AKS Home | CEFIA Home |  Korean homepage

Essay Contest Result

Photo - Essay Contest

Image of Korea from the Malaysian Perspective

Introduction: Korea - Malaysia Relations

Diplomatic relations between South Korea and Malaysia were first established in 1960 and, over the following six decades, have developed into a profitable trade partnership, as well as thriving cultural and socio-educational ties. Today, South Korea remains one of Malaysia's main foreign direct investors, as it has been since the 1980s. Likewise, as of 2018, Malaysia was listed as South Korea's 14th largest business partner, with the trade value reaching up to US$ 20 billion.

The Korean community in Malaysia now comprises more than 20,000 South Koreans. This does not include the approximately 3,000 Korean students currently studying in Malaysia and the hundreds of thousands Korean tourists visiting the country every year prior to the pandemic. In fact, the Korean community in Kuala Lumpur is so large that there are two Koreatowns in the capital city alone!

Image of Korea in Malaysia

With such strong bilateral ties encompassing various areas, Korea is not an unfamiliar name for most Malaysians. As early as the 1980s, the importance of South Korea's and Japan's economies had prompted our then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to introduce the Look-East Policy, in which Malaysians were encouraged to emulate the positive attitudes and work ethics of South Korean and Japanese people.

In the mid-1980s, the University of Malaya became the first university in Malaysia to introduce Korean Studies as a program under its Department of East Asian Studies. The first course offered was Korean language, followed by social sciences related to the Korean Peninsula, including Korean history, culture, economics, international relations, and foreign policies.

However, this program remains the only one of its kind in the country. In primary and secondary education, Korea never made it into our school textbooks, unlike its neighbor Japan, which -- as one of Malaysia's former colonizers -- quite understandably holds greater historical significance for the average Malaysian citizen.

Thus, on the grassroots level, the understanding of Korea among young Malaysians is still rather limited, especially with regard to its history. Malaysians who have personally visited South Korea and those with a deeper interest in history may have learned about Korea's distant past, but as for the laypeople, their knowledge of the country does not extend beyond its popular culture.

Undeniably, the phenomenal Korean wave that has taken the world by storm has not evaded Malaysia. We were, in fact, the first country in the world to serve the McDonald's limited edition BTS-themed meal set. The product received an overwhelming response from the Malaysian public, so much so that immediately after its launch, the online ordering app crashed due to the volume of incoming orders. Malaysians even took to reselling the empty food containers for almost triple the original price. Some opted to wash, dry, and frame these memorabilias for their own keepsake.

While the K-Pop boy bands and girl groups mainly appeal to Malaysia's Gen Z, the older crowd is not left behind in the Korean Wave. They have their own Hallyu craze: K-Drama. This obsession can be attributed to the hugely successful "Autumn in My Heart" and "Winter Sonata" series in the early 2000s. The latter, especially, has inspired many Malaysians to hop on a plane to visit Nami Island, where the series was filmed and statues of the two main characters were erected. In a similar fashion, any food that is featured in K-Dramas will promptly drive throngs of Malaysians to the doors of Korean eateries in their neighborhood for a taste of that famous Korean fried chicken or to experience the wholesome goodness of a bowl of bibimbap.

On top of that, the timeless beauty of Korean actresses and equally immaculate actors have brought into light Korea's apparent obsession with beauty. The past decade has seen Malaysian beauty influencers switching to Korean skincare products and adopting the elaborate 10-step skincare regime, all in the hope of achieving the coveted 'glass skin'. South Korea has long been known as the best place to go for affordable and reliable cosmetic procedures.The fact that it is so normalized that even parents are gifting their teenage daughters with plastic surgeries both perplexes and impresses Malaysians.

Lastly, Korean electronic brands are also highly regarded in Malaysia. According to the latest data from International Data Corp (IDC), Samsung is still one of Malaysians' top choices of smartphone brands, largely thanks to its wide price range, exceptional camera quality, and cutting-edge technology, not to mention its consistently stylish designs.

Ways to Improve the Understanding of Korea in Malaysia

It may be quite unlikely for Korea to make its way into the Malaysian school syllabus any time soon, considering the great importance we place on learning our own history and culture, and those of neighboring Southeast Asian nations. However, there are still other approaches that can help deepen the understanding of Korean culture in Malaysia.

South Korea may well have been the only country on Earth that makes it a top priority to export popular culture as a way to propel the country's image onto the global scene, and it has paid off tremendously.

Of late, more and more young Malaysians are showing interest in learning Korean, as seen in the emergence of Korean language classes offered by private tutors. This trend should be seen as a golden opportunity to produce more Korean speakers among Malaysians. The Ministries of Education in both countries may work together to introduce Korean as an elective subject for secondary school students, like Mandarin and Arabic, which are already widely offered in many public schools in the country.

As any language learner would understand, learning a new language is not merely a study of words and syntaxes. Rather, it is a gateway to a whole new world and, with it, a whole new set of possibilities -- to meet new people, travel to new places, try new food, and gain a renewed understanding of the people and their culture. As an incentive to further motivate these young learners, perhaps a student-exchange program can be put in place for top scorers. Part of these sponsored trips should include a stay with a local family who will introduce the visiting students to the Korean way of life.

On the tertiary level, the Korean government has continuously been awarding scholarships to international students wishing to pursue their studies in South Korea. Most notably in 2008, a total of MYR 8 million was given out to forty-one Malaysian students in support of their post-graduate studies in the Land of the Morning Calm. This effort should continue for more years to come in order to encourage more cultural exchange between the two nations.

While focusing on school and university students is certainly beneficial, a great emphasis must also be placed on penetrating the general public, who may not be as resourceful or as academically-inclined. The Understanding Korea Materials, for example, are a commendable initiative but have to be made more accessible and appealing to a wider range of audience. The creative and publishing industries should consider incorporating the content into Korean manhwa and marketing it until it gains as much popularity as the Japanese manga that already warrants its own section in Malaysian bookstores. In addition, popular literary works such as "Please Look After Mother" by Kyung-sook Shin and "The Hole" by Hye-Young Pyun should be made available in Malay language to reach the large majority of Malaysian people who are more proficient in their native tongue.

Beyond the written words, there are other platforms that can be used to reach out to the Malaysian public. Judging from the number of public holidays we have in Malaysia, it should come as no surprise that we have a penchant for festivals. In the past years, several Korean festivals have been held in Kuala Lumpur, including the "Imagine Your Korea" festival organized by Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) that featured, among others, a colorful display of Korean hanboks, dance performances, and a thrilling showcase of Korean food. We should aim to have these events on a much bigger scale and in more places in Malaysia.

On top of that, food is another one of Malaysians' greatest passions. A food fair focusing on halal Korean cuisine would be a big hit among the Malay Muslim community, which makes up at least 60% of the country's population.

In 2020, the Korean zombie action thriller "Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula" managed to amass a whopping total of MYR 520k at Malaysia's box office in just one day -- the highest collection for a sneak preview for a Korean movie in Malaysia. In addition to the amazing visuals and an action-packed storyline, this achievement is also partly due to a Malaysian actress making a short appearance in the film. Similar collaborations in the future would certainly attract more Malaysian viewers to watch Korean movies and possibly learn something new about Korean culture.

As it is presently, Malaysians already hold Korea in high esteem. The Hallyu phenomenon has established a stronghold in Malaysia, with a massive and loyal fan base. It should not be seen as a deterrent that takes the focus away from Korean traditions and culture. Neither should Korea's preoccupation with beauty be seen in a negative light. Instead, the Korean government should leverage on this eager and receptive audience to spread a more accurate understanding of Korea, if not in an educational setting, then in other practical ways that are closer to the Malaysians' hearts.

[Participation Prize]
Raja Ummi Nadrah Binti Raja Sulaiman

(Country of Activity : Malaysia)

Go to top