| Courtesy of Resource Database |
By David A. Tizzard
Korea has long valued collective identity. This is amplified by a relatively mono-linguistic and homogenous culture ― something that has been exaggerated to a sense of oneness or unity to help preserve identity when surrounded by larger countries such as China and Japan. In Korea, therefore, the country, as well as one's school, company, teacher, or even spouse are talked about as “our.” People will say, “Our country is doing well” when it achieves success, or “Our husband should stop smoking” when discussing the late-night habits of their loved one. Therefore, a person's shame is the family's shame. A person's shame is also the nation's shame and vice-versa. In the Park Chung-hee era, a common refrain would be something along the lines of: “When the country does well, we do well.” The same is just as true when the country doesn't do well.
Expressions of shame
In Korean society, shame is often valued and encouraged. You will hear it expressed with the word “bukkeureowo” or, more commonly, “changpihae” in dramas and daily life, often accompanied by a sudden intake of breath or exasperated sound.
When the recent Scout Jamboree was closed early due to what appears to have been a combination of poor planning, ineptitude, corruption and weather conditions, many people around me spoke of the shame they felt. They had nothing to do with the event personally but they could feel the international gaze on Korea, the constant news reports, the negative perceptions it had created, and they felt ashamed. “Ah jinjja changpihae!” came the cry. They wanted to go and apologize to all the people who had come to Korea expecting a great time and left feeling disappointment. Some even did this and there are reports of the scouts having had people come up to them in public and offer words of condolence, support and apology for what they experienced in Korea.
Public anger surrounding the event was not so much the incompetence and corruption (though that certainly plays a role which will hopefully be fully investigated), but more the disgrace it had brought to the nation, particularly one hoping to attract other global events in the future.
This was not a new expression, however. When a South Korean student at Virginia Polytechnic Institute in the United States took 32 lives in one of America's deadliest mass shootings in 2007, domestic and international news spoke of the shame Korean people felt for what happened and the apologies they were offering up to Washington.
Big or small, tragic or otherwise, events that affect the reputation and perception of Korea are keenly felt and shame is easily and quickly experienced by many people despite them not being individually involved. This shame, often unspoken, is communicated in the news reports and media. Korean people watching or reading it will know immediately how to feel.
National representative
It is from this that we learn of the word “daepyo.” Technically, the word means “representative” and anyone who has tried proofreading or editing any English written by a Korean will have come across it and likely been confused by its near omnipresence. “Bibimbap is a representative food of Korea.” or “Kim Yuna is a representative athlete of Korea,” the literature will say. What it really means is that someone or something is elevated to such an extent that they represent the entire nation. Their fortunes and success are not individual but rather encompassing the hopes and wishes of more than 50-million people.
Thus when we see Son Heung-min or BTS elevated to the global stage, they are carrying the reputation of the country with them. They are “daepyo.” Their success is cheered on and felt by everyone irrespective of whether they can explain the offside rule or name any of the tracks from the Blood, Sweat & Tears era. At the same time, however, there is a great pressure on these celebrities to not do anything that will bring shame to the nation. The weight felt by these individuals is immense because they are not just acting for and of themselves but instead carrying Korea's reputation with them. That, in many ways, makes the achievements of the sports stars, actors, directors, and pop-stars even more laudable. They have achieved all that they have and still avoided bringing shame to the country. In doing so, they earn national encouragement which some people often mistake for an uncomfortable nationalism or shallow government support.
Shame as order
Shame naturally sounds like a negative thing. It makes people feel and act small. It is something to be avoided. So one might immediately assume that its overt presence in society would have unfavorable consequences. It has certainly not always helped in terms of promoting sexuality and gender expression. Mental health and suicide rates have also been desperately worsened by the country's focus on shame and the desire for people to hide.
But, shame also helps maintain a sense of order. One of the first things international students in Korea often talk about is the complexity of recycling arrangements here. There a multitude of different color bins and containers requiring us to pull apart (and even clean) the packaging and rubbish we are disposing of. But what makes it more challenging is the sense of being watched when doing so and the shame you might feel if you do it incorrectly. You might wake up in the morning and see a photo posted in the apartment elevator of an incorrectly disposed box of chicken alongside a notice reprimanding the individual for not behaving correctly. At the same time, some foreigners will talk sheepishly of leaving their recycling until late at night when they know no-one is watching them. The cleanliness of the city is maintained not through law but through shame, or at least the avoidance of it.
Shame also contributes to the education of children. Korean people pay close attention to the lives of others and how they are perceived in comparison. When discussing whether or not children really need to attend that piano class, the actual learning of piano or the child's interest might be secondary to how enrollment in the class will affect the (perceived) perception of the family in the neighborhood. Decisions are made to uphold and protect the family's reputation, known locally as “chemyeon.”
Generational change
Each generation responds differently to the challenges presented by their environment. These different reactions then create a new culture which, when repeated, becomes part of the new value system. Shame is still felt by the MZ generation here in Korea. No-one wants to get dragged on social media or be made the “wangtta” (outsider) by society. However, with the rise of individualism we've seen people become a little less moved by shame. They are not as worried about the perception of others and have adopted an attitude that reflects hyper-individualism more than collectivism.
The neologism “sa-ba-sa” (everyone's different) points to this acceptance of change and understanding of unique ways of behavior that don't always conform to social expectations. This has proved very beneficial in helping people feel comfortable in different sexual and psychological identities. The incredible popularity of SNL Korea's Journalist Joo and the transgender YouTube star Poongja are testament to how shame is no longer the all-encompassing feeling it once was.
Nevertheless, spend any time in Korea, and whenever you see something good or bad happen, watch how quickly shame and pride rise to the surface, expressed, communicated, and collectively felt.
Dr. David A. Tizzard (datizzard@swu.ac.kr) has a Ph.D. in Korean Studies and lectures at Seoul Women's University and Hanyang University. He is a social/cultural commentator and musician who has lived in Korea for nearly two decades. He is also the host of the Korea Deconstructed podcast, which can be found online.