The power of soft power


AVANT GARDENER

Farming is not a get rich quick scheme

I spent part of the holidays watching a couple of Kdramas and one thing I noticed was that both placed a value on farming but totally in passing. If you were a casual watcher and not someone on the lookout for agricultural content, they would have been easy to miss.

 

Beware, spoilers abound!


The first Kdrama was “Mr. Queen,” a show about an arrogant chef in the 20th century who gets trapped in the body of a queen from the Joseon Dynasty married to a king who, in modern history books, is known for his inefficiency in ruling and his love for partying. The chef has to save himself in the 20th century, the queen’s life in the Joseon era, and the entire nation. He transforms from a selfish person into a compassionate one while helping the queen, whose body he had taken over for some time, make the king fall in love with her and find a good life in the palace. He also helps the king become a good ruler.
 

Where does farming come in? 


In the last episode, after the king has quashed all his enemies and secured the throne, his first decree is to cement the importance of Joseon’s agriculture. He says, “Joseon strives through agricultural work. So farmers must live well for the country to thrive. Exploitation by the chiefs destroys the country. I will now punish it at the level of treason.”


It’s a throwaway line in the sense that the audience is left to imagine a better Joseon because food production was brought up to the level of national treasures by the king and everyone, especially ministers who took advantage of them would be considered traitors to the state. It also shows that mistreating farmers is a timeless crime that transcends cultures.  


Farming makes an even smaller footprint the the next Kdrama I watched titled “Moving.” It starts when two teens with superpowers realize that they’re not alone, and it leads to the uncovering of an international network of government agents with special abilities. It turns out that their parents were part of this network but defected when they realized that the government would want to turn their children into killing machines instead of letting them live regular lives. 


The main character’s parents, both agents, went into hiding and made money as persimmon farmers, until they were discovered and had to split up.
The episodes on the persimmon farm made the work out to be hard, but rewarding. The family had to downgrade their lifestyle, but being free was better than being rich. The main character’s father, a former government assassin, says, “If I ever hear someone suggest that farming is an easy hobby, I’m honestly going to shoot them.”


I’m not sure if this was a matter of suspending disbelief for television or a marvel of South Korea’s farm machinery, but it looked like only two people could manage an entire orchard, with one person doing most of the farm work (granted, one of the workers could fly and the other had highly refined senses). 


Again, another throwaway plot point. The writers just needed a way to show that the family was happy while in hiding. And yet, they picked farming.
It’s no secret that South Korea is the current worldwide master in soft power. The popularity of its music, cinema, and TV shows have translated into an interest in South Korean culture and a boost in tourism at the very least and political leverage in the larger scheme of things. They’re also very proud of their agriculture industry, and understand the importance of national food production and security.


Contrast that to the Philippines, where media likes to portray farmers as poor, oppressed, and without hope. While this is a reality for a lot of farmers, it also cements the impression that farming isn’t something to consider if you want a good life. 


I’m not saying we should lie about the state of our agriculture on fictional tv shows, I’m suggesting that there’s a way to be truthful about our situation without giving people a bad impression of the industry. 


A lot of people poo-poo popular entertainment, thinking that it’s crass and for the masses and not at par with say, scholarly work or high art. These people are disregarding the power such forms of entertainment can hold, and it will only be to their detriment if they fail to use this as an opportunity to promote the kind of citizenry they want to see in their country. 


These are only two Kdramas, but rewatch pandemic hit “Crash Landing on You” with an eye for agriculture and you’ll see that food is practically a subplot.
Policies and the enactment thereof are important, but to reach people on an individual level, mass entertainment still holds a lot of power, and it’s one that we should consider making use of when talking about agriculture.