This is a truly unusual file, considering the recent international news, that we have chosen to highlight this week. Real choice.
Of course, this issue is very concerning with the social crisis in Indonesia France. How about reigning with a 49.3 streak, why didn’t the struggle meet when winter promised to be the most dangerous on the social field? For the foreign press, there was no doubt: it was just a delay, and the government would be wrong to be happy. “A real social fire is coming”, wrote John Lichfield at Local environment. British journalists see the situation deteriorating in February or March, when pension reform will be discussed. Continued.
There are also talks on the weekly war in Ukraine, and Russia’s terror strategy against the civilian population; Brazil, where the second round presidential election between Lula and Bolsonaro, October 30, looks very uncertain; from Xi Jinpingstronger than ever, and the British Conservatives who never stop talking. Sunak Receipt will he be their savior? After all, this is the first time the country will be led by an Indian Prime Minister. And that’s nothing.
This news, we handle broadly, but elsewhere we decided to look: in South Korea, which has become an extraordinary machine for entertaining the world. Ten years ago (already), in 2012, we dedicated the cover for “Korean wave” (THIS No. 1154, dated December 13, 2012), supported by the surprising success of Gangnam Style, by rapper Psy, “the first video to reach one billion views on YouTube”, remember Security.
“The planet Psy carton echoes the reversal of situations that characterized the history of the peninsula.” explained the British daily in a lengthy article that spanned our 360 pages this week. Ranked among the poorest countries on the planet after the Korean War, that is “the ‘hermit empire’ reversed its historical course to rise, in the late 1990s, among the first industrial and technological powers”.
In 2012, Gangnam style show the world that the West does not have a monopoly on ridicule and humor and reveal a “That disrespect and leniency [a fait] shatters conventional wisdom about the supposed rigidity of Korean culture,” Add Guardian.
Ten years later, these are no longer waves but wave breakers: music, series, cinema, video games, comics, contemporary art, gastronomy… South Korea has come to understand how much arts and entertainment can be vectors of influence and imposition on the world of its cultural forces and the country’s cool image. And articles from Guardianlike that Hankyoreh, which we translated from Korean, perfectly describes the mechanism that made this metamorphosis possible.
After the success of the group BTS – whose members were invited to speak on global warming at the United Nations and racism at the White House, meaning the influences attributed to them -, K-pop is enjoying global success. Reporter from Guardian went to Seoul to understand how boy bands and girl bands promoting national cultural brands were formed. Well-honed systems, from identifying future stars to overseas franchises, or even hosting virtual concerts that can bring together several million people online.
After K-pop, the global craze for South Korean series which is now surging on streaming platforms is also striking. Even Mexico, where he was born telenovela, succumb to Korean series, because of them “pay special attention to emotions”, explain anthropologists to El Pais Mexico.
Palme d’or at Cannes, Oscar for best picture (first in a language other than English), Parasite marks the spirit in 2019. Currently, South Korean culture is investing in all fields. From the contemporary art exhibition held in Seoul in early September to the major exhibition that just opened in London, we offer you an in-depth look behind the scenes of this new exhibition. “K-world”. Have a nice trip.
