After the Squid Game, what will Korea surprise the world with?

Thanks to the squid game, the old culture of Korea is being practiced in the world.

Recently, Korean culture is conquering the world.

Blackpink and BTS are taking over the billboard and advancing to smartphones of the world through YouTube.

Like singer Psy before that, Netflix already gave a shock with the drama 'Kingdom'.

Movies are no exception, and works such as Train to Busan, Extreme Jobs, and The Gift of Room 7 were well received, and the appearance of 'Parasite' made Korean films known to the world.

 

Search volume for squid games in the US _ Google Trends

 

In this article, I would like to introduce one more field that people around the world are passionate about in Korea.

 

That's K-Prank.

 

At first, I didn't even know the word Prank.

However, after seeing the repeated words in numerous comments on YouTube content,

I learned that this genre is called Prank.

In Korea, it is accustomed to classify these genres into comedy and humor.

Nevertheless, following the trend, I will introduce k-Prank.

 

 

A video from the channel 'Gigggle'. 18 million views. Half of the 6700 comments are in English.

 

Let's briefly talk about the history of Korean comedy programs.

 

The history of Korean comedy programs dates back to the 1960s. As TV broadcasting began, programs featuring comedians became popular. At that time, Korea was still in a state of scars from the Korean War, and it was a coercive atmosphere when democracy was still in its infancy. In the 1980s and 1990s, comedy programs reached their heyday. People laughed to their heart's content in front of the TV and comforted them with their hard work during Korea's high-growth period. Comedians took the lead in buzzwords, and the humorous actions and tones of comedians were deeply rooted in everyday conversation topics.

 

The TV program 'Gag Concert', which hit the 2010s, was abolished due to low ratings.

Before YouTube became so active, several gag programs were being aired in Korea.

In the 2010s, the gag programs featuring popular comedians led the popularity.

 

Next, short situational plays created by young comedians with new ideas became popular.

In tha times, almost every program was one hour, and there were usually about 5 short form contents in it.

 

People who were popular at the time were absorbed into various entertainment programs and have been active on TV until now, which was also coupled with the decline of gag programs.

 

Gag programs were tried in various ways on various broadcasts, but gradually people began to prove it.

Young people who have just become comedians lose their jobs before they even make their faces public.

 

For them, a new media was like a savior.

A video platform that can best disseminate what they are good at came to mind.

That's YouTube.

 

 

The downfall of TV is a daily life and reality that touches my skin every day.

As a producer for a broadcasting company, many limitations and frustrations came to me.

This is because of the riging of new media, including YouTube.

However, the creation of this new media environment has been an opportunity for many people.

Among them are comedians who have lost their jobs on TV.

 

The comedians who lost their place on TV started making their own broadcasts on YouTube.

Most of the videos were made in the form of a hidden camera and captured the reactions of the people around them.

These videos started to get a great response by matching the psychology of the viewers who watch the video and the participants who are being hidden.

Ironically, YouTube's influence didn't stop the well-received videos.

 

The k-Prank video began to spread not only in Korea but also to those who watch YouTube in the world.

Although I did not personally witness how the content spreads, it is expected that the first viewers may have introduced it to their acquaintances as messengers and spread it.

 

"Hey! There's something funny here. Take a look https://......"

 

As it began to spread like this, the comedians who were creating the content were also amazed.

Most of them actually said they were happy about the situation that they saw a lot of overseas in the video,

but they didn't expect it.

 

Of course, there were trials and errors at first.

These are videos that hurt someone's heart for the sake of a hidden camera.

However, comedians who create content with ‘dislikes’ and numerous negative comments on these videos have become more active in creating positive content.

 

As such efforts are added, hidden camera content in Korea has secured a stronger fan base, providing a big smile every day to people around the world beyond Korea.

At the bottom of it was the training of comedians through the crisis of the gag program (which is what they call it in Korea).

 

Many short forms were competed against each other, and the final broadcast was decided by the votes of the audience at the field of discussion.

The performance of the team with the low votes was edited and the opportunity to be broadcasted was forfeited.

If this happened again and again, the comedian would become a waste that no one was looking for.

 

But now things have changed.

YouTubers have become as influential as celebrities appearing on TV.

Even if no foreigner remembers the name of a comedian who appears on TV, many People on YouTube memorize the korean name of the main character of the content they watch.

 

YouTube knows how to motivate people who create content.

Numerous cheering comments are checked in real time, and videos with rapidly increasing views are classified separately to accelerate the spread.

 

 

Here are some channels that have gained huge fans even abroad.

[낄낄상회]

 

[동네놈들] 

[폭소바겐]

The secret to the popularity of hidden cameras in Korea is that they don't make anyone uncomfortable or hurt.

This is confirmed by video comments.

 

comments on videos

 

 

In addition, since it provides substantial revenue, the content creators work harder.

 

Just as Korean movies, dramas, and music did not suddenly appear overnight, Korean comedy has a long history. The know-how of Korean gag programming accumulated over the past 50 years and the Korean culture of doing everything insanely hard has become an explosive power on YouTube.

 

After Netflix's 'Squid Game' I think k-Prank will surprise the world once again.

 

Even I did not expect that it would become a cultural power in a country that had to fight a narrow and numerous aggression and had no resources. However, in October 2021, I will discover Korea, where the world's attention is focused. I am curious while standing at the scene.

 

Here are my thoughts:

 

In a short period of time, Korea has been attracting attention by revealing numerous cultures to the world.

This is a phenomenon that has occurred as the geographical limitations of being blocked by the sea at the bottom and by North Korea at the top are resolved with the advent of video platforms such as YouTube and Netflix.

 

When Psy's Gangnam Style first rocked the world with a horse dance, even Koreans thought that this phenomenon was temporary.

However, Koreans, who are optimized for an environment in which culture is easily exported, did not miss the opportunity. (Korea's economy is supported by exports)

 

Koreans made and improved quickly and did not stop exporting.

Even these video-based exports did not have to wait for maritime traders or pay customs duties.

In addition to that, the content that shows the essence of a country with a unique history and culture of Korea appealed to people around the world.

 

In the past, when Japan invaded Korea and made it their colony, there was a person who fought for independence. He was the independence activist 'Kim Gu'.

He has dreamed of a day when Korean culture will spread to the world.

He knew that culture raises the consciousness of the people and that culture is the foundation of protecting the country.

 

I close this article with a transcribe of his words.

 

“I want my country to be the most beautiful country in the world. It's not about wanting to be the richest country.

I am heartbroken by other people's aggression, so I don't want my country to invade other people's countries."

 

"Our buoyancy will be sufficient and content to enrich our lives.

Our strength will be enough to stop the aggression of others.

The only thing I want infinitely is the power of high culture.

This is because the power of culture makes us happy, and furthermore, it gives happiness to others.

What humanity lacks now is neither military power nor economic power.

The power of natural science may be great, but when viewed as a whole, the current natural science alone is sufficient to live comfortably."