One of my totally awesome students wrote today "everyone complains about #Koreaboos but the Korean gov't is actively making them."
And oh my gosh, so much truth.
The Korean government does not see the cringe in the #Koreaboo. They see an enthusiastic consumer. They see
And oh my gosh, so much truth.
The Korean government does not see the cringe in the #Koreaboo. They see an enthusiastic consumer. They see
someone who reflects back to them a vision of Korea that they love. It strokes their ego. They do not correct the errors and misunderstandings of the Koreaboo, they *do not care.* They will feed the Koreaboo with exotified elements, or over the top praise of an idol.
The Koreaboo is a manifestation of a fantasy relationship with Korean pop culture (or some parts of it), but to Korean bureaucrats the foreign interest in Korea is already a poorly understood fantasy, to them there is no difference between the Koreaboo and my awesome student.
For clarity, my student is actively studying in Korea, learning the language, knowledgeable (and growing more so) and has a critical understanding of Korea as a place that is often wonderful but has some serious problems. This makes them basically the exact opposite of the K-boo
Koreaboos are great consumers, and the government officials don't believe foreigners can ever really understand Korea or Korean things.
I can go for a lunch with a bureaucrat tomorrow and they might still show their surprise that I like kimchi and can use chopsticks.
I can go for a lunch with a bureaucrat tomorrow and they might still show their surprise that I like kimchi and can use chopsticks.
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