Today, a hot search about the MV of the new album of the Korean girl group IVE dominated my mobile phone screen. Not because of how good the song is, nor because of how good-looking the girl group members are, but because they use a lot of traditional Chinese cultural elements in the MV and claim that it is a modern interpretation of Korean culture. This matter is like a firecracker thrown into a pot of hot oil, which has caused netizens to talk about it.
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Let's talk about the "Chinese style" in this MV first. Buckles, Chinese knots, auspicious clouds...... As soon as these elements appeared, I felt a strong "Chinese style". But the problem is that the way these elements are used in the MV makes me, a Chinese, feel awkward. In particular, the buckle, in traditional Chinese culture, is a decoration that only appears on the shroud, symbolizing respect for the deceased. But on the clothing of the IVE girl group, the buckle is regarded as a fashion element, and it is even arranged in even numbers, which is a taboo in Chinese culture!
What's even more ridiculous is that the South Korean side also confidently claims that these elements come from traditional Korean culture. I wondered, could it be that there are shrouds and buckles in traditional Korean culture? Isn't this an overt cultural appropriation? Not to mention that they also used Chinese New Year elements such as Spring Festival couplets and lion dances on inappropriate occasions, which is simply a superficial imitation and distortion of Chinese culture.
As soon as this happened, netizens couldn't sit still. Some people think that the IVE girl group is "touching" Chinese culture, and they will do whatever it takes to attract attention; Some people also feel that this is a cultural exchange, and there is no need to go online. But in any case, this misinterpretation and abuse of traditional culture is indeed uncomfortable.
Of course, there are also experts who have stood up and spoken. Seo Kyung-deok, a professor at Sungshin Women's University in South Korea, believes that the accusations of Chinese netizens are a manifestation of inferiority complex. I don't like to hear this, what is "inferiority complex"? We respect the culture of every country, but we also want our own culture to be treated with the respect it deserves. Cultural exchanges should be equal and mutual, not unilateral imitations and misinterpretations of one side to the other.
Let's talk about Koreans imitating the Chinese New Year tradition. This year's Spring Festival, the Chinese are celebrating happily, but the South Korean side has a lion dance performance. But their lion dance, no matter how you look at it, looks like a "copycat version" that you learned from somewhere. The movements are stiff, the rhythm is wrong, and even accompanied by a mournful melody, what kind of lion dance is this? It's simply discrediting the art of lion dance!
This incident made me deeply aware of the complexity of cultural exchange. On the one hand, we would like to see the collision and integration of different cultures; On the other hand, we also want our culture to be properly passed on and respected. The incident of the South Korean girl group IVE is a good example. It allows us to see the problems and controversies that may arise in cultural exchanges, and also makes us think more deeply about how to better carry out cultural exchanges.
In conclusion, I would like to say that cultural exchange should be equal, mutual and respectful. We welcome the culture of every country to China, but we also hope that they can truly understand and respect our culture. Only in this way can cultural exchanges become a bridge to enhance mutual understanding and friendship among the peoples of all countries, instead of triggering the fuse of disputes and contradictions.