"The Caucasian Actor Scene in Modern Korean Cinema"
The author of this article finds out that if you're white, you're only likely to be able "to play the role of the obligatory evil westerner":I'm reminded of an Italian actor named Bruno who had fifteen minutes of fame here in Korea several years ago as a television actor. He was fluent in Korean. His career was over once he questioned the inherent contradiction of the character he was playing who, despite being fluent in Korean, was unable to address the father of the girlfriend he was dating in honorifics and ate only bread.
The webpage of the Canadian Embassy in Korea used to say that Koreans tend to see foreigners only as a set of stereotypes. That's very evident from the media's portrayal of Westerners. It seems that every third music video has a scene of white or black guys trying to rape a Korean girl before the Korean male hero shows up to save the day.
[That said, driving back from Ulsan today, I stopped at a small convenience store to buy a bottle of soju and a group of ajummas (middle-aged Korean women) greeted me in the warmest way, and one of them told me that Koreans liked foreigners. I told her that I liked Koreans.]
The author of this article finds out that if you're white, you're only likely to be able "to play the role of the obligatory evil westerner":I'm reminded of an Italian actor named Bruno who had fifteen minutes of fame here in Korea several years ago as a television actor. He was fluent in Korean. His career was over once he questioned the inherent contradiction of the character he was playing who, despite being fluent in Korean, was unable to address the father of the girlfriend he was dating in honorifics and ate only bread.
The webpage of the Canadian Embassy in Korea used to say that Koreans tend to see foreigners only as a set of stereotypes. That's very evident from the media's portrayal of Westerners. It seems that every third music video has a scene of white or black guys trying to rape a Korean girl before the Korean male hero shows up to save the day.
[That said, driving back from Ulsan today, I stopped at a small convenience store to buy a bottle of soju and a group of ajummas (middle-aged Korean women) greeted me in the warmest way, and one of them told me that Koreans liked foreigners. I told her that I liked Koreans.]
Redeemed by Our Savior, I work out my salvation with fear and trembling in Pohang, South Korea, where I live with my wife, daughter, and son and teach English at a science and technology university. Baptized a Methodist and raised a Missouri Synod Lutheran in Buffalo, NY, I spent six years as a guest of the Anglican Communion before being received by the Grace of God into the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church on the Feast of Saint Andrew, my patron, anno domini 2002.
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