The Facts

The time has come for me to compile all of my findings and share them with the cyber world. Throughout my research I have been able to connect and re-connect with new and old friends and I have learned a lot of interesting things. As I have talked to Singaporean and Malaysians about Hallyu I have discovered that the Korean Wave touches everyone. Nearly 100% of the people that I talked to enjoyed some aspect of Hallyu at least once in a while, despite differences in age, race, and gender. I learned that among the residents of South East Asia that Korean Dramas are the most popular aspect of Hallyu, leading with 60% of the population who regularly watch them. K-pop was a close second with 50% enjoying listening to k-pop. For some reason I was really shocked that 40% of those surveyed said that Korean Fashion is their favorite aspect of Hallyu, but I feel that this stems from Korean Dramas. Other responses that I got were Korean slang/language, merchandise, and food.

I discovered that the older generations are nearly as captivated by Korean Dramas as "the youngsters", but their interest does not usually extend to other aspects of the Korean culture. As suspected, the majority of the population affected by Hallyu are the University age students 18-24 (50%). However, 20% of the affected population consists of individuals between the ages of 25-34, and even more shocking, 30% are 45 years and above reaching up to 75 years plus. South Korea really is taking a stand in the hearts and homes of Singapore and Malaysia.

As I have studied the the affects of Hallyu on the cultures of Singapore and Malaysia, I have found something interesting. A lot of people do not want to admit that their culture is being changed, although an outsider can see that it clearly is. So here is what I have concluded. The culture is changing. Singaporean and Malaysian cultures are becoming hybrids as Hallyu becomes more popular. Singapore is a relatively new country (this past year they celebrated SG50) and not only that but it is the melting pot of Asia and so has so many cultures to deal with and learn to adapt to anyway. Unlike other countries Singapore, as far as I know, does not claim to have it's own, unique traditional music, dances, or traditions. Their strongest claim to an independent culture is Singaporean food! Which, by all means is absolutely delicious and I agree that if you must cling to some aspect of culture, food is a good one for Singaporeans. Singaporean culture has literally been a hybrid culture from the beginning as the country was born from many different races, nationalities, and cultures. However, with such an undefined and translucent culture, it is not hard to invite mixing of other cultures. Particularly when they are as vibrant and captivating as that introduced by the Korean Wave.

I believe that the mixing that is happening with Hallyu and Singapore culture is hybridity in it's truest form. Although it does not affect the older generations cultural habits as much as the younger, the Korean Wave has made it's impact on the cultures in both Singapore and Malaysia, in many forms. From the tv that people watch, to the music they listen to, food they eat, clothes and make-up they wear, and even the language they speak, the future cultures of Singapore and Malaysia are destined to become increasingly hybrid with South Korean culture. My theory is the that as the generations of university students in Singapore and Malaysia become the parents, the employees, the CEO's, and eventually the grandparents, the hybrid culture that they have created through Hallyu will become the norm as their 'hallyu culture' filters down to the next generations.

Sometimes cultures change so subtly that we don't even notice it. On the other hand, sometimes globalization speeds up that process. The world is filled with a medley of changing and mixing cultures and everyone reaches out and tries to make their voice heard. Hybridity is the way of the past, but it is also the way of the future. When I was living in Singapore and Malaysia I often felt as though I had stepped into the future because of the unique architecture and forward thinking, their quick acceptance of other cultures and the way in which they adapt to changing cultures is further proof of that. If you are looking for your next vacation spot, I would highly recommend Singapore or Malaysia so that you can experience Hallyu Singapore for yourself.


*For more data and input from Singaporeans and Malaysians click on the link to my prezi presentation.
Hallyu Singapore Prezi

Interviews

A few of my friends from Singapore and Malaysia were kind enough to let me interview them and make this video about how Hallyu has affected them. Thanks for watching!

Daebak!

Today's post is just a jumble of thoughts and things that have stood out to me the past few days. As I did a little bit of research I found this website, https://vulcanpost.com/504461/online-korean-movie-drama-platform-viu-launches-spore-content-free/, that explores the popularity of Korean Dramas in Singapore and the new means by which the dramas are viewed. Due to the extreme popularity and high demand for Korean Dramas in Singapore, a free app was created. Janice Lee, Managing Director of PCCW Media Group, said, "53% to 80% of viewers surveyed across Singapore, Malaysia and other markets like Jakarta, watches Korean drama on a regular basis." It is among the most popular content category for Asian viewers! According to Vulcan Post, " With around 10,000 hours of Korean and premium Asian content of which 4,000 hours are the latest current telecast Korean content which are localized with English and Simplified Chinese subtitles in 8 hours for some selected Korean content and within 24 hours for others." According to the site, it is clear that Hallyu is really taking off, especially in Asia. "In Asia alone, there are over 500 million OTT users. In Singapore, where internet penetration is among the highest in Asia (second only to S. Korea), we see Singaporeans regularly watching video on the internet (42%) and they spend twice as much time on the Internet vs. traditional TV and 66% of them stream/download content." If you are interested in checking out some Korean Dramas on your own my Singaporean friend recently informed me that, " http://kshowonline.com/ was my staple. if that fails then YouTube has a rather good collection

Please feel free to check it out! However, as popular as Korean Dramas are, I think that kpop takes the cake when it comes to Singapore and Malaysian popularity. On the following survey site, https://www.reddit.com/r/kpop/comments/40wrsq/where_do_you_guys_live_and_how_big_is_kpop_there/, I found this response that I think typifies the Singaporean and Malaysian student; "i live in Singapore, in Southeast Asia! k-pop has definitely proliferated our country, being especially prominent in our youth culture here. 

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being a teenager myself, i can often find k-pop ranging from the popular ones to even less known tracks being played at boutiques and shops. k-culture is tbh very strong here, with a lot of korean food outlets and korean fashion. korean makeup is extremely common here too, with brands such as innisfree and etude house. of course, our k-idols are prominently featured at these stores.

many teenagers are part of k-pop fandoms as well! especially my friend group. however our stan groups are quite diverse. i know of many casual listeners as well!

i think these mainly stem from being in an Asian country with strong Asian influences. the older generation may not take as much of a fancy to k-pop but they definitely enjoy k-dramas and reality shows. we're riding the korean wave now, be it any form of entertainment, and i'm lucky to be a fan of k-pop in such a country!" I was recently talking to a friend from Malaysia on Facebook and the conversation turned into this:

The ease with which he slipped into kpop just made me realize what an integral part of culture it has become. If anyone has further thoughts or comments or questions, please share!

Changing Tides

Today I want to talk about the different effects that Hallyu could have on Singaporean Culture. In anthropology there are a lot of different theories about the way that cultures are maintained and/or blended when globalization is introduced. I will quickly review just a few of the major theories.

Differentialism: Cosmology of Purity. This is an ethnocentric idea that typifies the clash of civilizations. This theory argues that differences cannot be reconciled and there are no grey areas.

Convergence: Cosmology of Emanation. Convergence states that there is a center, or margin from which all of the best things originate, and are then diffused and spread from there to outlying regions. An example of this is the convergence of McDonald's as it has spread world-wide from a center point.

Hybridity/Mixing: Cosmology of Translocation. This is the theory of cultural mixing. As globalization spreads and accelerates cultures, language, music, etc. is hybridized and takes on a new form.



So, here is the question? Which of these occurs in Singapore as the Korean Wave becomes more prominent? There is very clearly an argument for convergence. South Korea would be considered the center or margin, and it's influence has spread/diffused to Singapore via K-Pop, K-Dramas, Korean Fashion, etc. Now, to what degree has the culture been hybridized? Are there aspects of Singaporean culture that have changed or adapted to fit this new Korean trend? Has it changed the popular music, television, etc? Do you wear different clothes or use different language? I am really asking! So all of you Singaporean out there, please help me understand how Hallyu has affected you and your Singaporean way of life!