"A study by Seoul National University researchers in 2013 found that loyal fans of Korean soap operas tend to be less educated, and therefore more susceptible to the genre's unrealistic plot twists, which include old standbys like the car accident-induced bout of amnesia or the twins who are separated at birth," reads a recent Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article titled "Psy-chology 101: Academics Put Spotlight on Korean Pop Culture" by Jonathan Cheng. It was published on November 1 and covered the academic study of Korean pop culture including, but not limited to, the Hallyu (Korean Wave) phenomenon.
Having studied Hallyu in both American and Korean universities, I expected to not really come away with any particular feeling other than elation about the fact that my field of study was being highlighted in one of the most respected newspapers in the world. So imagine my surprise at being insulted as "less educated" because I am a "loyal fan" of Korean dramas, or what the WSJ calls, "soap operas."
I've been watching them since I was in high school, throughout college and studying abroad (which I attended for free, by the way), and now as a post-grad. But the Wall Street Journal quotes a study then lets it hang as fact without further discussing it at all throughout the rest of the article, insinuating that I'm uneducated because I'm currently binge watching "She Was Pretty," a 16-episode show about a childhood friends who don't recognize one another after they've been separated for nearly 20 years.
I spent a few minutes looking up this study, only to find a Wall Street Journal article from 2013 titled "South Korean Soap Operas: Just Lowbrow Fun?" that first introduced the survey to WSJ audiences. The survey they based their research on was conducted in China and had a small sample size, with only 400 Chinese candidates between the ages of 20-60 answering about their television watching preferences.
However, there are multiple issues with this survey and the Wall Street Journal's recurring use of the results determined by Seoul National University staff in 2013 to insult K-drama fans. In fact, more than just a few people are upset by being fit into this neat, uneducated box; Chinese K-drama fans took offense with the survey, and protested the results in 2014.
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Any opinions expressed are not those of KpopStarz, but are the ideas of the writer.
