     Cross culture is a form of interaction between people from different cultures or backgrounds. There are 4 aspects that can differentiate between one culture and another, such as, cultural symbols, language use, behavior, and values. In Minha Kim's 'Pachinko' interview video on The Late Show (https://youtu.be/m_68Ood2pDA?si=4ubW94vGOfxv-UIO ) , there is a cross cultural interaction between Minha Kim and Stephen Colbert. Minha Kim is an actress from South Korea, whereas Stephen Colbert is the late show host from America. The video was filled with a conversation between the two about Minha Kim's role in the movie titled 'Pachinko' and she shared a glimpse of Korean culture and phrases. There are cross cultural differences that can be analyzed.
1. Cultural Symbols
In Korean culture, people commonly talk in a reserved way, especially with people they just met. Moreover, Korean people greet each other with bowing, whether it is a slight or casual bowing or a deep bowing. On the other hand, American culture is commonly more open in terms of greetings and communication. In the video, when Minha Kim entered the room, Stephen Colbert offered a handshake to her which is considered a common greeting in America. Minha Kim accepted the handshake and slightly bowed to Stephen Colbert and the audience, showing politeness and respect. Another cultural symbol that appears in the video is when Stephen Colbert directly complimented Minha Kim about her performance in the Pachinko movie. Near the end of the interview, Stephen Colbert asked Minha Kim to teach him some Korean phrases and Minha Kim taught him the words. The Korean phrases can be considered a cultural expression yet symbol.
2. Language Use
Minha Kim frequently used filler words, such as "umm, so, uh, but, like" during the interview. There are certain moments when she wants to say something, but instead of finishing the sentences, she jumps from one sentence to the next. It indicates that Minha Kim is not a native speaker in English and was trying to translate the words first inside her head before she said what she wanted to say. Moreover, Minha Kim perhaps felt nervous during the interview and it caused her to mess up the words. Whereas Stephen Colbert said the words in a clear and direct way since he is a native speaker in English. He also tends to be more confident due to the fact that he is the host of the show.
3. Behavior
In American culture, making eye contact is considered as a respect to the other speaker since it indicates that we attentively listen to them. Therefore, in the interview, Stephen Colbert makes a lot of eye contact with Minha Kim to show that he is actively listening to what she said. Meanwhile in Korean culture, the amount of eye contact is not as high as in American culture. Thus, Minha Kim makes slight eye contact and is more reserved in terms of behavior. She also laughs a lot and closes her mouth with both of her hands, indicating that she feels shy and awkward. On the other hand, Stephen Colbert used a lot of hand gestures while talking, indicating that he feels more comfortable with the conversation. However, he had a tendency to ask Minha Kim a new question and quickly change the topic even though she had not finished her words yet, as if he was in a rush. Minha Kim also showed high proficiency in intercultural communication, it showed whem she was able to adjust from the subtle and indirect Korean culture to the more open and expressive American style of speech.Â
4. Values
In the middle of the interview, the host asked Minha Kim about her preparation and research for her role in 'Pachinko.' The movie is set in Korea during the colonial era, specifically the Japanese occupation, where poverty is widely spread across nation. The historical context deeply affects the main character's emotional aspect. In order to In order to play the role perfectly and perform great acting, Minha Kim did some fact research through her knowledge that she learned during school days, books, and also asked her grandmother who experienced the poverty era in real life to make the emotional aspect of the acting appear natural. Her grandmother's emotional journey while lived in the poverty era helped Minha Kim understand the natural emotional depth required for the role. She believes that acknowledging the turmoil of the poverty era is essential for understanding Korean history and culture. Although it was such a hard time for Korean people, the poverty era creates innovation in a lot of aspects, and it affects the culture and the society in terms of becoming an advanced country. Resilience and continuous effort to recover from setbacks are the main reasons. Through Pachinko and Minha Kim's knowledge, the people are able to understand the importance of acknowledging the past struggles and remembering the history in order to form a strong cultural identity and build a better future. While Minha Kim shared her perspectives of the role and a glimpse of the poverty history, Stephen Colbert showed genuine interest in Korean history and Minha Kim's role. Colbert expressed appreciation for the storytelling in both the movie and the book, yet recognizing the harsh realities faced during the poverty era. In the course of the conversation, he compliments Minha Kim's performance and positively acknowledges Korean culture. Moreover, he used humor and shared interests, such as talking about 'Lord of the Rings' popular phrases and asked the actress to teach him the Korean version of the phrases.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the interview between Minha Kim and Stephen Colbert within the context of 'Pachinko' movie filled with cross-cultural interaction between Korean and American. The differences can be seen through cultural symbols, language use, behavior, and values aspect. With these aspects, the interaction can be analyzed. Minha Kim can adapt to the American culture and greetings that considered to be more open, while still maintaining her identity and values as a Korean. With her role in 'Pachinko' movie, she shared her perspectives of the role and a glimpse of the poverty history that leads to the beliefs of how important it is to acknowledge the history, especially the hard times, and the efforts of the people in recovering from setbacks to build a better future for the society. On the other hand, Stephen Colbert showed genuine interest, curiosity, expressed appreciation, and humor in order to form a cultural connection. The interaction centered the importance of having the awareness yet knowledge of the cultures and respect within the communication.
