Confidence in Korea and its culture

For a long time now, I’ve been feeling frustrated at the way that many Koreans and foreigners alike view Korea (and yes, I mean the southern half, in case anyone was wondering).

While K-pop may be slowly taking over the world and giving foreigners a different image of Korea than what they’re used to seeing in the news, the cold reality is that, at least in the United States where I live, most people still either have no clue about South Korea or have a largely negative view of the country. And sometimes I wonder if much of the blame lies with Koreans themselves.

Koreans can be fiercely proud and patriotic people, yet sometimes they seem to lack confidence in their own national identity, culture and products. I’ve noticed that Koreans will often be the first to rebuff the slightest compliments made by foreigners about their country.

Here are just a few examples of actual exchanges I’ve heard between non-Koreans and Koreans: “Korean girls are so pretty!” “That’s because most of them have had plastic surgery.” “I love Korean beauty products!” “Yeah? Well, the Koreans who can afford it wouldn’t buy stuff at The Face Shop or Etude House; they prefer foreign brands like Lancôme or Shiseido.” “Korea has some really cool fashion!” “Really? It sucks compared to the fashion in many other countries.”

Such comments seriously make me wonder if Koreans judge themselves too harshly. When I was in Korea in 2007, many Koreans told me that they believed South Korea to be a developing country! If Koreans themselves think that way, how can they expect foreigners to think otherwise?

And when Koreans saw the dumbfounded expression on my face, they would respond that although their country had a large GDP and was technologically advanced, it still fell short in many areas, such as income equality ― hence it wasn’t really developed yet. (My thought was, if you’re judging by such standards, the United States would be a Third World country, too!)

Of course, it is partly the constant desire for improvement ― and the fear of falling behind ― that has motivated South Korea to rise up out of war and poverty and rapidly develop to become the technological, economic, and cultural powerhouse it is today.

I find that Koreans in general are always eager to learn from other people and other cultures ― as if they are never satisfied with the status quo and fervently believe that something better is always out there.

But perhaps now South Koreans could benefit from having a more positive and confident attitude about their country. While I’m not endorsing any form of propaganda, I think more Koreans need to realize that many people’s minds are like a blank slate when it comes to Korea.

Koreans should be aware that by making careless or negative comments, they may be planting a less-than-mediocre image of their country in other people’s minds.

Not only are they doing themselves a disservice, but their words can have an indirect impact on ethnic Koreans living abroad (like me) who are often asked about their roots (to this day I often get blank stares or ignorant and disparaging comments about my Korean heritage, and, sadly, sometimes from otherwise very well-educated people too).

Marketing a country can be much like personal marketing ― sometimes it all depends on one’s attitude and the image that one projects to others. Koreans need to be more confident about their culture, language, and history, and they need to project that confidence to others by showing more love for what is their own.

This article originally appeared in The Korea Times.