Americanization in South Korea

American Influence and its Causes

“Americanization is the process by which people or countries become more and more similar to Americans and the United States.” – Collins Dictionary

Starbucks franchise in Insa-dong, Seoul.

Under the influence of globalization which links the world into one in fields such as economies, politics and cultures, South Korea is often described as one of the most Americanized countries in the world. On top of the fact that the allegiance between the two countries has been historically significant, Koreans' admiration towards America can be seen everywhere; from endless number of English academies that you can encounter on the streets of Gangnam to K-pop whose presence can be felt around the world today.

According to Dr. Seongwon Park, an Associate Research Fellow at the Center for Strategic Foresight at the Science and Technology Policy Institute in South Korea, there are three main reasons why Korea has become such an ardent supporter of the United States; 1) numerous intellectuals who received their PhD’s in the United States and their influences, 2) the accommodation of the Western lifestyle and 3) the influence of the American media.

The first component stemmed from the hopeless circumstances after the Korean War when the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed in 1953. 5 million soldiers and civilians died altogether during the span of three years and accordingly, post-war Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world. Thus, South Korea relied heavily, if not entirely, on the aid of the United States to revitalize its economy. At one point, American investment “accounted for nearly 80% of all government revenues and a substantial portion of South Korea’s entire gross national product (GNP)”. At this point in time, South Korea desperately craved for a new mode of reconstructing its functions as a country, and it coincided with America’s desire to go against Communist ideas that was beginning to gain popularity across the globe. Thus, America decided to apply its modernization theories to South Korea. To support this movement, young and talented intellectuals in Korea were advised to study in America. 

A Scene from a Korean movie 님은 먼곳에 (Sunny) depicting a performance of pop songs in front of soldiers.

As a result, more than half of “Korean Ph.D. holders who earned doctoral degrees from foreign countries from 2002 to 2007, were from US universities.” In fact, the average ratio of newly employed professors in prestigious Korean universities who earned their Ph.D.’s in the United States proved to be even greater. In a country where a person’s social background ties play a big role as an advantage in getting a admirable job, there is no doubt that the American influence has been passed down for generations.

           On a similar note, from an average Korean’s perspective, Globalization is no different from Americanization and the need for English capabilities. Today, competence in English is considered to be one of the most fundamental qualifications for obtaining high-paying jobs. Hence, Koreans “tend to internalize American values by learning English,” and they also are inclined to deem General American English as the sole and ideal form of English.

           Finally, when more and more Koreans who received higher education in the United States started filling important social positions and exert their influence in Korea, the internalization of the American values was further promoted.

           According to Korean Film Council (영화진흥위원회)’s consumer survey report in 2015, ‘American movies’ was the second most preferred (29.2%) type of movie in terms of nationality. When multiples answers were taken into account, it closely followed ‘Korean movies’ (89.1%) by mere 3%. Upon its release in April, Avengers: Endgame became viral in Korea. It did not take long before surpassing Avatar, which was previously the most successful foreign movie in Korean theaters with 13.3 million total viewers and becoming the fifth most viewed movie in Korea in addition to claiming the most viewed foreign movie title with nearly 13.9 million. As the numbers suggest, it can be said that contemporary Korea is soaking up American influence like a huge sponge.

American Influence on Korean Pop Culture

           The Korean music industry has been tremendously influenced by American music and culture since the 1950’s when American troops were stationed in Korea (known as United States Forces Korea, USFK). Along with the establishment of a new radio channel AFKN whose purpose was to entertain the American soldiers, Korean performers started learning and practicing some of the hit songs in order to perform them in front of the foreign soldiers which guaranteed a high amount of income at the time. The Western influence became even more evident in the 1980’s and the 90’s when hip hop enjoyed its golden age in America. The appearance of Seo Taiji and Boys (서태지와 아이들) who adopted hip hop for the first time in mainstream Korean music industry revolutionized the entire music trend of the 1990’s. Not surprisingly, Seo Taiji is now referred to as “the President of culture."

Hallyu, or the Korean Wave, led by K-pop has been enjoying an unprecedented growth over the past few years. Recently, BTS has performed at sold-out Wembley, setting yet another milestone at the frontier of K-pop’s influence over the world. Although the group is comprised of seven members, all of whom are Koreans; their music does not seem unfathomable at all. In fact, when you take a look at the lyrics of their latest album’s title song 작은 것들을 위한 시 (Boy With Luv), one can easily notice that English comprises more than half the verses. Moreover, the trending K-pop songs these days resemble America’s latest songs with notable features such as “hip hop verses, Euro-pop choruses, rapping, and dubstep breaks.”

BTS's 작은 것들을 위한 시 (Boy With Luv) Feat. Halsey, Official Music Video 

American Values Internalized in Korea’s Beauty Industry

           According to Gallup Korea, there are over 1,300 plastic surgery clinics in Korea and as many as 1 million surgeries are being conducted each year. Surveys reveal that one third of all Korean women between the ages 19 and 29 have underwent at least one plastic surgery. The high demand for beauty can be attributed to American influence once again.

It is not hard to spot plastic surgery advertisements in subway stations in Seoul.

           Dr. Choi Min, a renowned plastic surgeon in Gangnam, states that the three most common surgeries are “skin whitening, nose jobs, and double-eyelid surgery,” which are exemplary features of white or Caucasian women. It comes as no surprise as the aforementioned components such as the high popularity of Hollywood promote certain standards of beauty, in addition to the omnipresence of flawless K-pop idols’ looks. 

           Similarly, the cosmetics industry in Korea also puts a lot of emphasis on skin whitening. In fact, phrases like ‘brighten your skin,’ or ‘it will whiten your skin’ are some of the most common marketing tools to attract consumers. Other products like eye shadow that can add depth to the wearers’ eyes, are extremely popular, as it is commonly perceived that Koreans generally have flatter faces than those from the West.