LAST week marked the 100th anniversary of South Korea’s defeat and subsequent colonisation by Japan. But as the local and international media ran stories on the continuing efforts of both countries to put the past behind them, few observers took time to assess the extent to which South Korea now has the potential to out-perform its former colonial master.

It may be a long time before South Korea is able to follow China’s lead and surpass Japan in terms of the size of its economy. But the country has already been successful in replacing Japanese companies in industries they once dominated. Last year, for example, Korea’s Samsung Electronics made more in operating profits on home electrical appliances than Japan’s nine major electric companies combined. South Korean living standards are also approaching those of Japan’s.

More importantly, few observers have considered the potential impact of South Korea’s success in out-performing Japan when it comes to popular culture.

About 10 years ago, the South Korean government began subsidising the export of slick soap operas and pop groups for pan-Asian consumption. The tactic has worked. According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the nation exported about US$1.4 billion (S$1.9 billion) worth of entertainment products in 2007. Millions of consumers across Asia are now addicted to the “Korean Wave” – a blend of pop culture, television dramas and boy bands.

Singapore’s love affair with South Korea began about seven years ago when Channel U began showing soaps such as Winter Sonata. Since then, the fascination for all things Korean has blossomed. Singaporean food favourites now include kimchi (spiced cabbage) and bibimbap (rice with a spicy vegetable salad). Such is the drawing power of K-pop in Singapore that cellphone manufacturers now regularly invite such groups to perform at the launch of new products.

And while the crowds cheered the opening of the Youth Olympic Games last month, reports say it was the free concerts by K-pop groups that really got the younger audiences on their feet. Just last Friday, police had to be called in when 3,000 fans swarmed a Somerset mall to obtain tickets for a K-pop concert.

True, Japanese pop culture also has a following in Asia. Japanese anime, manga and J-pop bands, in particular, enjoy considerable popularity, as do Japanese foods.

But there is a key difference in the way the two countries promote their cultural exports. While J-pop remains very Japanese, the South Koreans have broadened their appeal by including other Asian artistes as well.

Korean companies such as SM Entertainment and JYP Entertainment regularly hold international auditions to identify talented young people – regardless of nationality – that can be trained to become members of K-pop groups. Korean fans do not seem to mind.

One of the reasons pop group Super Junior was so successful in China, for example, was that one of its members was Chinese. Nichkhun, a member of boy band 2PM, is yet another product of this strategy. Born in the United States to Thai parents, Nichkhun is fluent in Korean, English and Thai.

And unlike the Japanese, South Korean companies have been quick to take advantage of the situation. As Korean dramas have gained popularity, for example, Korean apparel manufacturers have been using the actors and actresses involved to promote Korean brands abroad.

A recent article in the Yomiuri Shimbun, a leading Japanese newspaper, argued that one reason for the failure of Japan to leverage on the success of its entertainment industry was the fact that promotion efforts were divided among at least three government ministries.

But it will take more than just an administrative reorganisation for Japanese cultural exports to compete with those of South Korea. South Korea’s current account surplus soared to a 16-month high in July after the country’s exports reached record levels. Japanese exports, by contrast, are faltering.

Regional economist Soong Sun Wun is among those who laud South Korea for its clever marketing. “I am a lot more optimistic about how the Korean economy is going to ride the Asian growth than Japan,” he told The Straits Times.
Yes indeed. The former Japanese colony is well on its way to providing the template of modern Asian glamour for the whole region.

Copyright © 2010 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd