History MediaNotes / KoreanWave

The Korean Wave, also known as Hallyu (Korean 한류), is a phenomenon that describes the international popularity of [[UsefulNotes/SouthKorea South Korean]] popular culture. The phenomenon began in the 1990s and shows no signs of stopping in the [[TheNewTwenties 2020s]]. Korean media such as KPop and {{Korean Drama}}s have had international impact, both throughout Asia and in the Anglosphere.

In TheNewTens, the Korean Wave became mainstream worldwide beyond specific genres. The viral success of Music/{{Psy}}'s "Music/GangnamStyle" in 2012, which at one time was the most-viewed video on Website/YouTube, is considered a high-water mark for the phenomenon, and while it didn't cause immediate success for KPop in the US[[note]]The style, humorous tone, and cultural criticism of "Gangnam Style" are not at all typical of KPop[[/note]], it planted the seeds for Music/{{BTS}} (and other groups after them, to a lesser extent) to sweep the world later in the decade [[note]]and even then, BTS' social commentary and focus on lyrics and complex album concepts also make them quite atypical for a Korean idol group, albeit to an arguably lesser degree than PSY[[/note]]. Korean Food, Korean makeup, and Korean culture in general have drummed up increasing international interest. This also actually led to an increase of visitors, with 15 million people visiting the nation in 2018. 11 million of those tourists visited UsefulNotes/{{Seoul}}, the epicenter of the phenomenon.

Compare UsefulNotes/TheJapaneseInvasion.

The Korean genre with the most success in the United States is Korean New Wave Cinema, a genre of stylish, highly violent cinema inspired by American styles such as FilmNoir. Creator/ParkChanWook's ''Film/{{Oldboy|2003}}'' was highly successful in the Anglosphere, receiving [[Film/Oldboy2013 a remake]] by Creator/SpikeLee. Creator/BongJoonHo's films ''Film/{{The Host|2006}}'' and ''Film/{{Parasite|2019}}'' received equally raving American releases; the former allowed the international production of ''Film/{{Snowpiercer}}'' and the latter won the first foreign UsefulNotes/AcademyAwardForBestPicture. The extreme sex and violence and stylistic heritage in American cinema all endeared these {{thriller}} and {{horror}} films to US audiences. Endorsement from Creator/QuentinTarantino, whose works these films somewhat resemble, didn't hurt either.

There is a ghostly echo of this phenomenon with regard to those works and cultural artefacts that make it out of UsefulNotes/NorthKorea. These can be so bizarre and so other-worldly that they make it to a sort of underground cult status on outlets like [=YouTube=] - animations like ''Pencil Cannonball'', a propaganda epic aimed at children, is an example of a more dystopian Korean take on the WidgetSeries. North Korean media is also prized by fringe groups in the West who really do believe North Korea is a workers' paradise and that the country is blessed in having a Great Leader. Generally, this is a wavelet compared to a tsunami.

The Korean Wave, also known as Hallyu (Korean 한류), is a phenomenon that describes the international popularity of [[UsefulNotes/SouthKorea South Korean]] popular culture. The phenomenon began in the 1990's and shows no signs of stopping in the [[TheNewTens 2010's]]. Korean media such as KPop and {{Korean Drama}}s have had international impact, both throughout Asia and in the Anglosphere.

The early 1990's was a time of political upheaval in South Korea. The transition to democracy at the time was accompanied by an increase in artistic freedom and access to foreign media, things that had been limited under the dictatorship of the 70's-80's. This sparked a renaissance in music and film in particular that were eventually exported to the world.

The Korean genre with the most success in the United States is Korean New Wave Cinema, a genre of stylish, highly violent cinema inspired by American styles such as FilmNoir. Creator/ParkChanWook's ''Film/{{Oldboy|2003}}'' was highly successful in the Anglosphere, receiving [[Film/Oldboy2013 a remake]] by Creator/SpikeLee. Creator/BongJoonHo's films ''Film/{{The Host|2006}}'' and ''Film/{{Parasite|2019}}'' received equally raving American releases; the former allowed the international production of ''Film/{{Snowpiercer}}'' and the latter won the first foreign UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for Best Picture. The extreme sex and violence and stylistic heritage in American cinema all endeared these {{Thriller}} and {{Horror}} films to US audiences. Endorsement from Creator/QuentinTarantino, whose works these films somewhat resemble, didn't hurt either.

In TheNewTens, the Korean Wave became mainstream worldwide beyond specific genres. The viral success of Music/{{Psy}}'s "Gangnam Style" in 2012, which at one time was the most-viewed video on Website/{{Youtube}}, is considered a high-water mark for the phenomenon, and while it didn't cause immediate success for KPop in the US[[note]]The style, humorous tone, and cultural criticism of "Gangnam Style" are not at all typical of KPop[[/note]], it planted the seeds for {{Music/BTS}} (and other groups after them, to a lesser extent) to sweep the world later in the decade [[note]]and even then, BTS' social commentary and focus on lyrics and complex album concepts also make them quite atypical for a Korean idol group, albeit to an arguably lesser degree than PSY[[/note]]. Korean Food, Korean makeup, and Korean culture in general have drummed up increasing international interest. This also actually led to an increase of visitors, with 15 million people visiting the nation in 2018. 11 million of those tourists visited UsefulNotes/{{Seoul}}, the epicenter of the phenomenon.

The internet has been key to the propagation of the Korean Wave. {{Music Video}}s on Website/{{Youtube}} are an important pipeline to KPop for international fans. [[DigitalPiracyIsEvil Illegal streams]] and {{Fan Sub}}s dominated the early days of KoreanDrama fandom, later giving way to legal streaming sites. Korea's early adoption of streaming and online distribution models (as opposed to Japan, which remains very invested in disc media) allowed it a leg up in this way as well. Additionally, Korean gamers have made it big in the arena of UsefulNotes/ProfessionalGaming, to the point that ''VideoGame/StarCraft'' is commonly referred to as the country's ''de facto'' national sport. KPop fans are noted for their avid use of social media sites like Website/{{Twitter}}, and have proven adept at creating trending hashtags to promote their preferred stars. In 2020, KPop fans began mobilizing these skills to affect American politics by disrupting political hashtags with "fancam" dance clips, and claimed credit for low attendance at one of Donald Trump's campaign rallies.

The South Korean government has also financially supported the Korean Wave, which it sees as a source of soft power. The Korean Wave coincides with unprecedented economic growth in South Korea. Along with pop culture, other Korean industries have [[WeDontSuckAnymore shed their reputation for poor quality]], with LG and Samsung becoming major players in the consumer electronics market, and Hyundai shedding its reputation as a maker of TheAllegedCar to beat out struggling American car companies in the low-end car market. Add to the fact that Hyundai has made waves in the UsefulNotes/WorldRallyChampionship, with its current rally team having a mostly-successful run since they returned to the scene in 2012 with the i20 World Rally Car, piloted by the likes of Belgian driver Thierry Neuville amongst others.

Another Korean-origin genre that received international popularity was the KoreanDrama. Due to their melodrama and relatively conservative nature, these are wildly popular in the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia like the Philippines, where many shows receive dubs. These shows are also popular in Japan, where dramas such as ''Series/WinterSonata'' have had mainstream success and received adaptations. Korean dramas have their fandom in the US, often among young women for whom the prevalence of {{Bishonen}} is appealing [[note]]in contrast to in Korea where the target demographic is often middle-aged women[[/note]], but not the same level of mainstream success.

The internet has been key to the propagation of the Korean Wave. {{Music Video}}s on Website/{{Youtube}} are an important in to KPop for international fans. [[DigitalPiracyIsEvil Illegal streams]] and {{Fan Sub}}s dominated the early days of KoreanDrama fandom, later giving way to legal streaming sites. Korea's early adoption of streaming and online distribution models (as opposed to Japan, which remains very invested in disc media) allowed it a leg up in this way as well. Additionally, Korean gamers have made it big in the arena of UsefulNotes/ProfessionalGaming, to the point that ''VideoGame/StarCraft'' is commonly referred to as the country's ''de facto'' national sport. KPop fans are noted for their avid use of social media sites like Website/{{Twitter}}, and have proven adept at creating trending hashtags to promote their preferred stars. In 2020, KPop fans began mobilizing these skills to affect American politics by disrupting political hashtags with "fancam" dance clips, and claimed credit for low attendance at one of Donald Trump's campaign rallies.

The South Korean government has also financially supported Korean Wave, which it sees as a source of soft power. The Korean Wave coincides with unprecedented economic growth in South Korea. Along with pop culture, other Korean industries have [[WeDontSuckAnymore shed their reputation for poor quality]], with LG and Samsung becoming major players in the consumer electronics market, and Hyundai shedding its reputation as a maker of TheAllegedCar to beat out struggling American car companies in the low-end car market. Add to the fact that Hyundai has made waves in the UsefulNotes/WorldRallyChampionship, with its current rally team having a mostly-successful run since they returned to the scene in 2012 with the i20 World Rally Car, piloted by the likes of Belgian driver Thierry Neuville amongst others.

In the early 2000s, a second wave of KPop bands came onto the scene, such as Music/DongBangShinKi (2003), which was widely popular in Asia. Other acts, such as Music/GirlsGeneration, Music/BigBang, and Music/BoAKorea soon followed, all of whom made it big internationally, with some inroads in the US. The multicultural HipHop based pop sound of KPop and use of GratuitousEnglish made Kpop attractive to an international audience. International appeal was often by design; many groups created regional-specific translations of songs, and many KPop artists are trained to speak three or four languages. The big entertainment companies also recruited internationally; several famous KPop stars, such as Sunny from Music/GirlsGeneration or [[Music/TwoPM Jay Park]], are Korean-American.

Another Korean-origin genre that received international popularity was the KoreanDrama. Due to their melodrama and relatively conservative nature, these are wildly popular in the Middle East and the Philippines, where many shows receive dubs. These shows are also popular in Japan, where dramas such as ''Series/WinterSonata'' have had mainstream success and received adaptations. Korean dramas have their fandom in the US, often among young women for whom the prevalence of {{Bishonen}} is appealing [[note]]in contrast to in Korea where the target demographic is often middle-aged women[[/note]], but not the same level of mainstream success.

In TheNewTens, the Korean Wave became mainstream worldwide beyond specific genres. The viral success of Music/{{Psy}}'s "Gangnam Style" in 2012, which at one time was the most-viewed video on Website/{{Youtube}}, is considered a high-water mark for the phenomenon, and while it didn't cause immediate success for KPop in the US[[note]]The style, humorous tone, and cultural criticism of "Gangnam Style" are not at all typical of KPop[[/note]], it planted the seeds for groups like {{Music/BTS}} to sweep the nation (and, arguably, the world) later in the decade. Korean Food, Korean makeup, and Korean culture in general have drummed up increasing international interest. This also actually led to an increase of visitors, with 15 million people visiting the nation in 2018. 11 million of those tourists visited UsefulNotes/{{Seoul}}, the epicenter of the phenomenon.

* KoreanWebtoons: Not as popular internationally as {{Manga}}, but some have gathered a substantial Anglosphere audience.

The Korean genre with the most success in the United States is Korean New Wave Cinema, a genre of stylish, highly violent cinema inspired by American styles such as FilmNoir. Creator/ParkChanWook's ''Film/{{Oldboy|2003}}'' was highly successful in the Anglosphere, receiving [[Film/Oldboy2013 a remake]] by Creator/SpikeLee. Creator/BongJoonHo's films ''Film/TheHost'' and ''Film/{{Parasite|2019}}'' received equally raving American releases; the former allowed the international production of ''Film/{{Snowpiercer}}'' and the latter won the first foreign UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for Best Picture. The extreme sex and violence and stylistic heritage in American cinema all endeared these {{Thriller}} and {{Horror}} films to US audiences. Endorsement from Creator/QuentinTarantino, whose works these films somewhat resemble, didn't hurt either.

There is a ghostly echo of this phenomenon with regard to those works and cultural artefacts that make it out of UsefulNotes/NorthKorea. These can be so bizarre and so other-worldly that they make it to a sort of underground cult status on outlets like YouTube - animations like ''PencilCannonball'', a propaganda epic aimed at children, is an example of a more dystopian Korean take on the WidgetSeries. North Korean media is also prized by fringe groups in the West who really do believe North Korea is a workers' paradise and that the country is blessed in having a Great Leader. Generally, this is a wavelet compared to a tsunami.

The internet has been key to the propagation of the Korean Wave. {{Music Video}}s on Website/{{Youtube}} are an important in to KPop for international fans, and social media brings fans together. [[DigitalPiracyIsEvil Illegal streams]] and {{Fan Sub}}s dominated the early days of KoreanDrama fandom, later giving way to legal streaming sites. Korea's early adoption of streaming and online distribution models (as opposed to Japan, which remains very invested in disc media) allowed it a leg up in this way as well. Additionally, Korean gamers have made it big in the arena of UsefulNotes/ProfessionalGaming, to the point that ''VideoGame/StarCraft'' is commonly referred to as the country's ''de facto'' national sport.

The Korean genre with the most success in the United States is Korean New Wave Cinema, a genre of stylish, highly violent cinema inspired by American styles such as FilmNoir. Creator/ParkChanWook's ''Film/{{Oldboy2003}}'' was highly successful in the anglosphere, receiving [[Film/Oldboy2013 a remake]] by Creator/SpikeLee. Bong Joon-ho's ''Film/TheHost'' received an American release and success that allowed the international production of ''Film/{{Snowpiercer}}''. The extreme sex and violence and stylistic heritage in American cinema all endeared these {{Thriller}} and {{Horror}} films to US audiences. Endorsement from Creator/QuentinTarantino, whose works these films somewhat resemble, didn't hurt either.

The South Korean government has also financially supported Korean Wave, which it sees as a source of soft power. The Korean Wave coincides with unprecedented economic growth in South Korea. Along with pop culture, other Korean industries have [[WeDontSuckAnymore shed their reputation for poor quality]], with LG and Samsung becoming major players in the consumer electronics market, and Hyundai shedding its reputation as a maker of TheAllegedCar to beat out struggling American car companies in the low-end car market.

The internet has been key to the propagation of the Korean Wave. {{Music Video}}s on Website/{{Youtube}} are an important in to KPop for international fans, and social media brings fans together. Illegal streams and {{Fan Sub}}s dominated the early days of KoreanDrama fandom, later giving way to legal streaming sites. Korea's early adaptation of streaming and online distribution models (as opposed to Japan, which remains very invested in disc media) allowed it a leg up in this way as well. Additionally, Korean gamers have made it big in the arena of UsefulNotes/ProfessionalGaming, to the point that VideoGame/StarCraft is commonly referred to as the country's de facto national sport.

In TheNewTens, the Korean Wave became mainstream worldwide beyond specific genres. The viral success of Music/{{Psy}}'s "Gangnam Style" in 2012, which at one time was the most-viewed video on Website/{{Youtube}} is considered a high-water mark for the phenomenon, and while it didn't cause immediate success for KPop in the US[[note]]The style, humorous tone, and cultural criticism of "Gangnam Style" are not at all typical of KPop[[/note]], it planted the seeds for groups like {{Music/BTS}} to sweep the nation (and, arguably ,the world) later in the decade. Korean Food, Korean makeup, and Korean culture in general have drummed up increasing international interest. This also actually led to an increase of visitors, with 15 million people visiting the nation in 2018. 11 million of those tourists visited UsefulNotes/{{Seoul}}, the epicenter of the phenomenon.

In TheNewTens, the Korean Wave became mainstream worldwide beyond specific genres. The viral success of Music/{{Psy}}'s "Gangnam Style" in 2012, which at one time was the most-viewed video on Website/{{Youtube}} is considered a high-water mark for the phenomenon, and while it didn't cause immediate success for KPop in the US[[note]]The style, humorous tone, and cultural criticism of "Gangnam Style" are not at all typical of KPop[[/note]], it planted the seeds for groups like {{Music/BTS}} to sweep the nation (and, arguably ,the world) later in the decade. Korean Food, Korean makeup, and Korean culture in general have drummed up increasing international interest.

The Korean Wave, also known as Hallyu (Korean 한류), is a phenomenon that describes the international popularity of [[UsefulNotes/SouthKorea South Korean]] popular culture. The phenomenon began in the 1990's and shows no signs of stopping in the [[TheNewTens 2010's]]. Korean media such as KPop and KoreanDrama{{s}} have had international impact, both throughout Asia and in the Anglosphere.

The internet has been key to the propagation of the Korean Wave. MusicVideo{{s}} on Website/{{Youtube}} are an important in to KPop for international fans, and social media brings fans together. Illegal streams and FanSub{{s}} dominated the early days of KoreanDrama fandom, later giving way to legal streaming sites. Korea's early adaptation of streaming and online distribution models (as opposed to Japan, which remains very invested in disc media) allowed it a leg up in this way as well. Additionally, Korean gamers have made it big in the arena of UsefulNotes/ProfessionalGaming, to the point that VideoGame/StarCraft is commonly referred to as the country's de facto national sport.

In TheNewTens, the Korean Wave became mainstream worldwide beyond specific genres. The viral success of Music/{{Psy}}'s "Gangnam Style" in 2012, which at one time was the most-viewed video on Website/{{Youtube}} is considered a high-water mark for the phenomenon, and while it didn't cause immediate success for KPop in the US, it planted the seeds for groups like {{Music/BTS}} to sweep the nation a few years later. [[note]]The style, humorous tone, and cultural criticism of "Gangnam Style" are not at all typical of KPop[[/note]] Korean Food, Korean makeup, and Korean culture in general have drummed up increasing international interest.

In TheNewTens, the Korean Wave became mainstream worldwide beyond specific genres. The viral success of Music/{{Psy}}'s "Gangnam Style" in 2012, which at one time was the most-viewed video on Website/{{Youtube}} is considered a high-water mark for the phenomenon, though it did not lead to lasting mainstream success for KPop in the US. [[note]]The style, humorous tone, and cultural criticism of the song are not at all typical of KPop[[/note]] Korean Food, Korean makeup, and Korean culture in general have drummed up increasing international interest.

The South Korean government has also financially supported Korean Wave, which it sees as a source of soft power. The Korean Wave coincides with unprecedented economic growth in South Korea. Along with pop culture, other Korean industries have shed their reputation for poor quality, with LG and Samsung becoming major players in the consumer electronics market, and Hyundai shedding its reputation as a maker of TheAllegedCar to beat out struggling American car companies in the low-end car market.

The internet has been key to the propagation of the Korean Wave. MusicVideo{{s}} on Website/{{Youtube}} are an important in to KPop for international fans, and social media brings fans together. Illegal streams and FanSub{{s}} dominated the early days of KoreanDrama fandom, later giving way to legal streaming sites. Korea's early adaptation of streaming and online distribution models (as opposed to Japan, which remains very invested in disc media) allowed it a leg up in this way as well.