In what was does the typhoon serve as a symbol for westernization in the book, Whale: A Novel?

The typhoon, Laura, serves as a symbol for westernization. In the same manner that the storm destroys the harbor city, upending local businesses, townspeoples' homes, and the landscape, western ideals erode Korean tradition. After the war, American standards of beauty, success, and death spread across the country. When the people of Pyeongdae begin watching American films, they emulate the movie stars’ behavior and chastise the smallness of their own lives. Myeong-kwan suggests that westernization destroys Eastern cultures and creates a homogeneous, white-centric culture.