From films to Music, the recent news release by BBC which described the growth of the Korean Wave as “Endless” cannot be any more accurate. While you may be new to the term “Korean Wave”, like many others, you must have noticed the increase in visibility and accessibility of Korean Entertainment. That is a part of the Korean Wave.
The Korean (Hallyu) Wave is the ripple effect of what started in the 1990s as a result of South Korean culture breaking out, through entertainment, first into Asia and then into the global mainstream in recent years. Whether you noticed it or not, here are the core elements of the Korean Wave, some of which we are sure to have infiltrated your space.
K-Dramas
Korean dramas started gaining traction in the western stream with classics like “Boys Before Flower”, and thanks to Netflix coming on the scene, Kdrama has become an option for billions of people around the world, an option many are picking over Hollywood. Even if epic Korean movies like Parasite— which won the Best Picture Prize award escaped you, we are staking our magazine on the bet that you’ve heard of, if you have not watched
Squid Game
With the movie recording over 1.6 billion release views (20% of the World’s Population) beating popular Hollywood series such as Bridgerton amongst others, we can be sure that K-dramas have found their way into the global stream. One good reason why large audiences are riding on the waves of K-dramas is there’s a genre for everyone. From crime series such as “Vicenzo” to apocalyptic-themed dramas such as “Kingdom”, to Family dynamics such as “Penthouse”, or the heart-wrenching love series such as, “Uncontrollably Fond”, you get a drama, I get a drama, everyone gets a
drama. What’s more, these stories are spiced with humour, wrapped in breathtaking visuals, and
graced with emotional soundtracks. What’s there not to like?
K-POP
Flipping to the other side of the Korean Wave is K-Pop, the umbrella term for Korean popular music. K-pop first made waves by conquering the Japanese and Asian markets in the early 2000s with K-pop artists such as BoA. In 2012, the breakthrough of South Korean rapper Psy with his hit song “Gangnam Style ”, would be an indicator of the impending K-pop storm that would hit the western and mainstream music industry. Holding the world record of the first video to hit 1 Billion views on Youtube, Gangnam style is that song you have probably heard but didn’t know was K-pop.
However, the emergence of the K-pop boy group BTS led to global K-pop immersion. From topping the Billboard charts to being nominated and performing at the Grammys, to performing at the 2022 WorldCup, the success of BTS has pricked the curiosity of the global audience, exposing K-pop to the mainstream. While some K-pop fans transitioned into K-pop from listening to ballad OSTs in Kdramas, some transitioned into Kdrama from listening to K-pop. Either way, you are humming a K-pop ballad after 16 episodes of a K-drama.
But more than Kdrama OSTs, many of your favourite genres like Rap, hip-hop, RnB, Pop, EDM, Ballads, Rock, etc, are blended into Kpop and this is what makes it exciting. Add this to the highly organised and choreographed dance moves which make their performances intriguing to watch. Not to mention, they have the visuals to keep you locked in.
K-Fashion and Beauty
From high-class looks to beautifully curated costumes, K-pop artists and actors are frontiers.
of Korean beauty and fashion. The Korean Wave is soaring higher with Korean Idols and actors becoming ambassadors for global fashion brands by their numbers, flaunting not just their brand influence but global fashion and beauty standards. A chip of the huge pile is BTS, Black Pink’s Jisoo, EXO’s Kai, and Big Bang’s G-Dragon who are ambassadors for Louis Vuitton, Dior, Gucci, and Channel
respectively.
At this point, no one is asking when or if this wave will end because it probably won’t. This is the Korean Wave, and the World is simply riding on the tides. Who knows what’s
next?
