[News Terms] American Version of Kkaesimin? America Tired of 'Woke'

Citizens Awake to Social Injustice Such as Discrimination
Distorted as a Criticism of PC Culture Obsession
Film 'In-eo Gongju' Also Faces Public Neglect

'Woke' is the past tense of the English verb 'Wake,' meaning 'to be awake.' It is a term used to describe individuals who consider themselves to be politically aware, emphasizing political correctness (PC). It was once used in the U.S. to signify awareness of political, cultural, and social injustices such as discrimination. Now, it is used to criticize those who are excessively obsessed with political correctness. In Korean, it is similar in context to 'kkaesimin' (awakened citizens).

On the 13th (local time), Reuters, citing sources, reported that the second Trump administration transition team is compiling a purge list of military officers. The list is expected to include General Charles Brown, the first Black four-star general and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who spoke out following the 2020 George Floyd death incident that sparked the BLM (Black Lives Matter) movement. During his first term, President-elect Trump often expressed discomfort toward generals who opposed him.

Cast Members in Disney Live-Action Films
Photo by Akyung DB

President-elect Trump called these officers "Woke generals." He criticized them for focusing more on diversity within the military than on military readiness. Based on the concept of 'DEI,' which stands for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, the U.S. military has introduced various policies to promote and advocate for minority rights in terms of gender, sexual orientation, race, and more.

In this U.S. presidential election, a decline in woke culture was observed. Woke culture is cited as one of the reasons for the "Red Sweep," where the Republican Party took the White House and gained majorities in both the House and Senate. The Washington Post (WP), a leading U.S. daily, pointed out that the election results included more diverse races, younger voters, and working-class individuals supporting Trump than before. The shift of groups once considered "Democratic strongholds" to Trump’s side was a major factor in the Democratic Party’s defeat.

Woke culture is also known as the reason why Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and Secretary of Government Efficiency, withdrew his support for the Democratic Party. Shocked by his son's gender transition, Musk frequently used the term "Woke virus."

Trump President-elect making his characteristic gesture
Photo by Yonhap News

Notably, the emotional conflict between Bob Iger, CEO of Disney?a representative woke company?and Musk is well known. After Disney stopped advertising on X (formerly Twitter), the social networking service acquired by Musk, Tesla removed Disney Plus from its in-car app, Tesla Theater. Musk also revealed Disney’s internal documents containing PC regulations on X and posted criticisms of Bob Iger.

The obsession with PC and woke culture pursued by some politicians and companies has also led to public backlash. Recently released Disney and Marvel movies were shunned by the public amid worsening public opinion.

Especially, the Disney live-action film "The Little Mermaid," released in May last year, sparked controversy over PC in the film industry. When Black singer Halle Bailey was cast as the lead role 'Ariel,' some SNS users protested Disney with the hashtag '#NotMyAriel.' The film reportedly barely surpassed the break-even point with a global box office of $560 million (690 billion KRW). In South Korea, it attracted only 640,000 viewers.