SEOUL, KOREA — PSY danced his “Gangnam Style” way into a new opportunity. His viral moves flashed online spoofs at home and in America. It looks like the market will stay a little longer with him, and certainly he deserves it, judging from multiple appearances on major TV shows. His unique feat seems somewhat a misfit to people who are familiar with “K Pop.” It can be best praised as the power of PSY’s idiosyncratic creation. One would not hesitate to say it is the world’s first.
People wow at the level of technology that Korea has pulled out of piles of debris and dust after the Korean War. The road to glory took only several decades. Many countries are working on emulating the progress. Hopefully, they will make it, and here is a brief peek
Businesses such as the electronic industry are big benefactors. Affordable and quality “Made in Korea” items including TVs, mobile phones, displays, etc., became popular and generated plenty of profits in overseas markets. They also opened the door for many more opportunities. Similar to “K-Pop”, Korean Tech is playing the same tune: popular trendy goods and mass production. However, “K-Pop” is no longer there to motivate the Korea Tech. It is stuck and swamped with flashy and transient trends that are boggling creativity. It is time to learn how to dance its way into the future market as PSY does.
Nothing under the sun lasts forever. Technology and trend will The market demand changes daily as customers become fickle and fanciful. Companies are facing against all odds in competition. Now nothing guarantees the survivability of the Korea’s tech industry when today’s markets keep failing routine attempts to attract people. What once were considered as “unbeatable” global companies like Sony and Nokia are retreating in the market while feeling the pain. New focus is on scarcity value.
Many experts agree, “World First” always comes first. It is trend-proof and means the world’s best. Picky customers cannot resist such a charm. Look at Apple’s iPhone. Gone are companies that were clueless or careless about storming the market with new inventions. For Korea, when it comes to leading the market upfront, it could be already halfway reached with LTE & Wibro, wireless sensor network, robots, seawater desalination technology, etc. Maybe, technology is not an issue. Competition is pointless for “World First”. To be such, what matters is creativity.
Creativity, it comes from sharing. By allowing people in poor regions to benefit from the latest technologies, new synergy can come along, which brings more opportunities to the table for Korean companies. Then they will motivate them to pull new technology out of their potential baggage. This is creation, and creation begets “World first”. Sharing certainly comes back in a big way. The government may need to educate and encourage companies to lead the way.
