Prologue
The Korean Wave, which has taken Korean popular culture beyond its national boundaries, is no longer a new phenomenon. (Longenecker and Lee, 2018).
Have you ever experienced any Korean dramas, movies, or songs? If you have, congratulations on being trendy! In today’s world, pop culture with its own cultural and traditional background is getting global popularity like Latin music; Korean wave, called Hallyu in Korean, is the part of the flow, which includes pop music, TV dramas, movies, and entertainment products. The most representative case would be songs of BTS (the Bangtan Boys), a Korean boy band who reached the top of the Billboard Artist 100 chart by their songs “Fake Love” and “Idol.” Before them, “Gangnam Style” of PSY was also an unexpectedly mega-hit song. This phenomenon was a major surprise since historically, Korean have been worried about “the influx of foreign cultures” such as Chinese, Japanese, or American and “never expected their popular culture to be liked outside Korea” (Joo, 2011). The popularity of Korean pop culture is not limited to K-pop. Longenecker and Lee (2018) provide a useful explanation of the popularity of K-drama:
One of the primary factors that draw American viewers to K-dramas is that they do not prioritize the sensual sex and violent scenes that are so prevalent in American TV shows. Furthermore, the popularity of K-drama has become so widespread that it has caught the eye of some major American media corporations; in 2014, ABC considered making an American version of the popular K-drama My Love from the Star (Byeoreseo on Geudae). Although the American version of the show never came to fruition, the fact that a major media company developed an interest in the drama speaks volumes for the appeal of Hallyu in America.
(Longenecker and Lee, 2018)
Recently, a K-drama named ‘Goblin: The Lonely and Great God (2016-17)’ got its popularity in Korea and other countries. Although there are several factors that make the drama famous, this website will focus on the winning element of the drama by analyzing Korean religious themes inside. The show contains the harmoniously combined code of Korean traditional religions such as Shamanism and Buddhism and also a foreign religion, Christianity. The combination of religion can be supported by the document of missionaries who came to Korea – Cho-sun at that time – for evangelism about 100 years ago. Jones (1905) stated that “Shamanism, Buddhism, and Confucianism are the three religions in Korea to-day.” He also added that these three religions “had undisputed sway over the hearts and minds of the people.” Here is the more detailed description about how these traditional religions impact on thoughts of Korean people:
The reader must ever bear in mind that in every Korean mind there is a jumble of the whole; that there is no antagonism between the different cults, however they may logically refute each other, but that they have all been shaken down together through the centuries until they form a sort of religious composite, form which each man selects his favourite ingredients without ever ignoring the rest. Nor need any man hold exclusively to any one phase of this composite religion. In one frame of mind he may lean toward the Buddhistic element, and at another time he may revert to his ancestral fetichism. As a general thing, we may say, that the all-round Korean will be a Confucianist when in society, a Buddhist when he philosophizes and a spirit-worshipper (shamanist) when he is in trouble. (Hulbert, 1906)
Although the drama ‘Goblin’ was trendy in Korea and overseas, it is hard to be understood by American viewers because it is based on Korean folklore which is not a familiar concept to them. According to Longenecker and Lee (2018), since the plot of the drama “consists of the Dokkaebi (Korean Goblin) performing various supernatural acts,” which might seem “insipid or absurd” to them. “As a result, the fact that some K-dramas incorporate cultural folklore into their plotlines may inhibit many Americans from understanding their appeal.”
Thus, to introduce the drama to the ones who have never watched it before and help the potential viewers who are not aware of the traditional background behind the plot, the site will provide the brief story of ‘Goblin’ and look into religious themes in the story. In other words, the ultimate purpose of the site is to broaden the view of popular culture with unfamiliar but interesting religious backgrounds from the other part of the world.