[귣 ť]BANGKOK
About the Issue
Welcome
to the 74th edition of B. There
are people described as global citizens or global nomads, people who are
fluent in foreign languages, who embrace different ideas and cultures without
prejudice or judgment, who are able to communicate as one individual to another
outside the frame of collectivism. With the effusiveness of the word global
aside, the aforementioned qualities or attitudes will become an increasingly
important virtue. In the age of hyperconnectivity represented by 5G and IoT,
the conventional sense or definition of belonging to a community is bound to be
obsolete. Even the World Cup and the Olympics dont arouse the same amount of
enthusiasm as before, which only testifies to this change: Hyper-connection
begins when micro-level individuals form relationships beyond their physical
and social settings. Looking back, B
has also worked extremely hard to meet such needs of the time as a magazine.
Weve always tried to free our content of Korean conventions and conceptions.
This magazine is made by Korean-speaking people living in Korea, which is
inevitably a significant part of our identity, but we believe that its content
should be relatable to anyone and everyone. This
fifth city issue of B introduces
Bangkok, the city probably most suited for a global citizen. There are several
megacities that outrun Bangkok in terms of average income, economic size, or
social infrastructure, but when it comes to the ability to absorb different
cultures and cradle change, Bangkok is definitely at the forefront. The reviews
of our editors, who traveled around Bangkok for more than a week to cover the
stories, were no different: they spoke favorably of how the residents of
Bangkok were comfortable with expressing themselves and telling their stories,
all the while showing just enough courtesy and respect for others. Bangkok does
not only appeal to editors visiting for coverage. Its an ideal destination for
many types of travelers: business professionals looking to attract investment,
backpackers planning to stay for a month, short-term tourists on vacation.
Another way to interpret this would be that Bangkok is a city that knows how to
retain its identity while also actively responding to different needs. B wanted to capture this attitude of
Bangkok for people who only know the city by its famous temples, fancy
nightlife, and nearby resort areas like Phuket. Cultural heritage, an artistic
eye, a business mindset, and technical skills can make a brand or a city great,
but attitude points to future possibilities. As uncertainty escalates in
societies and markets, people tend to rely more on the visions projected
through attitudes than objective indicators. It would help to recall the
exemplary brands featured by B over
the years that focus on selling their attitude. An attitude encompasses many
values, as demonstratedby WeWorks slogan Do What You Love, Patagonias
proposition to Live Simply, and Vans attitude of Off the Wall. In
that sense, then, what could Bangkoks attitude be reduced down to? I believe
adaptive is the right adjective to describe the city. Experimenting and
turning it into real-life experiences rather than conjecturing right or wrong,
or good or bad—this adaptive attitude is what makes Bangkok such a multifaceted
city as it is today, capable of transforming itself according to the times and
environment. If the city had only tried to lead ahead or find exact answers, it
wouldnt have fostered such a quirky harmony of differences—no small family-run
hostels next to the global brand six-star hotel, no interesting intermix of
street food and high-end fine dining restaurants. After putting this issue
together, Im deliberately keeping my eyes and ears open to the various
goings-on in Bangkok. That is because I believe that it might just be these
adaptable groups of people who will change the world of tomorrow. Eunsung Park
[ó] ŰB () Magazine B, Ű
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