<
https://theconversation.com/the-popularity-of-the-korean-oegugin-foreign-influencer-is-on-the-rise-but-there-is-a-dark-side-to-this-pop-nationalism-191671>
"If you’ve been scrolling through YouTube, TikTok or Instagram it would be no
surprise to chance upon calming minimalist aesthetics of Korean cafe decor;
pilgrimages to the locations of popular K-dramas; and even the polite decorum
of Korean public transport commuters.
In South Korea,
oegugin (foreign-national) influencers often produce social
media content focused on the global interest in K-pop, K-drama and K-film for
audiences inside and out of Korea.
These influencers are most prominent on YouTube, where the most popular trends
include binge-eating
mukbang, lifestyle vlogging of fancy cafe cultures and
K-pop fandom homages like visits to pop-up stores by idol groups.
On platforms like TikTok and Instagram, content is shared with hashtags like
#외국인 (#
oegugin) and #외국인반응 (#
oegugin-baneung, or foreigner reaction).
Many
oegugin influencers have risen to stardom. The duo Korean Englishman
have over five million subscribers, and now regularly appear on Korean
television talk shows and variety shows.
In our new research, we found
oegugin influencers are predominantly
white-presenting non-Koreans who often adopt nationalist tones to endorse the
“excellence” of Korean culture.
The discourse is often celebratory, leverages on exoticism and promotes “pop
nationalism”: a new form of soft power marketed in the form of pop culture."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
