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The Re iew o Mokbang (B oadcas Ea ing)
Phenomena and I s Rela ions wi h Sou h Ko ean
Cul u e and Socie y
Husna Hakimey
1
Cen e o Sou he n New Hampshi e Uni e si y P og am, Help College o A
and Technology, Kuala Lumpu , Malaysia
Rashad Yazdani a d
Cen e o Sou he n New Hampshi e Uni e si y P og am, Help College o A
and Technology, Kuala Lumpu , Malaysia
Abs ac
This esea ch pape ocuses on how he Sou h Ko ean cul u e and socie y
plays a majo ole in no jus in he pe sonal li es o he Ko eans bu in he
business sec o oo. By unde s anding he Sou h Ko ean cul u e, i gi es us an
idea and unde s anding o why such a phenomena, like Mokbong (b oadcas
ea ing), has become such a popula end in Sou h Ko ea. This pape discusses
and e iews he majo cha ac e is ics o Ko ean cul u e, such as Kibun, Inhwa,
in luences o Con ucianism and he powe hie a chy, which in luences he
Ko ean businesses oday (locally and in e na ionally). Th ough hese
cha ac e is ics and he ac o s o he pas and p esen day in Ko ean socie y and
cul u e hey had helped con ibu e o he success o Mokbong.
Keywo ds: Ko ean Cul u e, Business, Socie y, Mokbang, Fac o s o
Success.
Ci e his a icle: Hakimey, H., & Yazdani a d, R. (2015). The Re iew o Mokbang
(B oadcas Ea ing) Phenomena and I s Rela ions wi h Sou h Ko ean Cul u e and Socie y.
In e na ional Jou nal o Managemen , Accoun ing and Economics, 2(5), 444-456.
In oduc ion
Makbong is he new cu en phenomena happening in Sou h Ko ea whe eby people
pay o he people o wa ch hem ea online. This is no su p ising since i is coming om
Sou h Ko ea. In ac , Sou h Ko ea con inues o become a global case s udy o economic
1
Co esponding au ho ’s email: [email protected]
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de elopmen . Known as he “Mi acle on he Han,” Sou h Ko ea’s eco d-b eaking
de elopmen wen om becoming one o he wo ld’s poo es s a es o a global economic
powe wi h pe capi a GDP o $30,000 (in pu chasing powe pa i y e ms) (McKinsey,
2013). And behind all o his achie emen comes om he unique and powe ul in luence
o he Sou h Ko ean cul u e. The Sou h Ko ean cul u e plays a majo ole in no only he
business wo ld bu in he pe sonal li es as well (Lee, 2012). Wi h i s unique
cha ac e is ics i helps aid in he unde s anding o why such business like Makbong has
become inc easingly popula wi hin he Sou h Ko ean socie y and u he mo e, how
Mokbang i sel can in luence he socie y whe e hei cul u e hea ily e ol es a ound
“success a any cos ,” can in luence hem in a posi i e way.
Majo cha ac e is ics o Ko ean cul u e o Business P ac ices in Ko ea
The cha ac e is ics o Ko ean cul u e includes: Kibun, Inhwa, in luences o
Con ucianism and powe hie a chy. Each wi h i s own unique de ini ion, hey all play a
majo ole in shaping he Ko ean business wo ld. These cha ac e s a e no usually he
ype o “ ea u es” used and p ac iced in he wes e n wo ld. Thus by knowing and
unde s anding he di e ence o such cha ac e is ics will allow o eigne s o ha e an idea
abou he Ko ean business backg ound which would hen help in pa ne ing cu en o
u u e businesses wi h he Ko eans.
Kibun
The i s key cha ac e is ic o Sou h Ko ean business cul u e is Kibun. I is conside ed
o be one o he majo key cha ac e is ics o he Ko ean cul u e. This wo d has no li e al
English meaning o i . Kibun simply means emo ion, mood o eeling o sense o balance
and ha ing good beha io and a i ude which p e y much in luences he way Ko ea uns
hei businesses (Chaney and Ma in, 2011).
In Sou h Ko ea, many people sha e he same iewpoin o ying o balance Kibun in
bo h hei pe sonal li e and business wo ld. And i is no jus abou hei Kibun bu o he s
aswell. To hem, hey belie e ha i is impoli e o dis u b o he people's Kibun. The
Ko ean cul u e is a ype o cul u e whe e indi iduals canno be sel ish enough o hink
abou hemsel es. They ha e o hink abou o he s. When doing some hing, hey mus
espec o keep in mind o o he people's eelings and opinions and o en a oid saying
"no" o bad news, o s op hu ing o he 's Kibun. By doing so i c ea es a ha mony. Thus
Kibun is e y impo an , especially in he business wo ld (Sou he on, 2008).
In he business wo d, he Ko eans will always y hei bes o be iendly, poli e and
do hings wi h only he bes o in en ions. Howe e , he one hing ha Ko eans dislike is
o c i icize hem in public (Sou he on, 2008). Fo example, a manage 's Kibun is
damaged i his subo dina es do no show him enough espec . A subo dina e's Kibun
howe e , is damaged i his o he manage c i icizes his o he in public. And so because
o his, Ko eans would mos ly show hei di e en opinions h ough posi i e answe s.
Kibun is easily iden i ied and unde s ood be ween Ko eans, o o eigne s howe e i may
be con using and ha d o hem (Lee, 2012). Kibun is all abou non- e bal, body
languages and one, which is called Nunchi. Nunchi can be ansla ed o “eye measu e”.
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I simply means, he abili y o know a pe son’s Kibun h ough eye con ac (Sou he on,
2008).
Inhwa
Ano he key p inciple o Sou h Ko ean business cul u e is Inhwa, which means
ha mony. As a collec i is socie y, ha mony is an impo an componen in encou aging
and main aining ha mony in Sou h Ko ea. Inhwa was in luenced om Con ucian belie s,
and i emphasis a lo on ha mony be ween people, especially unequals. Mos o en,
Ko eans like o deli e posi i e esponses and y hei bes o a oid o hesi a e o gi e
di ec e usals. They do no wish o hu he well-balanced ha monious en i onmen by
gi ing nega i e answe s o e using o he s o cause ace losing (Als on, 1989).
Inhwa can be seen mos ly in unequal ank, s a us and powe . In he business wo ld,
his e m hea ily in ol es he subo dina es o be loyal o hei supe io s and in e u n, he
supe io s mus ake ca e o he well-being o he subo dina es (Als on, 1989). In Sou h
Ko ea, he people belie e ha a pe son owes comple e and o al loyal y o pa en s, elde s,
o ganiza ional leade s, no ably ule s e c. Hence, in he wo kplace, he wo ke s also eel
hey owe he same loyal y o hei employe s and supe iso s he same way as hei
pa en s and amily elde s. In he business wo ld, Ko eans exp ess hei espec and
app ecia ion o hei employe s and supe iso s, and no mally a oid p oblems as much
as hey can whene e hey ha e di e en judgmen s. By obeying he employe s’ and
supe iso s o de s, he wo ke s a e showing hei loyal y and in e u n, hei employe s’
and supe iso s’ a e usually conce ned abou hei wo ke s wellbeing. Nei he pa y
would wan o do any hing ha could cause hem o lose each o he ’s ace (Lee, 2012).
Howe e , he e is no such idea like Inhwa in o he coun ies. Fo example in he Uni ed
S a es, he people belie e hey ha e he ull igh and eedom o exp ess hei opinions
and eelings o o he s, his including hei employe s and supe iso s. To hem, e e yone
is equal and ha e he eedom o sha e hei opinions in he wo k place. And in e u n, he
supe iso s o manage s do no ake hese opinions as a challenge o o ence bu hey
espec he employee’s (subo dina es) opinions (Lee, 2012).
Ano he ea u e o Inhwa is he esponsibili y o suppo o he s and make hem happy.
The la e concep is consis en wi h Kibun, which means eelings. As men ioned ea lie ,
Ko eans do no like o hea bad news. They would wai un il la e a e noon o deli e he
bad news so ha he o he indi idual’s day will no be uined (Als on, 1989). Thus by
iden i ying and unde s anding he aspec s o Inhwa, o eign coun ies such as he U.S.
will wan o a oid no i ying bad news o Ko eans o Ko ean companies un il la e
a e noon. And i he Ko eans do ha e o gi e ou bad news, hey do so indi ec ly; which
is why o eign companies need o be able o ca e ully ead/lis en in o de o ge he hidden
meanings (Lee, 2012).
Powe Dis ance and Hie a chy in Sou h Ko ea
Sou h Ko ea is a coun y ha ollows high powe dis ance and hie a chy. Usually, he
eldes /senio s a s ac i i ies such as g ee ing and ea ing and mos o en he lowe s a us
indi iduals would bow o he supe io s /elde s(Cho and Yoon, 2001; Lee, B e and Pa k,
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2012). Like o he adi ional socie ies, o example, hose in highe posi ions a e expec ed
o sea in he cen e and always ge hei ood a i ed i s . Younge s o junio s will show
hei espec by se ing hem. In Sou h Ko ea, indi iduals do no call each o he a e
hei i s name. This is no only ound in business, home a eas bu also in school. In
school he eshmen and sophomo es show espec o hei junio s and senio s by calling
hem b o he s/sis e s and obey hei o de s. And in e u n, he junio s and senio s would
ake ca e o he eshmen and sophomo es (Lee, B e and Pa k, 2012).
Acco ding o he Gee Ho s ede Cul u al Dimensions, when compa ing Uni es S a es
o Sou h Ko ea, Sou h Ko ea has a highe Powe Dis ance Index wi h a sco e o 64
(Chaney and Ma in, 2011; Sama and Papama cos, 2000). Based on his s udy, he Sou h
Ko ean socie y has a highe le el o inequali y. This explains why when many o eigne s
isi Ko ea he i s ime, hey would o en ge su p ised ha mos Ko eans bow o o he s,
especially elde s, and ha younge people would ha e o wai un il he elde s o he highe
posi ioned people ge hei ood i s (Lee, B e and Pa k, 2012).
In he business wo ld, besides he way o name add essing, nego ia ions wi h Ko eans
also indica e powe dis ance. Fo example, senio Ko ean o icials will no eel
com o able whene e a junio membe o an Ame ican nego ia ing eam will y o make
deals wi h hem; no ma e how much o an expe he o she is. Ko eans a e e y sensi i e
when i comes o s a us and i les (Als on 1989). Thus i Ame icans wish o make deals
wi h senio Ko eans, hey mus be awa e o he highe powe dis ance and show espec
by sending he igh o icials o make deals (Chen, 2004).
Ko ean Con ucianism and Collec i ism
Con ucianism had in luenced bo h he pe sonal li es and business wo ld in Sou h
Ko ea o a high ex en . Kung Fu-Tzu, o also known as Con ucius, li ed in China a ound
500 BC. He was a eache who augh his s uden s a sys em o o de when China wen
h ough a di icul ime (Kim, 2009; Smy h, Wang and Hwee, 2000). He came up wi h
i e mo al disciplines in o de o o e see he i e human ela ionships: (1) The e should
be jus ice and igh eousness be ween dominan and subjec ; (2) The e should be p ope
a he -son ela ionship (3) Sepa a ion o unc ion be ween husband and wi e; (4) The
younge should gi e p io i y o he elde ; and (5) Fai h and us should con ol o e
ela ionships be ween iends (Kim, 2009; Smy h, Wang and Hwee, 2000). In sho , he
i e disciplines display o ep esen he i e ela ionships be ween ule and subjec ,
pa en s and child en, husband and wi e, b o he s and sis e s, and iend and iend.
Con ucianism emphasized he impo ance o esponsibili y, loyal y, hono , amily lo ing,
espec o age and senio i y, and since i y (Cho and Yoon, 2001; Von Gilnow, Huo &
Lowe, 1999).
Con ucianism in luences he Sou h Ko ean socie y in many di e en ways in e ms o
s a us, ela ionships wi h o he s, social con ac s, e c. Fo example, Ko ean s a us is
con olled and de e mined by age, gende , weal h, p o ession, educa ion, amily
backg ound, and poli ical sys em. Social links de e mine success. Family and
backg ounds a e impo an as hey de e mine how people a e ea ed in he hie a chical
socie y (Chaney and Ma in, 2011). Sou h Ko eans a e e y iendly, and hei cul u e has
a s ong impo ance on g oup bonds. An indi idual is expec ed o e lec he alues and
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bene i s o he en i e g oup/communi y in which he/she belongs o (Lee, B e and Pa k,
2012).
As a collec i is socie y, he Ko ean socie y and many o he Asian coun ies, compels
people o ha moniously as a “ amily”. Consis en wi h he idea o Kibun, people a e no
encou aged o emba ass o humilia e o he s o causing o he s o lose ace in public.
People a e also expec ed o no dis u b o he people’s Kibun by conside ing he “ amily”
as a whole. To pu i simply, Sou h Ko eans a e no mally mo e g oup-o ien ed and
collec i is (Lee, 2012).
Wha is Mokbang? (Gas onomic Voyeu ism)
In inc easingly i ual Sou h Ko ea, he la es and newes end is wa ching someone
ea online. This is called “mok-bang” in Ko ean, which means “ea ing b oadcas s”. Hos s
would b oadcas hemsel es li e while ea ing inc edibly huge se ings o ood while
cha ing and socializing away wi h hei iewe s (Cha, 2014).
Some o he amous “mokbang s a s” a e The Di a and Che King Bi yong. E en
hough all hey do is ea , howe e hey a ac di e en ypes o people o simila bu
somewha di e en easons.
Mokbang A is :The Di a
The queen o his pa icula phenomenon is a p e y 33-yea -old woman named Pa k
Seo Yeon, also known as The Di a. E e y e ening a ound 8P.M, housands o iewe s
une in o wa ch The Di a ea la ge po ions o ood o hou s (4 o 6). She can inish ou
la ge pizzas o 3kg o bee in one si ing easily. A e she inishes ea ing, she would spend
ano he 2 o 3 hou s jus cha ing away wi h he ans h ough li e s eam cha ooms. He
ans would show hei app ecia ion by sending he i ual money ha can be cashed in
la e . Fo Pa k, online ea ing is no jus a hobby bu i is he sou ce o income. She can
simply make up o $9300 a mon h om he li e b oadcas alone (Cha, 2014).
Con essions o Pa k: “My ans ell me ha hey eally lo e wa ching me ea because I
do so wi h so much gus o and make e e y hing look so delicious. A lo o my iewe s a e
on die s and hey say hey li e ica iously h ough me, o hey a e hospi al pa ien s who
only ha e access o hospi al ood so hey also wa ch my b oadcas s o see me ea .
Loneliness is ano he c ucial ac o . The show is addic i e as you can communica e wi h
housands o people a home. One o he bes commen s I e e ecei ed om a iewe
who said ha she had go en o e he ano exia by wa ching me ea . Tha eally mean a
lo o me.”
Some o he Pa k's bigges ans a e women. She cooks abou one hi d o he ood she
ea s, and he es a e all deli e ed. She ecei ed a lo o sponso ships om many
es au an s bu she only ea u es he ood she likes and wan s o sha e (Cha, 2014).
A eeca TV, which is he public social ne wo king si e ha hos s he channel, allows
use o buy and send i ual “s a balloons”, which can be mone ized a e he si e akes
a 30-40% cha ge. The paymen s done by iewe s a e pu ely olun a y since all channels
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can be wa ched o ee. Howe e he se ice is limi ed o Sou h Ko ea, al hough he
company does plan on expanding o o he coun ies (Cha, 2014).
Mokbang A is : Che King Bi yong
E e y nigh a 10 P.M., housands o Ko eans une in o wa ch Choi Ji-hwan, also
known as Che King Bo yong, ea ing on s eaming ideo. The 24 yea s old Choi, o e s
cooking lessons and hen o his main online ac , he would ea in a wild, unny way o
show how much he enjoys a good meal (Kwaak, 2014).
Fo his show, Choi is no mally d essed in a my aining ou i s and ba le a igues. He
deco a ed his ki chen coun e wi h oy semiau oma ic i les. He shows o his adema k
camou lage ha wi h ea laps poin ed up as he goes a ound he ki chen explaining how o
make ce ain meals ha is being se ed in Sou h Ko ean mess halls. And because his
show displayed an a my heme, his iewe s a e able o connec wi h him in an emo ional
way and b ing back nos algic memo ies because many Sou h Ko ean men ha e o se e
he coun y's wo-yea se ice equi emen . Doing his li e b oadcas , Choi eels an
emo ional bond wi h his iewe s. Acco ding o one die e , she old him she el a bubble
o exci emen wa ching him ea ; ano he iewe , li ing alone, said he likes ea ing wi h
Choi (Kwaak, 2014).
Why is Mokbang So Popula ?
Inc ease in single households leads o Lonliness
The cu en day independen soul is o en ecognized as a “single on,” a one-pe son
householde who ei he olun a ily o in olun a ily chooses o s op li ing in he com o s
o discom o s o amily li e. These single ons include senio ci izens wi hou hei
spouses, lonely di o cees in hei 40s o 50s, and young job hun e s li ing alone (Hunny,
Sung-Woo, 2013).
This end is commonly seen in he Uni ed S a es whe eby 27% o households ha e a
single occupan . In Sweden, mo e han 2 million people a e solo occupan s. And in Japan
o e 30% a e single occupan s (Hunny, Sung-Woo, 2013).
Acco ding o Lee Sang Lim o he Ko ea Ins i u e o Heal h and Social A ai s, Ko ea
has a eco d o 23.89% o i s people li ing unde a one-pe son esidence. 23.8% o men
and 18.9% o women a he ages o 20s will s ay single un il 45 i he cu en ends s ill
con inue (Hunny, Sung-Woo, 2013).
“I he ma iage a e o 2010 pe sis s, one in ou o i e men and one in i e o six
women who a e now in hei 20s a e expec ed o s ay single,” said Lee.
A July s udy conduc ed by Lee Eun Mi o he Samsung Economic Resea ch Ins i u e
u he showed ha “ he g ow h a e o he numbe o Ko ean one-pe son households is
he as es on he plane ,” while by in he yea 2035, mo e han 7 million households in
Ko ea will be one-pe son homes (Hunny, Sung-Woo, 2013).
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Fundamen al social changes ha shook adi ional Ko ean Con ucian alues ha e also
added o he ise in solo dwelle s. Fo example, ma iage is losing i s “ alue” and s a us
as a equi ed and c ucial cus om among Ko eans, especially o women. In 2010, 39.4%
o Seoul women belie ed hey didn’ ha e o ge ma ied while 41.8% belie ed di o ce
is no longe a nega i e hing in he Ko ean socie y. In he same yea , 34% o Ko eans
o e he age o 15 esponded ha hey we e ei he unin e es ed in ma iage o we e agains
i acco ding o he na ional su ey managed by S a is ics Ko ea (Hunny, Sung-Woo,
2013).
As a esul ewe ma iages mean ewe babies, which hus con ibu e o an ex emely
low bi h a e. Cu en ly, Ko ea’s e ili y a e s ands a 1.3, al hough is a sligh
imp o emen om 2005 whe e i s ood a 1.076 i is s ill conside ed low. A declining
bi h a e would s ess pension unds, which means younge gene a ions “ha e” o pay
axes, and no jus ha he e will be a sho age in manpowe in bo h p i a e and public
sec o , and e en he mili a y (Hunny, Sung-Woo, 2013).
Due o he high pe cen age o one pe son households, loneliness a ises. By wa ching
someone ea online is one o he way o deal wi h single-pe son’s loneliness in Sou h
Ko ea. They do no wan o ea alone. They wan o ease ha sense o “aliena ion”. While
hey a e wa ching hese shows, hey eel “emo ionally” connec ed (Pa k, 2014).
S ess
Acco ding o a new s udy conduc ed by McKinsey, Sou h Ko eans a e ex emely
s essed. Mos o hem a e om he middle class. And o e hal o he amilies spend
mo e han hey ea n. One o he majo easons why his happens is because o expensi e
home loans and p i a e educa ion. Pa en s would ace o make su e hei child en will
ha e be e o he bes oppo uni ies o hei u u e (Ro nick, 2013).
Sou h Ko ea has he highes suicide a e amongs all OECD na ions. I s di o ce a e
has also soa ed, and he e ili y a e has allen o he lowes . All o hese symp oms a e
caused by s ess (McKinsey, 2013).
Dep ession and suicide is said o ha e come om pa en s’ obsessions wi h money and
social posi ion, which ha ms he men al heal h o young people who do no sco e
espec ed jobs. Declining o e ili y occu s because o high cos s o li ing and child en’s
educa ion. In e ne addic ion is also a common escape om hese s esses bu a he same
hing i causes i s own p oblems such as malnu i ion since game s o en o ge o ea and
i also causes social isola ion (Ro nick, 2013).
By wa ching someone ea can e icien ly help he Ko eans elie e s ess om hei
whole as -paced and hype -compe i i e li e s yle. Ko ean socie y has been said ha i is
a cul u e o “success a any cos ,” and because o his i places huge p essu e o many
Ko eans. S uden s, o example, a e s essed om demanding school li e and young
Ko eans a e p essu ed om hec ic wo k li e. By wa ching someone ea , i can be a gued
ha Ko eans a e expe iencing a ica ious pleasu e (Pa k, 2014).
Cooking and he Belie ha Food and Medicine A e he same
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Deep wi hin he oo o Ko ean cooking is he idea ha ood has medicinal p ope ies.
Ko eans know he e a e medicinal p ope ies in a ange and mix u e o oods and d inks
such as ui s, seasonings and spices, mine al wa e and liquo s. This s ong belie has
bo h posi i e and nega i e e ec s due o he na u al powe s o yin and yang, and he i e
elemen s o wood, i e, ea h, me al, and wa e . This belie had long been in oduced and
sp ead e en be o e Con ucianism ook place (Chon, 2002).
Humans a e p oduc s o na u e. I is impo an ha indi iduals ake in as much and
ely on he blessings o na u e as hey can. Posi i e and nega i e is unde s ood by he
wo kings o he i e elemen s. Wi hin his belie , heal h is achie ed by consuming na u al
g een-, ed-, yellow-, whi e-, and black-colo ed, which a e ep esen ed by he 5 elemen s,
ing edien s in equal amoun s in he die . The exp ession o hese belie s in cooking can
s ill be seen in he mode n Ko ean li es yle (Chon, 2002).
A common dish in whe e all 5 elemen s can be ep esen ed is he pipinpapu o mixed
ice. I is o en se ed a yakiniku es au an s, whe e i is called ko u ounpan, which
consis s o mea , ish, and ege ables cooked and se ed on op o ice. In sho , heal hy
cooking means ha wi h each meal all gi s o na u e mus be included. Ano he popula
dish in Ko ea is called kujo upan. I is known as a oyal dish o he Choson Dynas y in
which 9 sepa a e ing edien s a e p esen ed (Chon, 2002).
Compa ed o he Japanese s yle o cooking, he Ko ean s yle cooking uses a lo mo e
ege ables, and he dishes a e p epa ed in a much la ge quan i y. By using ege ables, i
helps mee he adi ional equi emen s o including ing edien s o he i e elemen al
colo s. A ype o d essing o sauce, known as namu u, is made up o sesame oil. Using
sesame oil o d essings and sauces has i s oo s in he p e-Con ucian e a o Buddhis
in luence. Ini ially ea ing mea was s ic ly o bidden by Buddhis eachings, hus he
eason why sesame oil was widely used was o make up o he nu ien s missing in hei
s ic ege a ian die . Sesame oil is e y common ing edien in mos Ko ean dishes oday.
I is hough ha he use o sesame oil has been ca ied o wa d om he days o Buddhis
in luence. Sesame oil is an essen ial and impo an ing edien in he c ea ion o Ko ea's
delicious and heal hy cooking (Chon, 2002).
Mos o en, i is no mal o see housewi es saying "Oh! This dish is so good o you,"
o "This dish is good o you eyes and bones,”. Such commen s a e no based on he
belie o posi i e and nega i e in luences o he i e na u al elemen s, bu a he , hey a e
based on knowledge ha has been known and passed down om gene a ions o
gene a ions. As a conclusion, he belie in he powe s o yin and yang, and wood, i e,
ea h, me al, and wa e has become a simple way o li e ha uns in he Ko ean’s daily
li es. (Chon, 2002).
Ad anced Technology and Fas Speed In e ne
Sou h Ko ea is conside ed o be one o he mos connec ed and wi ed coun ies and i
also has he mos pene a ed b oadband ma ke s in he wo ld. By he yea 2010, mo e
han 81 pe cen o Ko ean ci izens a e able o connec and access he In e ne
(In e na ional Telecommunica ion Union, 2009). Fu he mo e mo e han 16 million
people had subsc ibed o b oadband se ice (Ko ea In e ne and Secu i y Agency, 2010).
In e na ional Jou nal o Managemen , Accoun ing and Economics
Vol. 2, No. 5, May, 2015
ISSN 2383-2126 (Online)
© IJMAE, All Righ s Rese ed www.ijmae.com
452
Following hea y in es men in b oadband g oundwo k a e he Asian inancial c isis
in he la e 1990s, Sou h Ko ea now pe mi s i s ci izens wi h a na ional ne wo k ha ca ies
da a a an a e age speed o 17 Mbps, which is conside ed o be one o he highes in he
wo ld (Allen, 2010). The Sou h Ko ean capi al Seoul has been named “ he bandwid h
capi al o he wo ld”, due o i s as ye inexpensi e b oadband se ice (He z, 2010).
O he han Seoul, majo ci ies in Sou h Ko ea also p o ide wi eless b oadband h ough
Wib o and High-Speed Downlink Packe Access echnologies. Thus as a esul o his
wide co e age, o e h ee-qua e s o Sou h Ko eans use he In e ne mo e han once pe
day (Na ional In e ne De elopmen Agency o Ko ea, 2008).
Due o he hype - as in e ne speed, i makes i possible o iewe s in Ko ea o
in e ac wi h he Mokbang shows. These shows a e s eamed li e, so in a way his is no
one-way, bu a he mu ual. I is said ha Mokbang hos s and iewe s a e “emo ionally”
connec ed o each o he . Thus his explains why he hos s ell s o ies while hey a e ea ing
and cooking. Viewe s can also sha e hei s o ies as well. This kind o emo ional
connec ion migh also be he eason why he e is a high numbe o sma phone use s in
he coun y. I is said ha Ko ea is conside ed o ha e one o he highes sma phone use s
wi h a pene a ion a e o o e 70% in 2014 (Pa k, 2014).
Discussion
E e y now and hen we would hea some hing c azy o unique happening in Sou h
Ko ea. This happens due o he ewa ds o he socie y and cul u e o Ko ea. I is no
su p ising when some hing like he business Mokbong came ou o he blue. By going
in o dep h and unde s anding he eal concep and cha ac e is ics o he Sou h Ko ean
cul u e, i gi es a clea and an easie unde s anding o how such hings can happen and
why i happens.
The cha ac e is ics o Ko ean cul u e in business a e Kibun, Inhwa, powe dis ance
and hie a chy, and Con ucianism. Kibun simply means emo ion, mood o eeling o sense
o balance and ha ing good beha iou and a i ude ha e y much in luences he way
Ko ea uns hei businesses and hei pe sonal li es (Chaney and Ma in, 2011). This can
be seen in Mokbong. The way he hos s and iewe s connec , hey ha e some so o an
emo ional connec ion whe e hey ell each o he s o ies o alk abou how good and
delicious he ood is. Since Ko eans hink ha cooking and ea ing is like a medicine o
hem, his ga e he people he mindse o concep ha jus by ea ing o looking a o he
people ea can help elie e you s ess, pain o illness. Inhwa means ha mony. Li ing
oge he in ha mony as one socie y is e y impo an . In ac , e e yone is encou aged o
main ain such ha monious li es yle; e en i i means igno ing he nega i e hings such as
bad news, bad commen s o one ano he e c. As o Mokbong, he e will always be
posi i e ibes going a ound. E e yone will enjoy alking o one ano he and ea ing
oge he . Posi i e commen s such as how delicious he ood is, o how heal hy i is o ea
his ype o ood o how unny he hos is o how p e y he hos is, will be lying a ound
he cha oom. Con ucianism has a big impac on Sou h Ko ea. Fo example, he way
people li e, he way hey ea , wha hey ea , how o ge along wi h iends, amily and
someone olde o powe ul han hem, a e jus some o he ew examples whe e
Con ucianism play a majo ole in he Sou h Ko ean socie y.
