Imagine my disbelief. A few months ago, my close friend from the USA sent me a message. “Hilarious, you have to see this.” And there it was. Mocking and staring me squarely in the face. Can you guess what it was? I was surprised to see that not only this phenomenon had made it to the USA, but I was equally surprised at how fast it gained popularity. Perhaps the number one cultural export of Korea for the past few months, she had sent me a youtube.com link to Psy's Gangnam Style music video.

Already, I must apologize. Today, Gangnam Style may seem like yesterday's news to many of us living in Korea. However, to those living overseas, this golden nugget of entertainment and humor, paired with a catchy blend of Korean and English lyrics, has quickly become the lens through which many people who are unfamiliar with Korean culture have begun observing.

Admittedly, the music video highlights and satirizes many rather stereotypical Korean scenes. For example in the video you can see older people playing board games under a highway overpass, ladies walking backwards for exercise, a crowded river full of duck boats, yoga in the park, etc. However, overall it seems that everyone finds the song to be funny, silly, quirky, light-hearted, catchy and entertaining. These are not negative adjectives and, to be fair, there are much worse lenses through which a culture may be examined.

The success of Gangnam Style is undisputed. It has destroyed countless music charts. At the time of this writing, the video amassed over 595 million youtube views. I am pretty sure I recently went an entire fourteen days with hearing the song every day. This song is simply a beast.

So here it is.

If you are reading this column, you surely are deeply familiar with Korean culture. So I ask you to ask yourself this question. How do you feel knowing that people overseas are seeing Korean culture through the lens of Gangnam Style?

Surely, with the Samsung's Galaxy phones rivaling Apple's iphone and with the Korean electronics export industry's emergence in foreign markets, Korea is becoming known for its engineering. But making quality consumer products speaks very little to the culture behind that engineering and innovation.

Positive or negative, the aspects of Korean culture portrayed in Gangnam Style are gaining international exposure. And gaining exposure very quickly. From my American perspective, I would suggest that any song which brings smiles to so many faces and piques an outsider's interest in your culture is absolutely positive. So, fellow readers, I suggest you maintain your deep embrace of your newly found cultural export that is Psy. It sure won't be long until you're walking in a city abroad and someone will inevitably yell “Gangnam Style” in your direction.