‘A new phase’: from anime to J-pop, Japanese culture grows in popularity in South Korea, as new generation separates arts and politics
- South Korea and Japan have traditionally had a love-hate relationship, with politics often influencing Korean’s opinions of Japanese culture
- Today’s young Koreans are openly expressing their love of Japanese anime, and Japanese artists sing Korean songs in K-pop groups
By Dong Sun-hwa
Japan has long been a near but distant neighbour to Korea. The two countries are geographically close, but their relationship is full of twists, including the unresolved legacies of Japan’s forced colonial rule of Korea from 1910 to 1945.
Political spats between Korea and Japan have spilled over into people’s daily lives. When the relationship turned sour, many Koreans avoided travelling to Japan and buying its products. Fans of Japanese films or comics had to hide their love so as not to be seen as pro-Japanese or unpatriotic.
These days, such attitudes have shifted especially among young Koreans. They openly support J-pop singers, frequently watch Japanese animated films and fly to the neighbouring country to explore its cuisine and culture.
“The cultural exchange of Korea and Japan seems to have entered a new phase, with their younger generations viewing culture and politics as two separate subjects,” says Jo Gyu-heon, a professor of Korean-Japanese cultural content at Sangmyung University.
“Their resistance to each other’s culture – which is largely attributable to the two countries’ political feuds – is vanishing as they begin appreciating cultures together on diverse social media platforms like TikTok.”
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Kim Hyo-jin, a professor at the Institute for Japanese Studies at Seoul National University, points out that Japanese pop culture has been “consistently popular” in Korea since the mid-1990s.
“The physical proximity of Korea and Japan, as well as the lexical similarity of their languages, have largely contributed to the rise of Japanese culture here,” she says. “But its popularity could not be realised from time to time because of political reasons.”
Kim says different administrations have different attitudes toward Japan, and this seems to affect how Koreans treat Japan and its content.
I am glad that so many people in Korea listen to my music, which has gone beyond language and borders
“During the previous Moon Jae-in administration, there was the ‘No Japan’ movement, and many people had to stay silent about their preferences. But today, the Yoon Suk-yeol administration is the polar opposite.”
In one case, Japanese singer imase recently became the first J-pop singer to make it onto the Top 100 chart on Melon, a major music streaming platform in Korea.
The 22-year-old’s 2022 release “Night Dancer” reached 17 on the chart – the highest-ever rank for any J-pop song – after it went viral on TikTok. imase held his first performance in Korea last month, inviting some 500 fans.
“I am glad that so many people in Korea listen to my music, which has gone beyond language and borders,” imase said during the event.
Jo explains that the popularity of Japan’s city pop in Korea has played a pivotal role in promoting “Night Dancer”.
“In Korea, the ‘newtro’ culture blending the modern and retro trends has been in vogue since 2018, prompting many young people to appreciate Japan’s city pop on YouTube,” he says.
“Many of them found it hip and sentimental and became more accepting of Japanese music. A lot of them joined its cover dance challenge on TikTok, too.”
A host of Japanese films – particularly animated works – are continuing their winning streak in Korea as well.
Kim says that animated films and comics are Japan’s competitive edge.
“Japan is [best known] for its animated movies and comics,” she says. “Its pop culture is still beloved worldwide. In fact, many countries such as Thailand are accepting both Japanese and Korean culture these days. They are coexisting in many parts of the world.”
Jo adds: “Since Korea and Japan have different strengths, there is room for cooperation. In the days ahead, they are likely to create something new together, thereby enhancing their political ties.”
