[HanCinema's Digest] Culture Corner

The Huffington Post explores what South Koreans can teach us about mind-body wellness, this K-pop primer from The New York Times goes beyond "Gangnam Style", discover the curious case of Valentine's Day in Korea on Big Think, and Billboard writer Tamar Herman discusses the socio-political commentary in some of BTS's hit tracks.

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"What South Korea Can Teach The World About Living Well"

Interesting question: What can the Land of the Morning Calm teach us all about mind-body wellness? "South Korea is home to some of the best healthcare, entertainment and wellness wisdom in the world", writes Lindsay Holmes. Currently, the world has its eyes fixed on PyeongChang and the sporting excellence on display at the Winter Games, so it's an opportune time to put the host nation's culture in the spotlight, especially when it comes to mind-body wellness. Lindsay's list has the usual suspects (kimchi and universal health care), but the country's connectedness and entertainment industry are key factors too.

...READ ON THE HUFFINGTON POST

"A K-Pop Primer for Olympic Listening"

For fans and followers of modern Korean culture, it is no surprise that one of Korea's most visible cultural exports, K-pop, is a strong feature at this year's Winter Games PyeongChang. A number of Korea's top musical talents have already performed at the opening ceremony, and CL, EXO, 2PM and more are set to appear at the end of the event as well. If Gangnam Style passed you by, or you need a refresher of how the music landscape has evolved since then, the New York Times has this feature (complete with music video links) to help you find your feet with K-pop over the Olympics and beyond...

...READ ON THE NEW YORK TIMES

"Valentine's Day in South Korea: A delightful and complicated social game"

What's Valentine's Day like in South Korea? Well, it's a little complicated. "Rather than celebrate a single day of romantic gestures, South Korea extends the holiday over several days and celebrates specific roles for each gender", writes Philip Perry. On the 14th itself, only the women give gifts, but the gift giving is expected to be reciprocated, according to the "Rule of Three", a month later on 'White Day' with a something that is three times the cost. There is also 'Black Day' which celebrates the single life. "Today, South Korea remains a very traditional Confucian culture colliding with modernity", and Valentine's Day provides interesting insight into how this plays out.

...READ ON BIG THINK

"BTS' Most Political Lyrics: A Guide to Their Social Commentary on South Korean Society"

Tamar Herman examines the political commentary contained within the works of K-pop group BTS. "South Korea's pop music industry was bolstered by the government, and stars are regularly put front and center at government-associated events", writes Tamar on Billboard. "But while it is closely tied to politics, K-pop rarely addresses them directly. Songs typically revolve around romance, partying and, on occasion, friendship and daily life". In this post, Tamar puts five of BTS's more impactful tracks (e.g. No More Dream", "N.O", Dope", and "Silver Spoon") and discusses how they related to contemporary South Korean society, culture and its politics.

...READ ON BILLBOARD