K- Drama an amalgamation: The convenient way to acknowledge History & Culture

 K- Drama an amalgamation:
The convenient way to acknowledge History & Culture ___

K-dramas are worldwide popular due to their widespread availability and, it will not be surprising that these Korean dramas are a convenient source to the viewers for diving into the history and culture of Korea.

 Versatile with different plots of scenes and stories Korean dramas are highly streaming series not only on the Korean broadcasting system but also to online streaming services such as Netflix, Disney plus and many more. But are the scripts of these drama's just stories or romanticizing plots of love stories only ? Well not at all!

These series are amalgamation of different genres of Historical and cultural heritages, comedy, sci-fi, thriller, fantasy,  melodrama, romance and also horror. These dramas are relatable not only to Koreans but to global society as well. Topics on family issues,  mental health,  suicide, bullying, gender inequality, corruption and racism cannot be denied. Here I'm a person who is always into dramas based on the cultural heritage of Korea, especially when they are about different dynasties. As a child in 2007 I saw the two dramas which premiered on Indian national television every Sunday. " Emperor of the Sea " was scheduled for 9 in the morning while the most famous "Dae Jang Geum" was scheduled for 8:30 on the same evening. These dramas really helped not only me but my mother as well to understand the cultural values of Korea. It would not be incorrect to say that both  series gave us a sketch about Korea. We were amazed watching the culture hence respect for the Nation Korea raised  in the hearts of Indian viewers.

A decade has already passed and K- dramas influence is rising globally.  How can I stop to share my learning with K- drama which helps me to learn new things obviously more than my previous one. Yes, here I'll share my learning experience with the two very popular dramas streaming on  'NETFLIX' , which of course are highly rated as well.  They are "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" and "Mr. Sunshine".

 

Extraordinary Attorney Woo  - My journey from 팽나무 to 신단수

 "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" a drama series premiered in 2022, is a story of a  female rookie attorney, named  'Woo Young Woo'' , who has autism which makes her different from her neurotypical peers. A major law firm named, Hanbada, hired Woo Young Woo.  Though attorney 'Woo' with her communication seems odd but her photographic sharp memory and intelligence makes her a competent attorney who get praised by her clients and also earns recognition from other legal professionals.  This drama series was praised a lot for its positive portrayal on Autism.  But my attention was snatched by episodes 7 and 8 of this drama series, where a place named " Sodeok- Dong" due to construction was going to split. The eye catching scene plot was a 500 year old large, shady 'Hackberry Tree ' 팽나무 ( paeng namu) , this tree was Sodeok-Dong's treasure, later with Attorney Woo's attempts and work Intelligence this tree was declared as a national monument.

Well the episode was enough to increase curiosity about this particular tree hence some findings now required.  With some research, I acknowledged that this fictional plot of hackberry tree is a reality from Eastern Village of Bukburi, Daesanmyeon , Uichang-gu, Changwon City. 

For Dongbu Village,  팽나무 is a pride. After the drama this place is now recognised by many tourists.  The Hackberry Tree  is a huge majestic,  magnificent tree rooted over a hill. This tree is 500 year old hence was designated as a cultural asset by Changwon City. With a few more findings, I came to know that Hackberry Trees in Korea have been used in Shamanism rituals for a long time.

A twig rope tied around the tree , where people also attach money to this twig rope. Moreover, toss coins on its branches for the LUCKY CHARM. Some spiritual and magical healing energies and positive vibes can be felt by sitting under the shades of these 팽나무, also it can easily make one calm and connected to mother nature. 

Well I don't want to stop yet. Hence, I start digging for more evidence for the tree and the Shamanism connection with the trees . With the help of my HACD mentor Park Jun Soo, I acknowledged about ' a Divine Tree' Shin dan su  신단수. 

 

“신단수” is a divine tree which is symbol of Korean culture and identity. Shin dan su is said to have magical powers and brings property and good luck . It is also called “ Tree of Heaven”. According to Hwan Dan Gogi, about 6000 to 9000 years ago, The last king Hwanung was sent to the earth to spread the immortal meditation culture to the living beings on earth. Hwanung descended from Heaven to the Foot of  divine Shin dan su . He named this place “Sinsi” (Divine City). The leader of two clans ‘ Tiger Clan & Bear Clan’ came to Heavenly Emperor Hwanung and asked him to teach the Immortal Meditation to them to become a ideal Human. Hwanung teaches the Meditation culture to them and tells them to practice for 100 days, if they really want to become a Human. The Queen of Bear Clan performed the meditation well while the Tiger didn’t. With the practice of Immortal meditation the Queen of Bear Clan become a women named “Ungnyeon”. She started practicing meditation under the Divine Shin dan su, later Hwanung granted her provisional acceptance into Hwan nation ,  got  married with her and begot with a son Dangun Wanggeom.

Mr.Sunshine: The truth of History Distortion of Korean Peninsula.

Mr. Sunshine, a historical fiction drama based on Japan Colonial invasion in Korea, an eye opening history of social injustice which is enough to rip the heart out. This drama  showing how the Japanese military and government officials imposed their will on the Korean people, was recommended to us by our HACD  mentor Sang Kyu Lee. Story begin with the U.S. expedition to Korea in 1871, the United States sent a fleet to Korea to demand Trade relations. The Korean Government refused, and the U.S. forces bombarded several Korean forts. A young boy who was born into slavery in Joseon and  witnessed his parents death by Upper society people, Eugene escapes to the United States where he becomes an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps get order to overcome racial discrimination, and fights in the Spanish–American War.  After returning to Joseon he became involved in the movement and met other revolutionaries who are working to free Korea from Japanese rule and lastly sacrificed himself to save the Joseon people’s life. Women had their major role in the independence of Korea , the strong noble female characters challenged the gender norms of their time and showed women empowerment. Go Ae-shin, a noble woman who learned to fire a Gun and disguises herself as a man to fight for her country’s independence, was a skilled sniper and a fierce patriot, and she was not afraid to break the rules . A role model for other women, who showed that it is possible to achieve great things, even in a time when women were often treated as second-class citizens. The challenges and sacrifices that the Korean people faced during the independence movement  shows the hope and determination of the people who fought for their country’s freedom. Watching Mr. Sunshine gave me an understanding about 35 years of Japanese Invasion [1910- 1945]  in the Korean Peninsula. The Japanese Government not only distorted the original History and culture of Korea which I wasn’t aware about earlier.

 Just after the invasion, the Japanese Government prohibited mass media culture, the media reports were highly censored by the Japanese Government. The Japanese Colonial Government burned down the 200,000 Korean Historical documents including Royal edicts, Court records and genealogical records.  They also destroyed many Korean temples, palaces and cultural sites. The only Goals of the Japanese Government were to erase Korean History and Culture because they believe after destroying Korean records they can easily Rule over Korea. Therefore to establish their control, The Empire of Japan imposed the use of Japanese currency and language. The Korean people were prohibited for education and study from abroad was totally banned. The newspapers were allowed to get published on condition that only positive news and stories about the ‘Japanese Military’ will only be published.  Reports on Korea were suppressed with resistance. They spread a rumor throughout the world that Korea wants Japanese Protection.

 Due to censorship not only the Korean people but also the world were unaware about the cruelty of Japan over Korean people hence, Korea was far away to get help from other nations.  Though a few sources of uncensored news was published in the newspaper “ Dong – A – Ilbo “ a newspaper founded in 1909 and became the voice for Korean Independence.  BUT the Japanese Government shut down the “ Dong – A – Ilbo” in 1919. This newspaper played a major role in the uprising of the nation against Japanese rule in Korea, especially with the  “March 1st movement in 1919”.

March 1st  movement, it was a peaceful protest that began from Seoul and then spread to across 1,500 towns and villages of Korea but Japanese soldiers killed an estimated 7,000 Koreans while arresting 46,000 people to crush this movement. The only purpose of the Japanese Government was to destroy the spirit of the Korean people. But on the opposite of the March 1st movement extinguished more awareness start rising for Korean Independence around the world.

REFRENCES :

https://www.allkpop.com/article/2022/07/extraordinary-attorney-woo-creates-a-new-tourist-spot-as-visitors-flock-to-the-small-town-where-the-hackberry-tree-is-located

https://changwoncity.wordpress.com/2022/08/24/changwons-most-famous-hackberry-tree/

http://www.redian.org/archive/132208

https://www.history.com/news/japan-colonization-korea

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_1st_Movement

https://youtu.be/VKWs-PjaHg8