ISSN : 2092-738X
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In this paper, I will pursue initial ideas I formulated in 2012 about the permeation of Korean influences in Philippine popular culture, particularly in the production of serialized TV drama/soap operas or the “teleserye” [tele for television + “serye” or series; thus, TV drama series]. I called the phenomenon the “Korean Turn” as I observed the emulation of Korean televisual drama (nowadays called K-Drama) modes and practices by local production through various means of cultural appropriation. This time, I will expand my exploration to other aspects of Philippine entertainment and other cultural practices. I will also update my observations on the continuing “Korean turn” in the teleserye. I will argue, on the one hand, about the success and soft power of hallyu or the “Korean wave” in the Philippines; and on the other, about Philippine culture's enduring ingenuity in its reception and repurposing of hallyu. Ideas to be yielded here will form part of a potential framework in understanding the dynamics of the interface between Korean and Philippine cultures, in the context of globalization. I assert that popular culture remains to be an undervalued field of inquiry, as far as these contexts are concerned.
Guided by the prism of cultural studies, this paper takes a look at the Manila Korea Town in Malate, Manila. The location, Manila Korea Town, figures as the paper’s object of study by exploring, theorizing, and reflecting on its presence and location within the horizon of the signifying powers of Korea-Philippine relations in the contemporary period. With the subject position of this essay, the paper theorizes by responding to the following questions: How does the meaning-making of South Korea fare with other Koreatowns in the world from the scale of Koreatown in Manila? Subsequently, what happens to a place when a global cultural phenomenon evolves into a form of placemaking in a different nation and territory? As Koreatown finally grounds itself in the anarchic lifeworld of Manila, what does this historical development in our urban lives reveal about our contemporary times? Responding to this set of questions led this paper to foreground the idea of a modular imagined community within a four-part discussion. The body of the essay begins by theorizing on the concept that this paper proposes, modular imagined community, and such a concept work draws from the theories of nationalism by Benedict Anderson and Partha Chatterjee. Subsequently, the antinomy between Anderson and Chatterjee is pursued by looking at the history of such a place, and through this step, the paper unravels the character of the place of Manila Korea Town, which explains the conditions of possibility of such social and communitarian formation. Yet as the public is caught by the presence of such development especially at the heart of Manila, the paper expands the scale and viewpoint by shining light on the globality of South Korea in relation to the Philippines. Lastly, this paper closes with a discussion on the food culture facilitated by this recent development, which also pushes us to imagine its potential, especially in light of the critique raised against South Korea and the popular culture associated with this phenomenon.
This paper examines the complexities and creative opportunities brought about by the transnational circulation of texts specifically in the areas of transmission, consumption, and adaptation. The circulation of texts and along with it creative elements such as generic forms, tropes, and frameworks for consumption form an integral part in the production and advancement of any form of popular culture. In the process of such circulation, adaptation becomes a form of social and political process necessary for domestic palatability. In this paper, I examine how these complexities can be illustrated in the circulation of one emerging popular form in East and Southeast Asia: Boys Love (BL) television and web series. Using the transnational movement of the BL genre from South Korea, Thailand, and the Philippines, I examine how the circulation and adaptations are inflected by considerations related to regional geopolitics and domestic issues concerned with the creative praxis of representing gender and sexuality.
The traumatic experiences of people from peripheral islands are susceptible to mnemocide. Such erasure of memory is facilitated by “defensive and complicit forgetting,” which, according to Aleida Assmann, leads to “protection of perpetrators.” My paper reflects on the vulnerability of traumas from the islands to mnemocide by looking into [1] the massacre of communists and civilians on Jeju Island, South Korea in 1948 as described in Hyun-Kil Un’s short story “Dead Silence” (2017; English trans.) and [2] the eviction of residents and indigenous people from Calauit Island, Philippines for the creation of a safari in 1976 as imagined in Annette A. Ferrer’s “Pablo and the Zebra” (2017). In “Dead Silence,” I direct the attention to how to the execution of the villagers–witnesses to the death of the communist guerillas–is a three-pronged violence: it is a transgression committed against the innocent civilians; an act of “erasing traces to cover up” the military crackdown on the island; and, by leaving the corpses out in the open, a display of impunity. In “Pablo and the Zebra,” I second that both residents (i.e., humans and animals) experience post-traumatic stress because of their respective displacements; thus, the tension between them has got to stop. Curiously, while it concludes with a reconciliatory gesture between an elder and a zebra, no character demanded a reparation for their traumatic past per se. Could the latter be symptomatic of a silence that lets such violence “remain concealed for a long time”?
Korean dramas, commonly referred to as Koreanovelas or K-Dramas in the Philippines, have significantly influenced and reshaped Philippine television culture since the early 2000s. Their impact persists in contemporary television programming, reflecting the transnational flow of media texts across borders. As media content transcends geographical boundaries, local media companies have adopted the practice of producing adaptations of foreign television series for their audiences. This paper examines the adaptation of the Koreanovela The World of the Married into the Philippine series The Broken Marriage Vow, both of which are adaptations derived from the British show Doctor Foster. Through this comparative analysis, I argue that the process of localizing these television shows to suit the preferences of the target audience serves as a tangible manifestation of transnational adaptation. Particularly in an era of globalization, where entertainment is still a thriving enterprise, thus traversing international borders, this phenomenon demonstrates the evolving nature of television content as it adapts and caters to diverse cultural contexts let alone a profitable means to generate an ailing entertainment industry, especially in the time of the pandemic.
Nguyễn Huy Thiệp is a pillar in Vietnamese cultural life after the Second Indochina War, and the fates of men and women at the beginning of Đổi mới (Renovation) is one of the prominent themes in his short stories. To show off sexual power, seek glory, and maintain his dominant position, Thiệp’s heroes engage in a game of oppressing the weak, hunting animals, and harassing women. However, due to the complex changes in social life, moral values, and gender inequality, men in the postwar period quickly experienced the feeling of humiliation, impotence, and failure. In turn, the sophisticated aspects of masculinity demonstrate the cultural and ethical concerns of contemporary Vietnamese society. By exploring the multidimensional nature of masculinity expressed in Thiệp’s stories, this study aims to resolve misconceptions about gender and the relationship between men and women in his work.
With the enactment of international free trade and economic agreements and cooperation, BIMP-EAGA is an opportunity to accelerate development and economic growth in eastern Indonesia. This subregional cooperation could be used to reduce the development gap or inequality between the western and eastern regions, which are geographically, demographically, and economically different. This cooperation also may accelerate development in the border area. This study analyzes Indonesia's policies related to connectivity in BIMP-EAGA subregional cooperation and its implementation. The study results show that the National Secretariat of Sub-Regional Economic Cooperation has encouraged cooperation clusters ranging from natural resources, transportation, infrastructure, ICT, and tourism to MSMEs. In terms of connectivity, Indonesia is also involved in the development program of three economic corridors, namely West Borneo, East Borneo, and Sulu-Sulawesi. Indonesia's involvement in the three corridors has boosted the connectivity of Indonesia's territory, especially border areas, with neighboring countries. Connectivity has covered not only physical but also institutional and people-to-people dimensions. However, there are still several challenges, ranging from the standardization of the Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine (CIQ) mechanisms, improvement of institutional quality, and consistent strong political will among the involved parties. In addition, considering the vulnerability of the BIMP subregion to transnational crimes and acts of radical terrorism, BIMP-EAGA needs to think about solutions to overcome these cross-border security problems so that the momentum of development in the subregion may be sustained.
The ASEAN and ROK have played a crucial role in fostering regional peace and economic development. Nevertheless, the recent strategic competition between the US and China has turned the region into a contested arena. The relationship faces challenges due to the ROK's growing alignment with the US, prompting a rising interest in minilateralism as an alternative collaboration model. This paper scrutinizes the impact of ROK's foreign policy behavior, with a focus on minilateralism as a preferred cooperation model with ASEAN. The study centers on BIMP-EAGA, investigating its effectiveness in sustaining collaboration amid geopolitical rivalry. The paper concludes that BIMP-EAGA, as a manifestation of minilateralism, serves as an alternative platform for ROK and ASEAN cooperation. However, the study reveals that the implementation of BIMP-EAGA falls short of expectations. This paper emphasizes the need for greater subregional focus and comprehensive coverage of BIMP-EAGA to truly reflect the shared interests of ASEAN member states.
This research aims to comprehend the progress of Halal tourism in specific Indonesian regions, including Aceh, West Sumatra, Riau, and Riau Islands. It investigates ways to boost this progress through collaboration within the IMT-GT. Majority of the population in these areas, as in Malaysia and Southern Thailand, is Muslim. Consequently, developing Halal Tourism within the IMT-GT framework poses a challenge for them. While the IMT-GT framework already encompasses the Tourism and Halal Product sectors, it doesn't explicitly mention Halal Tourism aspect. Despite this, efforts to develop Halal Tourism in Indonesia offer opportunities for both domestic growth and taking advantage of proximity to two more advanced neighboring countries, Malaysia and Thailand, in this aspect. This research employs explanatory analysis, examining Indonesia's opportunities and approaches to developing the Halal Tourism sector, both domestically, designed by the Halal Tourism Development Strategic Plan 2021-2024, and within the IMT-GT framework itself. A new aspect of this study involves assessing the readiness within Indonesia and its correlation with the opportunities provided by the IMT-GT. Indonesia should actively embrace opportunities presented by its two neighboring countries. The recognition through various awards that Indonesia has received can strongly motivate efforts to enhance the preparedness of regions designated for Halal Tourism. The economic corridors established by the IMT-GT among these three countries can serve as a conduit for Indonesia's advancement in developing Halal Tourism.
Diplomatic relations between the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia have been going on for almost five decades. However, the cooperation between the two countries was still very limited at the beginning of diplomatic relations. As time went by, this cooperation began to expand, especially after Jokowi’s visit to the United Arab Emirates in 2015. After this visit, the United Arab Emirates also showed increased interest in Indonesia and started to aggressively exercise soft power in Indonesia. Agreement after agreement have been signed, not only in the economic, political, and security sectors, but also in other areas. This phenomenon of increasing cooperation is one form of success in the soft power exercised by the United Arab Emirates towards Indonesia. Therefore, this research will look at the United Arab Emirates' soft power strategy towards Indonesia from 2015-2022. The concept developed by Joshua Kurlantzick is used to analyze using four important indicators that include educational cooperation, religious exchanges, humanitarian assistance, as well as cultural exchanges.
Globalization and the flow of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the post-pandemic context continue to play a critical role in shaping the workforce of emerging countries. In Vietnam, evidence obtained during the pandemic revealed that the well-being of employees, especially migrant workers, was extremely poor due to both work and non-work factors. This paper examines the most significant factors that impact the well-being of workers employed by various FDI companies in two Vietnamese industrial parks. The survey evidence (n=200) shows that worker well-being is influenced by seven key factors categorized in three dimensions, namely material stressors, social stressors, and human stressors. A further qualitative analysis of 60 participants provides an understanding of the ways in which each factor affects workers’ well-being and how elements of well-being in the Vietnamese context are different compared with other countries. Low salaries, lack of social support, work-life imbalance due to job demands, and the interplay between these three determinants significantly affect the overall well-being of workers. In the current business climate, it is important to have well-targeted policies that encourage high-tech investments as well as persuade domestic firms to address low salaries and economic migration. To manage valuable human resources and keep competitive advantages, foreign firms need to authentically implement corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives focusing on workers’ benefits, especially providing workforce housing. This will bring about win-win outcomes of improved employee well-being and business sustainability.