K-pop: How Korean culture [Kpop/Kdrama] don dey influence Nigerians

Korean culture [K-pop & K-drama] don dey influence Nigerians? Well, stay here make we yarn you wetin dey.

For June 2020, Nigerians shock, as for one full day Lee Min Ho, one of Korea biggest Kdrama stars, Lee Min Ho trend for di whole world because say im dey celebrate birthday.

As if dat one neva do im come release pictures of how im fans send am gifts sotay, e full one big room.

How dem send am? For inside pandemic period oh! No try Korean stans. Oppa!!! Saranghe!!! Aigoo!!!

Korean culture don enta di way some Nigerians dey tok ova di last decade since dem start to blow up for 2011.

Weda na from Kpop or Kdrama be your plug to turn Koreanboo (one of di different names for fans of di Korean content), a number of young pipo don dey dey carry di mata for head, well-well.

Even Kpop no cari last, Bangtan Sonyeondan (Bulletproof Boy Scouts) BTS wey dey dominate music all over di world.

Even Wizkid lowkey tok say im go like to work with dem. Wizkid bin cover di one Kpop Idol, Se7en song for di beginning of im career.

If you no believe am, enta social media yab di boy band, di way dia Army go come for you ehn, Beyoncé Behive no do pass dem.

Wetin be di hype about Kdrama sef?

Kdramas for one, don set a lot of girls expectations enta roof. Like if you no fit kidnap me for your private plane to go weekend vacation for your private island, na dating be dat?

But oda than dat na di emotions wey dey inside wetin dem dey do be di biggest flex. One fan, tok say "I just feel the way wey dem di guys dey emotional for di series, dey very different from di men wey I dey see for Nigeria wey dey like to form macho."

And no be only dat one, Koreans don find ogbonge way through dia dramas to show dia culture, from historical drams (Jumong, The Moon That Embraces the Son), to tok about serious issues wey dey bother di kontri like classism (Pinocchio, Boys Over Flower), School bullying (School series) and even mental health (Kill Me Heal Me, Its Okay to Not be Okay, etc.)

Howeva for Nigeria, many critics (haters) of Kdrama, think say e dey reduce IQ.

So how di Nigerian ginger for Korean content take start?

Unlike most pipo think, e no really start for Nigerian with di very viral PSY Gangnam Style wey comot for 2012.

E start from di manga inspired 2009 series "Boys over Flowers" wey be a love story between one poor girl and di richest teenage boy for di kontri, wey Lee Min Ho act.

Yes di very same oppa. Di series comot for 2009 and e blow wella around di world and when e reach Nigeria around 2011.

Why e blow? Well na because of fine boys, you know say I no go lie give you.

We bin tok to a number of Nigerian fans of di series and dem confam say na because di boys fine well-well dem continue to watch Korean drama.

One tok say, di men dey show dia emotions and na great difference from wetin she don see for Nigeria, howeva some similarities between di cultures dey.

Wetin be di similarities between di culture for Korea and di one for Nigeria?

Many Korean fans for Nigeria dey tok about how similar, di cultures be.

Dis generally dey boil down to one thing, respect.

Korean language get different manner of speech from how you go tok to your friends, wey dem dey call Banmal to how you you fit tok with pipo wey senior you with honorifics.

Also, dem dey hold dia food for chest very well. While some of dia food get inspiration from Japan and China, others get very deep meaning for dia history.

For instance, Kimchi, wey be pickled cabbage for pepper, comot from di need for dem to get food to chop during dia harsh winter and till now certain communities still dey come togeda to make am every year.

Last year e cause wahala with China wey dem say dia Pao cai, food wey dem dey ferment too better pass kimch. o don get palava on to Kimchi mata,

So, even if Koreans travel go anywia, dem still dey rep dia Kimchi like Nigerians dey rep dia Jollof rice.

How Korean content and culture dey influence Nigerian young pipo?

For South Korea dem actually dey very intentional with di way dem dey promote dia culture to di rest of di world.

From dia 1992 debut to di work wey dem dey put into dia production weda na Kpop or Kdrama, every piece of content wey don blow internationally dey planned,

Even sef, dia Korean Culture and Information Service dey run ova 27 Cultural centres around the world wey dey promote Kpop and Kdrama, teach Korean Language, Culture, Taekwando and dey also give scholarships for foreigners to come learn from dem.

So we follow some fans of Kdrama tok and dem say how Korean culture don influence dia lives.

Jamila Thara: E don tear my eyes to embrace different types of culture and traditions and for di Korean Cultural Centre I don meet many beta pipo wey don become my family.

Yemi: I be Yoruba girl wey bin no sabi speak her language and I bin no care, but as I dey learn Korean , I come discover say di culture, language and identity of pesin dey very important. No I dey aspire to learn more languages and to become polygot.

Sharon Pwavi Babale: I be pesin wey always dey like interested in learning oda pipo culture and I come understand say if I tok to pesin with dia mother tongue, I dey speak to my heart. Being Korean stan also gove me job.

Tife Sarang: I feel like say di Korean culture take style resemble Nigerian culture. However I don meet plenti pipo and learn more about Asian culture because of my Korean journey.

Kemiola Dara: My Korean journey don expose me to oda cultures and show me oda world views wey don make me to be come more open minded. I don even use am start business wey I dey teach oda pipo how to speak di language.