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Sujin Cho
Professor Erin McLaughlin
Multimedia Writing and Rhetoric
12 November 2014

Under the Wave

Hanryu
Lights go on. Music hallows across the concert hall. A group of Korean teenage
singers come on stage and start singing and dancing. Audience sing along, in relatively
awkward pronunciation. Some cry in joy, some shout their excitement out as if to show their
affection. Yes, they are under the wave, Hanryu. Hanryu is a neologism that refers to the
significant increase in the popularity of South Korean pop culture. Initiated by the spread of
Korean dramas across East, South, and Southeast Asia, Hanryu solidified its impact through
the proliferation of Korean pop music. The Hanryu wave has spread throughout Japan,
China, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Australia, and to may more regions. Hanryu has formed a
wave of cultural exchange across the globe, significantly promoting mutual understanding
and improving inter-country relationships. Hanryu was a sensational trend of 21st century
in Asia.
Out of all the countries Hanryu was introduced to, Japan exhibited a very special
attitude contempt. The idea of Hanryu even initiated street protests and demonstration
involving hundreds of people in Japan. Why? Why was Japan the only country reluctant to
accept this new phenomenon? The most compelling reason of this modern case can be found,
ironically, in the events that happened almost a century ago: the Japanese Imperial Period.

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From 1876 to 2014, Japan and Korea has come all the way from the Japanese Imperial Period
to the emergence of Hanryu. Some say Hanryu has finally enclosed the gap history has
created between Korea and Japan. However, I argue otherwise.
Japanese Imperial Period: cause and effect
Also called Korea under Japanese rule, the Japanese Imperial Period officially marked
its beginning with the Japan-Korea Treaty of 1876, with which Japanese officials sought to
integrate Korea both politically and economically. Japan exploited this document to
forcefully open up Korean ports to Japanese trade and to grant extraterritorial rights to
Japanese citizens. Soon, the period of Japanese imperial colonial administration began;
Koreans were forced to follow Japanese officials commands and hence were significantly
influenced by Japanese culture, education, and much more. Koreans were severely mistreated
with numerous tortures and unequal rights, but the consequence of any sign of rebellion
against Japanese rule was public execution. Korea was officially annexed with Japan-Korea
Annexation Treaty of 1910, when Japan was defeated in World War II (Moon). Korea has
become an independent nation again, but the impact Japan has brought into the country was
irreversible. In fact, it is the main causes of modern controversies between these two
countries a wall that impeded Hanryu from being accepted in Japan just like in other
countries.
The Japanese imperial period isnt just a historical event to Koreans; in fact, it is still
a sensitive topic that makes Koreans furious. It is not surprising that anti-Japanese sentiment
is prevalent across the nation. Koreans who initiated rebellions or who participated are still
regraded as national heroes in the country; the fact that these figures were killed by Japanese
soldiers back then is a trigger to Koreans enragement.

For example, the March 1st

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Movement of 1991, the most well-known rebellion and which also acted as a catalyst for all
other ones, is still remembered in all Koreans heart (Soh). 2 million people participated,
46,000 were arrested, 7,500 were killed, and 14,000 were wounded (Soh). Despite the losses,
independence movements continued, as well as Japans violent repressions. This event is now
a must-know fact in Korea: it is narrated in every textbook and numerous museums were
build just for the memorial of the casualties in this March 1st movement. Another main
source of hostility is the existence of comfort women and forced labors during Japanese
Imperial Era. Historical documents show 450,000 male laborers were involuntarily sent to
Japan to be forced to work under Japanese government. 200,000 comfort women were also
forced to serve as Japanese military brothels as a form of sexual slavery (Soh). The
descendants of these victims as well as their relatives actively inquest Japan to officially
apologize. Even after several apologies, Koreans anger is far from fading away. Furthermore,
the tortures and mistreatments that Japan has

enforced upon Korea are also still reminded

by numerous museums. All of this acted as a chain to deepen the hostility of many Korean
civilians towards the Japanese government, and even towards Japan itself.
Anti-Korean Sentiment: vice versa
As much as anti-Japanese sentiment is prevalent in Korea, same sensation emerged in
Japan as well: anti-Korean sentiment. This attitude comes from various sources as well. First
of all, theres a discrepancy in the details of the Japanese Imperial period. Unlike how Korean
history states 7,500 were killed and 14,000 were wounded during the March 1st Movement,
Japanese government states 553 killed and 1409 wounded (Soh). This inequality makes the
tension from Japanese annexation inevitable. Evidence of anti-Korean sentiment can be
viewed throughout history. For example, when the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake occurred,

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most damage was found in a region with high Korean population. Hence rumors spread
throughout Japan that Koreans are poisoning wells. This reputation has caused massacre of
Koreans in different regions Japanese soldiers tested ethnic Koreans by making them speak
a Japanese phrase, exploiting the fact that Koreans have slightly different pronunciation. The
moment Koreans made an error in speaking the given phrase, they were executed (Onishi).
Likewise, Zainichi Koreans, throughout history, in Japan publicly had an image of
trouble-makers. Koreans who have a permanent resident in Japan are called Zainichi
Koreans (Lie). What kind of discriminations do Zainichi Koreans receive in Japan? First of
all, Education: ethnic schools that Koreans attend does not get official accredited by the
Japanese education ministry; therefore, students of these high schools are not capable of even
taking Japanese college entrance examinations. Even after they graduate college, Zainichi
Koreans are often rejected in a company due to his or her race. Furthermore, even though
Zainichi Koreans pay the equal amount of tax that the Japanese people do, they do not have
noting rights, nor social welfare and recruitment for public posts.
Anti-Korea sentiment can be viewed in modern events as well. During the 2002 FIFA
World Cup, when Japan and Korea co-hosted, each countrys supporters had serious conflicts.
Especially after Koreans ranked higher than Japan, Japanese media reported Korea negatively
and online bulletins were on fire (Maliangkay). The nation was furious.
On December 2009, about a dozen Japanese men gathered in front of a school gate,
using bullhorns to call Korean students cockroaches and Korean spies. They even wore a
armband with the phrase, The Volunteer Corps Against Lawless Koreans (Fackler). This
incident seems to suggest there is still hatred against ethnic Koreans, even if target of their
protests were elementary school kids. Just like what this even portrays, Koreans living in

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Japan, in the media, articles, or in Japan in general, are viewed as the inferior group of
people, hence, are treated unequally and discriminated accordingly.
In 2001, there was a poll held for ethnic Koreans living in Japan. According to the
survey, only 13.5% of South Korean citizens uses their Korean names, whereas 50% uses
Japanese names (Lie). This is not because these Zainichi Koreans are embarrassed of their
origin, but its the Japanese societys unpleasant reaction towards the fact that they are from
Korea.
Hanryu Steps In: Start of something new, or was it?
Finally, Hanryu steps in. As Hanryu was introduced and the Korean Wave shifted
across East Asia, its growth of popularity was inexpressible in words. South Korean popculture was creating a new unity in various nations. Media reports Hanryu has reconciled the
ever-lasting hostility between Japan and Korea. However, at the same time, created a antiHanryu wave among certain groups of Japanese society.
On August 9th, 2011, 2000 Japanese people protested in front of Fuji TV headquarters
to stop broadcasting Korean dramas. 2000 is a number not to be taken lightly, considering
these are the people whos negative attitudes are extreme. Japanese media, as if to reflect the
audiences feelings, constantly depicted Koreans negatively. These include reference to
stereotypes of Koreans, such as use of dongs in Korean cuisine (Hwang). These unfavorable
illustrations strengthen Japanese hatred against Koreans and hence intensifies the negative
depiction, causing an endless cycle. Statistics show that this endless cycle of explicit negative
portrayal of Koreans and rising hatred emerged only after Hanryu came in (Maliangkay).
As Korean idol groups created a Korean Wave, and more and more people in Japan
started to appreciate Korean celebrities coming into their country, it seemed as if racial

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discriminations are disappearing slowly. It was impossible to imagine that these celebrities
were, in fact, enhancing racial discrimination. The comic book called, Hating the Korean
Wave sold 360,000 copies just in 2005 (Onishi). The book not only humiliates Korean
celebrities, but also contains picture that sexually harasses female idol groups from Korea. It
is also important to note that in this book, Japanese people are portrayed with big eyes and
blond hair, while Koreans are drawn with small eyes and black hair. This suggests that
Japanese people considers Western people and their characteristics as superior, leading them
to have discriminative feelings on other Asian countries, especially Koreans.
Some professionals state, the reason of anti-Hanryu comes from jealousy or the
tendency for Japanese people to view Koreans as the inferior group of people due to the
history of colonization. Perhaps Hanryu was introduced at the wrong timing. Perhaps Japan
wasnt ready to accept anything from Korea. No matter what the reason, Hanryu was not able
to overcome the huge wall named history. Hanryu, in fact, strengthened the wall.
Now What?
In the 21st century, Korea and Japan developed into a first-world nation where people
from different parts of Asia seek for better economic opportunities. In other words, Japan and
Korea have grown into two of the most significant nations in the world. Such developed and
globalized nations should now face a transition into a higher level of racial and cultural
tolerance. The fact that contemporary attitude of Korea and Japan towards each other comes
from history does not reflect that these two countries are two of the most developed nations
around the world.
There is a need for the international community to encourage the Japanese
government to decrease bias in Japanese media against Korea and its history of colonization,

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rather than a factor that brings thought of superiority. Korea, as well, should begin
considering the Imperial Era only as a part of history, something that should not provoke
hostility against Japan.
Indeed, it is impossible for the animosity rising from history to be completely cleaned
out from both countries. After all, history cannot be modified nor be destroyed. However, it is
possible for us to take an effort to minimize the discriminations and the animosity that comes
from this. In 1980s to 1990s, Japanese government took an effort to reduce the discrimination
and started to hire Koreans in corporations and changed the policy of permanent residency
status of Koreans in Japan. (Moon) With continuous effort, our generation would not be far
from a genuine new start.

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Works Cited

Fackler, Martin. "New Dissent in Japan Is Loudly Anti-Foreign." The New York Times (2010).
Web. 3 Nov. 2014.
Hwang, Eugene. "Anti-Korean Wave divides opinion in Japan." Yonhap Feature 4 Nov. 2011
[Seoul] . NDCatalog. Web. 2 Nov. 2014.
Lie, John. Zainichi (Koreans in Japan): Diasproic Nationalism and Postcolonial Identity.
Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2008. N. pag. Print.
Maliangkay, Roald. "When the Korean Wave Ripples." IIAS Newsletter 42 (2006): 15+. Web.
2 Nov. 2014.
Moon, Rennie. "Koreans in Japan." SPICE: Stanford Program on International and CrossCultural Education. Stanford, 2010. Web. 1 Nov. 2014.
Onishi, Norimitsu. "Ugly Images of Asian Rivals Become Best Sellers in Japan." The New
York Times (2005). Web. 1 Nov. 2014.
Soh, Sarah. "Japan's Responsibility Toward Comfort Women Survivors." JPRI: Japan Policy
Research Institute 77 (2001). NDCatalog. Web. 3 Nov. 2014.