In Mizoram, <strong>the</strong> romantic appeal <strong>of</strong> <strong>Korean</strong> drama is seen as a threat to <strong>the</strong> perception <strong>of</strong>mascul<strong>in</strong>ity and to <strong>the</strong> values promoted by <strong>the</strong> Church. These dramas and films have spawnedanti-hallyu sentiments. Young and middle-aged men, revivalist movements and religiousleaders react by say<strong>in</strong>g “<strong>Korean</strong> films are not good.” These are precisely people whosemo<strong>the</strong>rs, sisters, girlfriends, wives and children are <strong>the</strong> most avid <strong>Korean</strong> movie watchers.While <strong>the</strong> actors <strong>in</strong> romance films seem to be different (sweet, car<strong>in</strong>g and handsome) and aresett<strong>in</strong>g new ideals for any girl, men not only f<strong>in</strong>d <strong>the</strong>m effem<strong>in</strong>ate but also refer to <strong>the</strong>m as“gay”. In fact, revivalists like Young Mizo Association (YMA) and Church establishmentsfalsely 9 hold <strong>the</strong> <strong>Korean</strong> Wave responsible for <strong>the</strong> rise <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> number <strong>of</strong> homosexuals <strong>in</strong>Mizoram. Manipuri men on <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r hand seemed more supportive <strong>of</strong> <strong>Korean</strong> style andopenly admit watch<strong>in</strong>g <strong>Korean</strong> drama and films, contrary to <strong>the</strong>ir Mizo counterparts. While,homosexuality is still not accepted and homosexuals are made fun <strong>of</strong>, <strong>the</strong>y have found aspecial place 10 <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Manipuri society.It may partly be attributed to <strong>the</strong> gender relations between <strong>the</strong> two societies. Thoughpatriarchal, Manipur has had a long tradition <strong>of</strong> women’s contribution <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> socio-economicand political 11 life <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> state, whereas Mizo society is considered highly patriarchal. Indeed,<strong>the</strong> response to <strong>the</strong> <strong>Korean</strong> Wave <strong>in</strong> Mizoram reflects local anxieties about preserv<strong>in</strong>g Mizoculture: For revivalists like Young Mizo Association (YMA) who are striv<strong>in</strong>g to establish <strong>the</strong><strong>of</strong>ficially espoused def<strong>in</strong>itions <strong>of</strong> traditional Mizo culture which grants more power andcontrol to men, <strong>the</strong> <strong>Korean</strong> Wave was not merely a pop-culture phenomenon but a challengeto patterns <strong>of</strong> "family, and gender constructions" 12 .Future Research on <strong>Korean</strong> WaveThis paper sought to analyze <strong>the</strong> <strong>Korean</strong> wave, its implications <strong>of</strong> cultural <strong>in</strong>fluence onnor<strong>the</strong>ast India and also considered <strong>the</strong> impact <strong>of</strong> this phenomenon on perceptions <strong>of</strong> cultureand identity by comparatively analyz<strong>in</strong>g Manipur and Mizoram. It can be concluded that <strong>the</strong><strong>Korean</strong> wave is a cultural phenomenon limited to a specific region but it is still too early topredict its future. It has familiarised <strong>the</strong> local population with ano<strong>the</strong>r culture but has notfundamentally changed <strong>the</strong> overall image <strong>of</strong> Korea yet. In <strong>the</strong> case <strong>of</strong> Manipur an affiliationwith <strong>Korean</strong> culture is used to emphasise on a dist<strong>in</strong>ct local identity and to supplant <strong>the</strong> Indianidentity. In <strong>the</strong> case <strong>of</strong> Mizoram, <strong>Korean</strong> <strong>in</strong>fluence is perceived as a threat to mascul<strong>in</strong>ity and<strong>the</strong> beliefs <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Church, thus emphasiz<strong>in</strong>g on cross-cultural/gender difference to streng<strong>the</strong>n<strong>the</strong>ir own local Mizo identity.Fur<strong>the</strong>r, <strong>the</strong> central question is, What is <strong>Korean</strong> about <strong>the</strong> <strong>Korean</strong> Wave? Is <strong>the</strong> appeal <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><strong>Korean</strong> drama constant across different cultures or specific to local norms? Can sharedcultural tropes ensure its sustenance? Quot<strong>in</strong>g an English pr<strong>of</strong>essor from University <strong>of</strong>Mizoram, “What is <strong>Korean</strong> fashion? Fashion has no frontiers. What is <strong>Korean</strong> soap? <strong>Korean</strong>TV producers have creatively imitated western TV dramas and have added a dash <strong>of</strong> localflavour to it. It is like watch<strong>in</strong>g The Bold and <strong>the</strong> Beautiful or Santa Barbara. It is a product9 The correlation was denied by <strong>the</strong> homosexual community. Accord<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>the</strong>m <strong>the</strong> com<strong>in</strong>g out can be l<strong>in</strong>ked too<strong>the</strong>r national and <strong>in</strong>ternational factors like gay pride <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> big cities, law on homosexuality etc.10 They perform <strong>the</strong> Raslila dur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> Jagannath yatra festival. The community runs a number <strong>of</strong> famous hairsalon and beauty parlours <strong>in</strong> Imphal.11 Nupilan <strong>in</strong>cident (women’s agitation)12 Creighton, Millie. 2009. Japanese surf<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> <strong>Korean</strong> wave: <strong>Drama</strong> tourism, nationalism, and gender via ethniceroticisms. Sou<strong>the</strong>ast Review <strong>of</strong> Asian Studies 31: 10-38. p. 34Workshop D 06 / The impact <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> craze for<strong>Korean</strong> television series on <strong>the</strong> Asia <strong>in</strong> cultural constructionKORERANG: The <strong>Success</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Korean</strong> <strong>Drama</strong> <strong>in</strong> North East IndiaGayatri Jai S<strong>in</strong>gh Rathore / 6
<strong>of</strong> globalization. It is globalization through Far East. <strong>Korean</strong>s are tak<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>spiration from <strong>the</strong>West and we are look<strong>in</strong>g at <strong>the</strong>m for <strong>in</strong>spiration. It has come full circle.”Workshop D 06 / The impact <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> craze for<strong>Korean</strong> television series on <strong>the</strong> Asia <strong>in</strong> cultural constructionKORERANG: The <strong>Success</strong> <strong>Story</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Korean</strong> <strong>Drama</strong> <strong>in</strong> North East IndiaGayatri Jai S<strong>in</strong>gh Rathore / 7
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