Editor's note: Davin's story is as much about Korean characters in games as it is about how games helped him appreciate his own cultural heritage…. -Demian
As one of only five Asian kids in the entire school system in small-town Munster, Indiana, it was hard not to feel like an outsider. Almost everyone else was white, and some of them never hesitated to remind me that I was not. You know the routine: slanting their eyes with their fingers, speaking in nonsensical gibberish, using terms like “Chink” or “Jap.” And explaining that I was Korean didn't help much — that clarification was usually met with looks of confusion, followed by “there’s no such country.”
To preserve my sanity, I often escaped into games, and one genre that I particularly gravitated towards was, appropriately enough, fighting games. What better way to release the tension of a maddening day at school than by pummeling my opponents and pretending they were my tormenters?
However, it wasn’t until 1992’s Fatal Fury 2 that video games became more than just an outlet for my aggravations. They would become part of my emerging cultural identity.
And it was all thanks to Kim Kaphwan.
For the first time, Korea was represented in my favorite hobby with a character who dispatched opponents with Taekwondo and stood on equal ground with stalwart fighters like Terry Bogard. I was instantly hooked, so much so that Fatal Fury 2 was the first fighting game I completed from start to finish on a single credit (with Kim, of course).
As the years went on and I grew more comfortable in my skin, I had many opportunities to visit Korea and become fully immersed in my heritage. Besides learning the language and connecting with my extended family, I spent countless hours in arcades and PC cafes, learning the minutiae of King of Fighters and Street Fighter as well as the intricacies of Counter-Strike and Starcraft. And in all that time, my admiration for my homeland grew, both as an individual and as a gamer.
Now as an adult, I have an ardent appreciation of who I am. My name is Davin Loh. I am Korean. I am a gamer. I’m damn proud of all three of those facts.
And if you want to disparage me, the proper term is “gook.”
Korea gives fighting games character. Literally.
As mentioned before, SNK’s Fatal Fury 2 was the first fighting game to prominently feature a Korean character. It wouldn’t be the last.
As they became more sophisticated and culturally relevant in the arcade age, more and more fighting games included characters from Korea, many of which were top tier contenders and gave their rosters color and personality.
SNK expanded on Kim Kaphwan’s presence in the KOF series with Chang and Choi as well as with later additions Lee Jhun and May Lee. Even his two sons, Dong Hwan and Jae Hoon, followed in their father’s footsteps in Fatal Fury: Mark of the Wolves.
As fighting games moved into 3D, Namco Bandai joined the fray with Baek Doo San and Hwoarang in the Tekken series as well as Hwang, Seung Mina, and Yunsung in the Soul Calibur franchise.
Now, with Super Street Fighter 4, I couldn’t be more excited to enter the fray once again with the new fighters — one character in particular .
With the introduction of Han Juri, the glass ceiling in Street Fighter is shattered. This will be the first time a Korean character has appeared in Capcom’s flagship fighting game series. While this may seem like a trivial fact, it represents a cultural bridge in many ways.
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For many years, the Korean government censored any and all references to Japanese culture in the media, including movies, books, and video games. This was in response to years of colonial imperialism under Japan which had left a veiled cultural Cold War between the two countries, particularly among the older generations.
With SSF4 producer Yoshinori Ono’s decision to include Juri at the recently established Capcom Korea’s behest, it would seem that there’s at least a slight warming between the two countries.
Just think, two nations improving their relations through a video game about martial arts and fighting!
OK, that may be a bit of a stretch, but it can’t be dismissed entirely either. At the very least, we’ve got another unique character in a legendary fighting series that’s crossed borders and united players for years. And that’s something to celebrate while you're kicking ass.
Disclaimer: While the author widely acknowledges his ethnocentricity, his purpose is not to disparage other ethnicities and backgrounds, but to highlight the ways that the Republic of Korea has made gaming a more vivacious and colorful space. Take it with as much salt as you deem necessary!
Coming soon: how Korea not only made professional gaming lucrative, but sexy.