The rise of the global popularity of South Korean pop culture, entertainment, music, TV dramas, movies, online games and cuisine came to be known as K-Wave, translated from the Chinese term Hallyu. K-Wave is a collective term that refers to the exceptional growth of Korean culture across the world. South Korea focuses on the goal of becoming the “soft power” by being the world’s leading exporter of popular culture. This soft power implies that the nation seeks power not through force but its image. The pop culture of the country attributes its origins to a couple of movies and TV dramas that were released in 1999. The K-Wave has been a blessing to businesses, culture and the global image of South Korea since early 1999 when the country’s pop culture became one of the biggest cultural phenomena across Asia. Now, the phenomenal popularity of Squid Game combined with the success of Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha proves that the Korean wave is still trending around the world. Not only in Asia, either. Political leaders and celebrities throughout the world have acknowledged the stunning growth of K-Pop.
But after more than two decades of its arrival, why is Korean culture still the talk of the town? Why, after a time long enough for fame to go stale, is the K-Wave still pulsing across nations? Let’s try to decode what exactly is keeping K-Pop thriving.
Content that the world wants to consume
The K-Wave which was already popular across the world reached new heights with the popularity of content like “Parasite”, “Squid Game” “Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha” and the BTS band that redefined how entertainment transcends borders.
The country has been able to create storylines that resonate with so many people across the globe. Popular Korean music, Korean vlogs and social media content by K-Pop celebs resonate with us, giving us our fix of the feel-good, and some dramatically horrible pieces that we look for.
Removal of borders
The popularity of K-pop started to transcend borders as fans eagerly searched on YouTube for stunning music videos and exemplary dance moves.
The popularity for Korean films came with “Parasite” winning four Oscars and Korean TV dramas and shows with “Squid Game” sweeping the world. “Minari” was another one of these revolutionary tales that, when told by versatile actors, won the world’s heart.
The impact of social media along with the ambitious poise of the creative industry to expand globally, and the removal of language barriers through dubbing and subtitles, and the removal of cultural borders by streaming services keeps on contributing to the K-Wave.
Decline of contrasts
A unique set of intricate crosscurrents behind every South Korean cultural phenomenon has taken over the world in recent years.
The efforts to target overseas markets by music labels and talent agencies and social media hype built by highly organized fan bases contribute to the popularity of K-pop. The game of Korean movies can be attributed to the mandated Korean theaters that had to devote a certain quota to the domestically produced cinema. The Korean television industry became increasingly profitable and commanded higher budgets through the gradual maturation in production quality, diversification of genres and strengthening of the plot.
Accessibility and Acceptance
Along with obvious factors that have contributed to the crests of the K-Wave, one more remains unmistakably transparent. This is the uo-and-coming broad-mindedness of a major chunk of the world. There is nothing more expressive than art and culture when it comes to acquainting yourself with diversity. Korean culture is one click away, whether it be on Netflix or YouTube. The growing accessibility and acceptance has further launched K-Wave to remain stable at its crowning point.
South Korea is currently the world’s 12th largest economy, which is largely influenced by the country’s rich and futuristic pop culture over the last two decades. The country has always been obsessed with having a voice in the world by being a soft power. K-Pop agencies like Hybe and SM Entertainment are focused on an aggressive approach to establishing themselves in the US market through partnerships with American labels and studios.
Several Korean dramas continue to dominate Netflix’s global top 10 in 2022. The K-Wave has been pulsing for over two decades, and if the charts are anything to go by, it is here to stay. The question is, has the phenomenon reached its summit, or are we going to bear witness to its extraordinary growing splendor, still?
If you liked reading about how and why K-Wave is still thriving, learn about how OTT platforms are pushing the growth of regional music in Mexico and India.
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