innovation” can incite disruption to individual illustrators who deserve credit for their creativity. I hope to keep track of how AI is impacting the design industry and if clients will choose between human- or AI-generated content.
Experiencing South Korea through Cultural Observances
There is no one correct way to travel throughout a city, or even an entire country. Rather, South Korea taught me to appreciate the smaller cultural or social details in order to learn by experience. The first detail happens to be Korean cuisine, specifically the late-night street vendors. The endless rows of food stalls with no English labels presented an opportunity to experiment with new tastes and textures. Secondly, people-watching prompted my fascination with Korea’s streetwear that mirrors trends led by K-pop idols. My people-watching took many forms: when sitting on a bench after walking up a strenuous hill or even when strolling down the Han River walkway. Lastly, making mistakes such as mispronouncing Korean words or not adhering to the quiet etiquette on public transportation presented the opportunity to recognize and adapt to differences between my own social culture and Korea’s.