In the last few decades, South Korea has risen as Asia’s leader of popular culture in a phenomenon, which many refer to as ‘The Korean wave’. This Asian branch of popular culture encompasses a wide range of media and cultural industries including film and television, music, fashion and cosmetics. The Korean Wave has sparked popularity across the world, with many countries adopting the popular culture trends of South Korea.
In an article exploring the emergence of ‘The Korean Wave’, Ryoo states that “South Korea has become the seventh-largest film market in the world” and that “the South Korean media industry and its stars are increasingly defining what the people of East Asia see, listen to and play’ (Ryoo, 2009).
The growing international popularity of South Korean culture can be construed as a means of globalisation. This issue of globalisation surrounding ‘The Korean Wave’ is further explored by Cho Hae-Juang as he states, “the Korean Wave is not an incident centred in South Korea but part of the phenomenon of capitalism’s rise in Asia… the Korean Wave was a pop culture spectacle that appeared as part of the process of global capitalism”(Hae-Joang, 2005). Cho Hae-Juang’s perspective of ‘The Korean Wave’ can be viewed not only as a spread of culture across boarders, but as a construct of underlying global capitalism and globalisation.
South Korea’s high production values, their ability to produce content relatable to the Asian region and creating closer ties with japan and other neighbouring countries has allowed them to emerge as Asia’s popular culture leader, changing culture trends on a global scale and effecting the lives of thousands around the world.
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