Navigating Identity in the Age of K-Culture

Opinion
Written By Von Matthew Q. Manalastas

Picture this: you come home from a long day of school, ready to relax and unwind on the couch, only to find your sister shamelessly hogging it, glued to the TV screen and absolutely invested in what appears to be the latest K-drama. This is one of the consequences of the “Korean Wave,” or “Hallyu”—the international craze for Korean culture—which has been capturing the hearts of young Filipinos like never before. What first began as the success of the Korean drama “What Is Love” in China during the late 20th century soon made its way to the Philippines in the early 2000s. Since then, its influence has surged to unprecedented heights in recent years, with Korean music, entertainment, food, and even beauty products becoming staples in our lives. As its influence continuously grows, we are empowered through cultural connection and creativity, but also pressured with new societal standards to meet. It is precisely this duality, then, that makes the influence of Hallyu a double-edged sword we cannot simply ignore. 

Self-expression in the Korean Wave

In 2020, Filipino dancer Ella Cruz teamed up with members of SB NewGen, a Filipino girl group, to perform a dance number covering Blackpink’s hits, demonstrating Hallyu’s far-reaching influence. Rather than simply copying choreography, they managed to showcase a form of self-expression through the infusion of their own creative choices in the routine, from stage presence to styling, which reflects the sharper side of Hallyu’s double-edged sword: its power to cut through foreign barriers and spark creativity and artistry among young Filipinos. 

With such values being heavily promoted in modern Korean culture, even in other forms of self-expression like fashion, young Filipinos who seek a global identity heavily resonate with such creative outlets. As people with shared interests connect and bond with one another, their cultural identity eventually reflects a mix of Filipino and Korean styles.

Hallyu’s Cultural Capital

With the growing adoption of a changed cultural identity across the Philippines, K-pop and K-drama fandoms have also seen a rise in popularity. Fans attend concerts and fan meets, purchase merchandise, and keep up with the latest music or seasons of K-dramas. As this kind of consumerism becomes popular among Filipinos, cultural capital—social value inherited from culturally recognized behaviors—is created by giving fans a subject to talk about and bond over, and social status becomes linked to being in touch with such trends. For instance, we may want to be caught up with the latest Korean media, such as the newest K-drama season, in order to fit into social groups. This may seem harmless and fun at first; however, this is where the much more piercing and painful edge of the sword may secretly lie.

The Price of Conformity

Unknowingly, what may begin as seemingly harmless interests can slowly evolve into forceful expectations that need to be met to gain validation and social standing. Young Filipinos, who are in the stage of developing their identity and are extremely impressionable, feel obligated to meet these foreign expectations. This is due to multiple underlying factors, such as the heightened sensitivity of teenagers, the fear of being left out, and even a lingering colonial mentality, which makes us value foreign culture much more than our own. Unfortunately, due to the forceful desire to conform to these expectations, young Filipinos end up with a lack of appreciation for who they truly are, with such a desire potentially even leading to issues regarding their self-image. 

The internal conflict this idea refers to is evident in a viral deleted TikTok wherein a young Filipino says that they “were born to have Korean/Chinese features but forced to have Filipino genes.” This dramatic statement reveals not only the shocking dissatisfaction one can have with their ethnic heritage, but also the damaging impact that Hallyu-influenced standards, such as having poreless glass skin, can have on one’s self-perception. 

Embracing Without Erasing

Through the changes brought on by the Hallyu Wave, we are called to embrace its values, traditions, and creative expressions, celebrating cultural diversity. However, our identity must be rooted in choice, not dictated by cultural influence. Hallyu has pushed our generation to stay interconnected through the influence of a different culture, allowing people to connect and societies to evolve. However, it has also slowly led young Filipinos to forcefully conform to the societal standards it imposes, taxing our energy and mental health to maintain social status. This is why it is so important to stay critically aware of the standards that we unconsciously internalize—because without knowing it, we may start chasing ideals that damage our self-worth, distort who we truly are, and destroy us with unrealistic expectations, all to simply fit in. After all, the embrace of any culture should not come at the cost of who we are.

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Von Matthew Q. Manalastas

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