Week 2 - Percy Yan

In the article "Cultural Identity and Cultural Policy" by Haksoon Yim, the problem of cultural identity is mentioned. The problem is caused by the experience of Japanese colonialism which sought to eradicate and distort Korean cultural identity by the enforcement of a cultural assimilation policy at the end of the Japanese colonial period. What happened was the Japanese occupation may have deprived Koreans of their chance of modernizing themselves beyond the traditional characteristics. Moreover, the legacy of Japanese colonialism continued to influence the development of Korean culture in a negative way even after liberation from Japan. Since then, the recovery of cultural identity by removing the legacy of Japanese colonialism has been an essential part of cultural policy. The government has sought to rebuild the eroded national culture by re-evaluating traditional culture and intensifying research and education on Japanese colonialism. In addition, the government prohibited the performance or exhibition of Japanese culture and arts in Korea. Korean government also enforced closed-door policy towards Japanese culture as well as Japanese cultural products. At the same time, Korean government also feared that the Japanese cultural industries, with their substantial capital and technology, could threaten the domestic market share of Korean cultural industries.

https://theoracle.glenbrook225.org/opinions/2015/10/02/korean-american-identity-overcomes-assimilation/