Movie-Minari shows Korean feelings for grandparents

 

Minari is a movie about a Korean-American family. They move to an Arkansas farm in search of their own American Dream. Amidst the challenges of this new life in the strange and rugged Ozarks, they find the undeniable resilience of family and what really makes a home.

Youn Yuh-jung, who plays the grandmother in the movie, said in an interview.

Q: What personal experiences did you use to build her character?

Youn said:

“I’m sure it just comes from the heart with my experience, but I was not thinking I’m a grandmother or something like that. I thought about my great-grandmother. She passed away when I was 9 or 10, I’m not sure, and I didn’t like her. So, I really thought about her during that time. I felt really guilty and thought, Stupid me. I didn’t like her because she wasn’t hygienic. If I’m talking about my great-grandmother, it’s breaking my heart.”

What is Korean feelings for grandmothers?

Youn Yuh-jung (born in 1947) says that she actually has few memories of living with her grandmother. However, Youn Yuh-jung started acting in 1966, when Koreans formed modern feelings for grandmothers, so she understands Koreans’ feelings for grandparents better than anyone else.

Currently, Korean feelings for grandmothers and grandfathers mainly appeared when Korea achieved rapid economic growth after the Korean War (1950-1953).

As urbanization progressed rapidly due to economic development and agricultural technology developed, surplus human resources in rural areas moved to cities, searching for better jobs.

In this process, children of people who do not have a living base in the city lived with grandmothers and grandfathers in the countryside.

These children have grown up and are leading modern Korean society, and these people are shaping the modern Korean feelings for grandmothers and grandfathers.

In order to help you understand, here are two films that nicely capture the Korean feelings for grandmothers and grandfathers.

1. The Way Home

Seven-year-old Sang-woo is left with his grandmother in a remote village while his mother looks for work. Born and raised in the city, Sang-woo quickly comes into conflict with his old-fashioned grandmother and his new rural surroundings.

Disrespectful and selfish, Sang-woo lashes out in anger, perceiving that he has been abandoned.

He trades his grandmother’s only treasure for a video game; he throws his food and he throws tantrums. When Sang-woo’s mother finds work and finally returns for him, Sang-woo has become a different boy.

Through his grandmother’s boundless patience and devotion, he learns to embrace empathy, humility and the importance of family. (IMDB Summary)

2. Miss Granny

Comedy, Fantasy, Music

A 74-year-old widow realizes she is becoming a burden on her family. She mysteriously regains her physical appearance from the age of 20.

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Same Spam, Different flavors due to cultural differences

 There is a food ingredient treated like garbage in the United States but is considered a luxury food in Korea.

Spam History

Spam was made in 1937 and became widespread during World War II. Spam was supplied as food for the U.S. military during World War II and played a significant role in winning the war. But why is it treated as garbage food?
It is said that American soldiers initially liked Spam. Because they can store Spam for a long time, and it is easy to cook. However, the massive rush of Spam left the soldiers embarrassed. The soldiers ate Spam every day, and their tongues were paralyzed. Eventually, Spam was treated as junk food by soldiers. Spam became spam.

Spam landing in Korea.

But after a while, Spam was treated differently from the United States in South Korea on the other side of the globe. After the Korean War (1950-1953), Korea was in ruins. There wasn’t enough food to eat.

Seoul-ruined and refugees-September, 1950

Anyone would have seen a symbolic scene showing Korea’s state at that time in a movie or TV.

It was difficult to have meat in Korea at that time, so Spam provided through the US military PX was considered a luxury food.
At that time, there was a perception that all US military items were of high quality. The people who could get Spam were those who worked at US military bases or were privileged to make connections with the US military, so at the time, consuming Spam was considered a particular person.

The success of spam.

Spam became widespread in Korea in the late 1980s. The biggest traditional holidays in Korea are Lunar New Year and Chuseok(Thanksgiving Day) in autumn. At this time, Koreans have a custom to prepare a gift for their parents and return to their hometown. At this time, to prepare a gift for their hometowns.

In 1987, a Korean company produced Spam in Korea and made a gift set of a canned ham.

Spam was recognized as an inexpensive but luxurious gift set, as it reminded generations of parents of old memories of canned Spam.

For this reason alone, Spam is not popular in Korea. Spam goes well with Korean food that doesn’t have a main dish. If you eat one Spam, it is very salty. However, if you eat it as a side dish in Korean food, this saltiness is neutralized.

How to eat Spam

Here are two typical ways Koreans eat Spam.

1. Budae-jjigae (Army Stew)

It is a type of stew, made with ham, sausage, Spam, baked beans, kimchi and gochujang. This dish was created after the Korean War, using the scrounged or smuggled surplus foods from the U. S. army bases. Now, it is one of the nation’s favorite foods.

2. Eat Spam as a side dish for rice.

First, roast a slice of Spam in on a fry pan.
If you eat it with rice, the two flavors harmonize so that you can feel the sweet and moderately salty taste at the same time. If you add kimchi here, it blends with the meat’s taste and makes it more flavorful.

If you add seaweed to it, you can feel a more savory flavor.

Option 1: Rice+Spam

Option 2: Rice+Kimchi+Spam

Option 3: Seaweed+Rice+Kimch+Spam

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