New Korean word - What is 'black history(heug-yeogsa)'?

When conversing with Koreans in their 10s and 40s, sometimes they say, 'I want to erase the black history'. it may be difficult for foreigners to understand what this word means. so, what does the word 'black history' mean, and when is this expression used?

1. What it the origin of the word 'black history?'

The term 'black history' comes from Japanese anime ∀ Gundam(Turn A Gundam), which aired in 1999.

In the anime 'Gundam series' numerous works have been released. these animations have a common theme: the relentless war and the tragedies it entails. 'Black history' is meant to contain the history of all wars and conflicts that occurred in the previously released Gundam series.

In Korea, it was a word mainly used by some domestic Gundam fan pages and animation community users, but as the word spread to the public, the meaning changed.

2. Then, how has the meaning of the word 'black history' changed in Korea?

In Korea, the word 'black history' is used to mean 'the past to be forgotten or erased'. Before the word became popular, the expression 'Dark Age' was used frequently. Recently, this word has turned into a deprecated trend.

3. A period when many Koreans commonly refer to the 'black history'

Interestingly, most Koreans have a common period of expressing this 'black history'. The period is from 2000 to 2010. I think most of them will remember this period as a black history for two reasons.

The first reason is the influx of Japanese culture. Until the 1990s, access to content was very limited as Korea did not accept Japanese culture for various reasons, including history. Comic books and animations were mainly imported, and at this time, character names and regions were often localized.

However, in the 1990s and early 2000s, cultural contents such as Japanese animation, dramas, movies, and music exploded as the Internet was developed along with the policy to allow Japanese pop culture imports. In the meantime, the hair styles and fashion of drama actors influenced the Korean entertainment industry and spread to the public.

Over the years, many Koreans feel too burdened to think of the fashion trends that were popular back then, so this is even called the "dark age of the Korean fashion industry."
The second is an activity record of a community called Cyworld. In the past, there was a famous SNS called Cyworld in Korea. It was so popular that most Koreans used it. Most of the topics of the articles that were popular at this time were stories related to love and blood type, so many emotional articles were posted.

There are many articles that are difficult to read again now because many people have missed their ex-lover or bragged about it because they have become excessively immersed in this emotion.

As this "dark age period of Korean fashion" and the "trend of Cyworld" overlap at the same time, many younger generations in Korea call this period a black history