Korean Wave

{{Short description|Global rise in popularity of Korean culture}}{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}} {{Infobox Korean name/auto |image=Psy performing Gangnam Style at the Future Music Festival 2013.jpg |caption=South Korean K-pop rapper Psy performing "Gangnam Style" in Sydney in 2013 |hangul=한류 |hanja=韓流 |ipa={{IPA|ko|ˈha(ː)ʎʎu||audio=Ko-한류.oga}} }}

The '''Korean Wave''', or '''''hallyu''''' ({{korean|hangul=한류}}; {{IPA|ko|ˈha(ː)ʎʎu|IPA|audio=Ko-한류.oga}}), refers to the important rise in global interest in South Korean popular culture that has spread rapidly since the 1990s. It is led by the spread of K-pop, K-dramas, K-beauty, K-food, and films, with key successes including K-pop groups 2NE1,<ref>Sources: * {{cite web |date=November 9, 2016 |title=Black Pink talk about 2NE1's influence & their hopes for the future in new interview |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/popasia/blog/2016/11/09/black-pink-talk-about-2ne1s-influence-their-hopes-future-new-interview |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221008141041/https://www.sbs.com.au/popasia/blog/2016/11/09/black-pink-talk-about-2ne1s-influence-their-hopes-future-new-interview |archive-date=October 8, 2022 |access-date=June 13, 2021 |website=SBS PopAsia |language=en}} * {{cite web |last1=Gadong |first1=Katreena |date=November 15, 2016 |title=Blackpink wants to be like 2NE1 |url=https://en.yibada.com/articles/173772/20161115/blackpink-wants-to-be-like-2ne1.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170528155201/http://en.yibada.com/articles/173772/20161115/blackpink-wants-to-be-like-2ne1.htm |archive-date=May 28, 2017 |access-date=June 13, 2021 |website=Yibada News}}</ref> BTS and Blackpink, the Oscar-winning film ''Parasite'' (2019) and the Netflix television series ''Squid Game'' (2021–2025).<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Choi |first=Hangsub |date=2023-11-07 |title=The Korean Wave: From Global Consumption to Global Creation |url=https://shs.cairn.info/revue-societes-2023-3-page-137?lang=fr |journal=Sociétés |volume=161 |issue=3 |pages=137–145 |doi=10.3917/soc.161.0137 |issn=0765-3697 |url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Parc |first=Jimmyn |date=2022-08-09 |title=Korea's cultural exports and soft power: Understanding the true scale of this trend |url=https://asialink.unimelb.edu.au/insights/koreas-cultural-exports-and-soft-power-understanding-the-true-scale-of-this-trend |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230304014109/https://asialink.unimelb.edu.au/insights/koreas-cultural-exports-and-soft-power-understanding-the-true-scale-of-this-trend |archive-date=4 March 2023 |access-date=2023-03-21 |website=Asialink |publisher=University of Melbourne |language=en}}</ref> The Korean Wave has been recognized as a form of soft power and a significant economic asset for South Korea, generating revenue through cultural exports and tourism.{{Sfn|Walsh|2014|p=21}}

Following the 1997 Asian financial crisis and the end of military censorship over the South Korean entertainment industry, the country emerged as a major exporter of popular culture.{{sfnq|Kim|2013|q=After the Asian financial crisis, South Korea became a major exporter of popular culture.|p=}}{{pn|date=March 2026}} The growth of satellite media in the late 1990s helped spread K-dramas and Korean cinema across East Asia and parts of Southeast Asia. Chinese journalists coined the term "Korean Wave" ({{lang-zh|s=韩流|p=hánliú}}) in 1999 to describe the growing popularity of South Korean cultural products. During the 2000s, ''hallyu'' expanded into Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. By 2008, South Korea's cultural exports surpassed its cultural imports for the first time.<ref>Jin, Dal Yong (2016). New Korean Wave: Transnational Cultural Power in the Age of Social Media. University of Illinois Press</ref> The rise of social media and global internet platforms helped the Korean entertainment industry reach overseas audiences and gain support from the South Korean government.

==Etymology== The term "''hallyu''" ({{Korean|hangul=한류|hanja=韓流|labels=no}}) is a neologism composed of two root words: ''han'' ({{Korean|hangul=한|hanja=韓|labels=no}}), meaning "Korean", and ''ryu'' ({{Korean|hangul=류|hanja=流|labels=no}}), meaning "flow", "wave", or "trend".{{Sfn|Shin|2014|p=419}} On 19 November 1999, ''Beijing Youth Daily'' published the first known use of the term "Korean Wave" ({{lang-zh|s=韩流|t=|p=hánliú|l=Korean wave|links=no}}) in an article describing the "zeal of Chinese audiences for Korean TV dramas and pop songs".<ref name="Kim-2012">{{Cite news |last=Kim |first=Ji-myung |date=2012-08-03 |title=Serious turn for 'hallyu 3.0' |work=The Korea Times |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/opinion/2012/08/355_116574.html |access-date=2013-03-17 |archive-date=14 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220214190915/https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/opinion/2012/08/355_116574.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Other terms used at the time included "Korean tide", "Korean heat", and "Korean wind".<ref name="Kim-2012" /> In China, the term "Han fever" was also used, comparing the phenomenon to the avian flu pandemic in the country.{{Sfn|Leung|2008|p=59}} The term entered common usage following the airing of the romance K-drama ''Winter Sonata'', which was particularly successful in Japan.<ref name="KCIS-2011">{{Cite book |author= |url=https://www.korea.net/Resources/Publications/About-Korea/view?articleId=2226 |title=K-drama: A New TV Genre with Global Appeal |date=2011-12-01 |publisher=Korean Culture and Information Service |isbn=978-89-7375-167-9 |series=Korean Culture |language=en |access-date=14 February 2022 |archive-date=14 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220214190914/https://www.korea.net/Resources/Publications/About-Korea/view?articleId=2226 |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Rp|page=13}}

''Hallyu'' refers to the international diffusion of South Korean culture since the 1990s, following the end of military rule and the liberalization of the popular culture industry.{{Sfn|Kim|2013|p=4}} The term primarily refers to the spread of Korean television, pop music, film, and fashion, but can also include animation, video games, technology, literature, cosmetics, and food.{{Sfn|Oh|2014|p=53}}{{Sfn|Kim|2013|p=1}}{{Sfn|Park|2020|p=1}} While the first generation of ''hallyu'' in the late 1990s to early 2000s remained confined to Asia and referred to the popularity of Korean dramas and film on the continent, the second generation, or ''hallyu'' 2.0, was driven primarily by the popularity of K-pop distributed on online platforms like YouTube.{{Sfn|Anderson|2014|p=119}} Both "''hallyu''" and "Korean Wave" were added to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' in 2021.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Choe |first=Sang-Hun |date=2021-11-03 |title=From BTS to 'Squid Game': How South Korea Became a Cultural Juggernaut |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/03/world/asia/squid-game-korea-bts.html |access-date=2023-03-16 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=9 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211109182859/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/03/world/asia/squid-game-korea-bts.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Background == Under the military dictatorship of Park Chung Hee, South Korean mass media underwent a process of rapid expansion, despite facing increasing control and censorship from the government.{{Sfn|Fuhr|2015|p=45}} As part of Park's development plans, the first commercial radio and television stations opened in the early 1960s and were subject to strict censorship under the Broadcasting Ethics Committee ({{Korean|hangul=방송윤리위원회|links=no}}).{{Sfn|Fuhr|2015|p=45}} This brief expansion ended in 1972, when Park enacted the Yushin Constitution which broadly expanded his powers and codified his ''de facto'' dictatorial rule.{{Sfn|Fuhr|2015|p=47}} The enactment of the Yushin Constitution coincided with a broad crackdown on the South Korean culture industry against what Park alleged was the influence of "foreign decadent culture".{{Sfn|Fuhr|2015|pp=47–48}} Following Park's death and the 1979 coup d'état of December Twelfth, the military regime of Chun Doo-hwan enacted additional restrictions over the media.{{Sfn|Fuhr|2015|p=48}} In 1980, Chun forced the merger of all 29 private broadcasters into the state-owned Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) and Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), creating a state-led media monopoly.{{Sfn|Fuhr|2015|p=48}}

As a part of the decolonization process in South Korea, imports of all Japanese media were banned in 1945.<ref name="Chua Iwabuchi 2008 p3–4">Chua & Iwabuchi 2008, pp. 3–4.</ref> Despite this ban, Japanese media was still widely distributed and pirated in South Korea, with both state broadcasters and individual bootleggers being found guilty of illegal importation.<ref name="Chua Iwabuchi 2008 p4">Chua & Iwabuchi 2008, p. 4.</ref>{{Rp|page=132|pages=}} The signing of the Japan–South Korea Joint Declaration of 1998 marked the end of the ban, which was gradually lifted in four stages between 1998 and 2004.<ref name="Chua Iwabuchi 2008 p3-4" /> To support the South Korean cultural industry, the South Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism received a substantial budget increase, allowing for the creation of hundreds of culture industry departments in universities nationwide.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Onishi |first=Norimitsu |date=2005-06-28 |title=Roll Over, Godzilla: Korea Rules |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/28/world/asia/roll-over-godzilla-korea-rules.html |access-date=2022-01-30 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=12 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112141816/https://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/28/world/asia/roll-over-godzilla-korea-rules.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The ministry justified its financial support for ''hallyu'' by linking it to South Korea's export-driven economy, and in 2012 estimated its economic value at US$83.2 billion.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Oh |first1=Ingyu |last2=Lee |first2=Hyo-Jung |date=May 2014 |title=K-pop in Korea: How the Pop Music Industry Is Changing a Post-Developmental Society |url=https://muse.jhu.edu/article/548545 |journal=Cross-Currents: East Asian History and Culture Review |publisher=University of Hawaiʻi Press |volume=3 |issue=1 |pages=72–93 |doi=10.1353/ach.2014.0007 |issn=2158-9674 |via=Project Muse}}</ref>

== First generation == The first generation of the Korean Wave, also called ''hallyu'' 1.0, was the initial rise in popularity of Korean popular culture within nearby Asian countries.<ref name="Ju-2018">{{Cite web |last=Ju |first=Hyejung |date=2018-07-30 |title=The Korean Wave and Korean Dramas |url=https://oxfordre.com/communication/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228613.001.0001/acrefore-9780190228613-e-715 |access-date=2023-03-18 |website=Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Communication |language=en |doi=10.1093/acrefore/9780190228613.013.715 |isbn=978-0-19-022861-3 |archive-date=16 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230416100547/https://oxfordre.com/communication/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228613.001.0001/acrefore-9780190228613-e-715 |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Rp|page=2|pages=}} The first generation began in China during the late 1990s, and consisted primarily of the spread of Korean television programming.<ref name="Ju-2018" />{{Rp|page=2|pages=}}

=== Television in the first generation === [[File:Korea-Dae Jang Geum Theme Park-41.jpg|thumb|The filming location of ''Jewel in the Palace'' at Dae Jang Geum Theme Park]] In 1990, the National Assembly granted a broadcasting license to the regional Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS), becoming the first private television station since the forced nationalization of private broadcasters in 1980.{{Sfn|Shim|2008|p=23}} In December 1991, the National Assembly passed the Cable Television Act which directed the Ministry of Information to provide permits to twenty prospective cable television program providers.{{Sfn|Shim|2008|p=23}} The providers were selected in August 1993, and cable television services began in March, 1995.{{Sfn|Shim|2008|p=23}} With the liberalization of the South Korean television market, a greater number of Korean programs started to be exported abroad.{{Sfn|Shim|2008|p=25}} These media exports were first exported to China, after the two countries formally established diplomatic relations in 1992.{{Sfn|Cicchelli|Octobre|2021}} Although ''Jealousy'' (1992) was the first K-drama broadcast on China Central Television (CCTV),{{Sfn|Leung|2008|p=59}} the 1997 broadcasts of the K-drama ''First Love'' and ''Star in My Heart'' in China are generally considered the start of the Korean Wave.{{Sfn|Shim|2008|p=25}}{{Sfn|Lee|2008|p=177}}<ref name="KCIS-2011" />{{Rp|page=|pages=14–15}}{{Sfn|Jin|2016|p=23}} Compounding the foreign interest in Korean television programs, countries throughout East Asia began opening their television markets to foreign countries in the 1980s and 1990s.{{Sfn|Shim|2008|pp=25–26}} In the early 1970s, imported television programs made up less than 1 percent of all airtime on CCTV, while by the late 1990s, that number would rise to 20–30 percent.{{Sfn|Shim|2008|p=26}} In Vietnam, Korean television made up more than half of all imported programming in 1988.{{Sfn|Shim|2008|p=25}}

The 1997 Asian financial crisis led broadcasters throughout East Asia to seek cheaper programs as an alternative to the expensive, but popular broadcasts from Japan.<ref name="Chua Iwabuchi 2008 p4" /> In 2000, K-dramas were a quarter of the price of Japanese television programs and a tenth of the price of Hong Kong television programs.{{Sfn|Shim|2008|p=25}} K-dramas first entered the Taiwanese market during the early 1990s, but the shift to Korean television programming following the financial crisis and the successful airing of ''Fireworks'' (2000) and ''Autumn in My Heart'' (2000) marked the start of the Korean Wave in the country.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Huang |first=Shuling |date=2011 |title=Nation-branding and Transnational Consumption: Japan-mania and the Korean Wave in Taiwan |journal=Media, Culture & Society |volume=33 |issue=1 |pages=3–18 |doi=10.1177/0163443710379670 |s2cid=144408953 |doi-access=free |s2cid-access=free}}</ref>

The 2003 historical K-drama ''Jewel in the Palace'' has been credited for having the greatest impact on the popularity of Korean television programs in Chinese-speaking countries, including Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and China.<ref>Chua & Iwabuchi 2008, pp. 5–6.</ref> In May 2005, the show's final episode became the highest-rated television episode in Hong Kong history at more than 40 percent.{{Sfn|Shim|2008|p=26}} In the years following its release, the program was exported to over 80 countries around the world.<ref name="Ju-2018" />{{Rp|page=11}} At the same time, the 2003–2004 airing of the romance K-drama ''Winter Sonata'' in Japan marked the entrance of the Korean Wave to Japan.<ref>Chua & Iwabuchi 2008, p. 6.</ref> ''Winter Sonata'' achieved a cult following in Japan among women in their 30s, particularly around the show's lead actor Bae Young-joon.{{Sfn|Kuwahara|2014|p=213}} This would lead Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to exclaim in 2004 that "Bae Yong-joon is more popular than I am in Japan."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lee |first=Claire |date=30 December 2011 |title=Remembering 'Winter Sonata,' the Start of Hallyu |work=The Korea Herald |url=https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20111230000497 |access-date=26 December 2012 |archive-date=6 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130106234406/http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20111230000497 |url-status=live }}</ref> Following the broadcast, stereotypes of Korea in Japan changed dramatically and tourism from Japan to South Korea would spike,{{Sfn|Mōri|2008|pp=130–131}}<ref>Chua & Iwabuchi 2008, p. 9.</ref> primarily among Japanese women.<ref name="Anthony Faiola">{{Cite news |last=Faiola |first=Anthony |date=31 August 2006 |title=Japanese Women Catch the 'Korean Wave' |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/30/AR2006083002985.html |access-date=18 March 2013 |quote= |archive-date=21 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110121123312/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/30/AR2006083002985.html |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Rp|page=1|pages=}}

In the Indian state of Manipur, Hindi-language movies and television channels were banned in 2000 by insurgents, leading broadcasters to use Korean programming as substitutes.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kember |first=Findlay |date=8 May 2011 |title=Remote Indian State Hooked on Korean Pop Culture |work=AFP |url=http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hWpuw95RkyRy8xw4qHfkhko9GcIA?docId=CNG.18f3ac3daa0d8f95aa693b397f54d476.c1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110515000422/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hWpuw95RkyRy8xw4qHfkhko9GcIA?docId=CNG.18f3ac3daa0d8f95aa693b397f54d476.c1 |archive-date=15 May 2011}}</ref> Korean dramas and films were also commonly smuggled into the region in the form of CDs and DVDs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Banakar |first=Pushkar |date=4 November 2018 |title=Korean, English movies welcome in Manipur, Bollywood is not |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/thesundaystandard/2018/nov/04/korean-english-movies-welcome-in-manipur-bollywood-is-not-1893901.html |access-date=2022-06-01 |website=The New Indian Express |archive-date=1 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220601051829/https://www.newindianexpress.com/thesundaystandard/2018/nov/04/korean-english-movies-welcome-in-manipur-bollywood-is-not-1893901.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

By the late 2000s, K-dramas became part of the daily programming of local television channels across East Asia<ref>Chua & Iwabuchi 2008, p. 7.</ref> and in China, Korean programs made up more than all other foreign programming combined.<ref name="Anthony Faiola" />{{Rp|page=2|pages=}} During the period between 1997 and 2007, television exports from South Korea would increase from $8.3 million to $151 million, mostly to other Asian markets.{{Sfn|Jin|2016|p=24}} As the volume of Korean cultural imports rapidly increased, China's State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television responded with a decision to restrict and limit the number of Korean TV dramas shown to Chinese audiences.<ref name="Roald Maliangkay">{{Cite magazine |last=Maliangkay |first=Roald |date=2006 |title=When the Korean Wave Ripples |url=https://www.iias.asia/sites/default/files/2020-11/IIAS_NL42_15.pdf |magazine=IIAS Newsletter |publisher=International Institute for Asian Studies |volume=42 |page=15 |access-date=14 February 2022 |archive-date=14 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220214190919/https://www.iias.asia/sites/default/files/2020-11/IIAS_NL42_15.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> In Taiwan, the National Communications Commission asked cable channels to reduce the number of prime time hours allocated to Korean programming.{{Sfn|Jin|2016|p=24}} In addition, in response to the popularity of ''Jewel in the Palace'', director Zhang Guoli and actor Jackie Chan both called on domestic audiences to "resist Korean Wave".{{Sfn|Leung|2008|pp=65–67}}

=== Film in the first generation === In 1966, military dictator Park Chung Hee established screen quotas that restricted the number of foreign films shown in cinemas, intended to protect the Korean film industry from Hollywood blockbusters.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Kim|first=Bo-young|date=31 March 2006|title=The Future, After the Korean Screen Quota|url=http://www.knutimes.com/news/article.html?no=564|work=The KNU Times|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141104140055/http://www.knutimes.com/news/article.html?no=564|archive-date=4 November 2014}}</ref> However, in 1986, the Motion Pictures Exporters Association of America filed a complaint to the United States Senate regarding the restrictions imposed by the South Korean government.<ref>{{Cite thesis |last=Lee |first=Hyung-Sook |date=August 2006 |title=Between Local and Global: The Hong Kong Film Syndrome in South Korea |type=PhD |publisher=USC Libraries |page=48 |doi=10.25549/usctheses-c16-584419 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Under US pressure and despite fierce opposition from the domestic film industry, in 1988, the Korean government lifted restrictions that required foreign films to be distributed by domestic companies.{{Sfn|Shim|2008|p=16}} In 1988, 20th Century Fox became the first American film studio to set up a distribution office in South Korea, followed by Warner Brothers in 1989, Columbia in 1990, and Disney in 1993.{{Sfn|Choi|2010|p=16}} By 1994, domestic films reached a record low market share of just 15.4 percent,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Power |first=John |date=17 September 2012 |title=What Is the Future of Korean Film? |work=The Korea Herald |url=https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20120917000815 |access-date=6 January 2014 |archive-date=5 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140105142615/http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20120917000815 |url-status=live }}</ref> with commentators predicting the demise of the Korean film industry in the near-future.{{Sfn|Shim|2008|p=16}} As well, negotiations for the Uruguay Round Agreements Act concluded in 1994, requiring South Korea to liberalize its communications and culture markets.{{Sfn|Shim|2008|pp=16–17}}

In response to these crises, the National Assembly instituted the Cultural Industry Bureau within the Ministry of Culture and Sports<ref name="Doobo Shim">{{Cite web |last=Shim |first=Doobo |date=June 2011 |title=Waxing the Korean Wave |url=https://ari.nus.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/201106-WSP-158.pdf |access-date=17 March 2013 |website=Asia Research Institute |archive-date=30 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220130170903/https://ari.nus.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/201106-WSP-158.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> and passed the Motion Picture Promotion Law in 1995, providing tax incentives for film production.{{Sfn|Shim|2008|p=16}} These incentives were successful in attracting a number of chaebols to the film industry, but these ventures were financially unsuccessful, and most disbanded following the 1997 Asian financial crisis.{{Sfn|Shim|2008|pp=17–19}} In January 1999, the Samsung Entertainment Group announced its dissolution and released its final film ''Shiri'' in February of that year.{{Sfn|Shim|2008|p=19}} But despite the withdrawal of Samsung from the industry, ''Shiri'' set box office records in South Korea and achieved commercial success in Hong Kong and Japan, a rare feat for the time.{{Sfn|Shim|2008|pp=19–21}} ''Shiri'' had been funded partly through venture capital, and the success of the film led to a 1999 revision of the Motion Picture Promotion Law to allow individuals to finance film productions.{{Sfn|Shim|2008|pp=19–20}} This influx of capital would fund hundreds of Korean films and dramatically increase their budgets, with average costs per production rising from 0.9 billion won in 1995 to 42 billion won in 2004.{{Sfn|Shim|2008|p=20}} The 2001 film ''My Sassy Girl'' achieved box office success in Hong Kong and Japan, and was the subject of multiple foreign remakes.{{Sfn|Cicchelli|Octobre|2021|p=13}}

=== Music in the first generation === [[File:2009 BoA5 (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|BoA performing at San Francisco Pride in June 2009]] Prior to the mid-1990s, South Korean music was largely devoid of foreign interest.{{Sfn|Cicchelli|Octobre|2021|p=12}} While SK, Daewoo, and Samsung had expanded into the South Korean music industry during the mid-1990s, under similar circumstances to the South Korean film industry, the 1997 Asian financial crisis abruptly ended these ventures.{{Sfn|Kim|2021|pp=38–39}} This vacuum was filled by SM Entertainment (founded by Lee Soo-man in 1995), YG Entertainment (founded by Yang Hyun-seok of Seo Taiji and Boys in 1996), and JYP Entertainment (founded by R&B singer Park Jin-young in 1997).{{Sfn|Kim|2021|p=39}} K-pop first gained popularity in China after the 1997 radio program ''Seoul Music Room'' began broadcasting in Beijing.{{Sfn|Cicchelli|Octobre|2021|p=13}}

The debuts of BoA in 2000, Rain in 2002, TVXQ in 2003, Super Junior in 2005, BigBang in 2006, and Wonder Girls and Girls' Generation in 2007 were major breakthroughs for K-pop in Asia.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lee |first=Jangwoo |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pJn7EAAAQBAJ&dq=BoA+2000+debut+K-pop+breakthrough&pg=PR7 |title=K-pop Innovation: The Future Of Korean Innovation That Took The World By Storm |date=2024-02-08 |publisher=World Scientific |isbn=978-981-12-7173-1 |pages=36 |language=en}}</ref> BoA became the first South Korean pop star to break into the Japanese market with the release of her album ''Listen to My Heart'' (2002), following the fall of barriers that had restricted the import and export of entertainment between the countries since the end of World War II.<ref name="JPTIMES">{{cite news |author=Robert Michael Poole |date=March 20, 2009 |title=No constrictions on BoA's ambitions |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2009/03/20/music/no-constrictions-on-boas-ambitions/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211230082341/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2009/03/20/music/no-constrictions-on-boas-ambitions/ |archive-date=December 30, 2021 |access-date=December 29, 2021 |publisher=The Japan Times}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Freedman |first=Alisa |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WuC0EAAAQBAJ&dq=BoA+korean+wave&pg=PT175 |title=Introducing Japanese Popular Culture |date=2023-04-18 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-000-86417-5 |language=en}}</ref> During the 2008 fiscal year, 68 percent of all K-pop exports from South Korea were exported to Japan.{{Sfn|Kuwahara|2014|p=215}}

== Second generation == [[File:People viewing K-Pop Zone on television.jpg|thumb|K-pop songs being played by the South Korean conglomerate LG at the IFA trade exhibition in Germany in 2011]] ''Hallyu'' 2.0 or the New Korean Wave refers to the second generation of the Korean Wave, beginning in 2008. This generation is characterized by the spread of Korean popular culture through social media{{Sfn|Jin|2016|p=3}} and the transition to K-pop as the primary South Korean cultural export.{{Sfn|Jin|2015|pp=58–59}} The period marked the rapid expansion of the South Korean music, animation, and online gaming industries{{Sfn|Jin|2015|pp=58–59}} and a shift in government policy, from indifference to enthusiastic support, under the Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye administrations.{{Sfn|Jin|2016|pp=6–7}}<ref>{{Cite news |date=20 December 2012 |title=Park to Put Policy Priority on Culture |work=The Korea Times |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2012/12/356_127389.html |access-date=24 March 2013 |surname=Do |given=Je-hae |archive-date=2 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220202193003/https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2012/12/356_127389.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The mid-2000s marked the expansion of the Korean Wave outside of East Asia into other parts of Asia, while the mid-2010s marked the Korean Wave's expansion outside of Asia into Europe, the Americas, and Africa.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Yoon |first=Kyong |title=Diasporic Hallyu : the Korean wave in Korean Canadian youth culture |series=East Asian Popular Culture |date=2022 |isbn=978-3-030-94964-8 |location=Cham, Switzerland |doi=10.1007/978-3-030-94964-8 |s2cid=247648138 |oclc=1308799017 }}</ref>{{Rp|page=4|pages=}}{{Sfn|Jin|2016|p=172}} During this period, social media and platforms like YouTube, Netflix, Disney, and Webtoon played a key role in the dissemination of South Korean popular culture.{{Sfn|Cicchelli|Octobre|2021|p=16}}<ref name="Sooho Song2">{{Cite journal |last=Song |first=Sooho |date=2020 |title=The Evolution of the Korean Wave: How Is the Third Generation Different from Previous Ones? |url=https://scholar.kyobobook.co.kr/article/detail/4010027618126 |journal=Korea Observer |volume=51 |issue=1 |pages=125–150 |doi=10.29152/KOIKS.2020.51.1.125 |s2cid=216401610 |access-date=7 March 2023 |archive-date=7 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307210143/https://scholar.kyobobook.co.kr/article/detail/4010027618126 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Since the mid-2010s, the rising success of K-pop groups abroad have become characteristic of the Korean Wave.{{Sfn|Jin|2020}} These successes were led by the meteoric rise of the music video for Psy's "Gangnam Style".{{Sfn|Jin|2020}} According to a poll conducted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic, ''Crash Landing on You'', ''It's Okay to Not Be Okay'', and ''The World of the Married'' were the three most popular television programs internationally.<ref>{{Cite news |date=30 January 2021 |title=Hallyu Fans Consume More Korean Content amid COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020: Survey |work=The Korea Herald |url=https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20210128000894 |access-date=9 February 2021 |surname=Song |given=Seung-hyun |archive-date=8 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210208230609/http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20210128000894 |url-status=live }}</ref> In the United States, the Korean Wave spread outwards from Korean-American communities, most notably in New York City and Los Angeles.<ref name="August Brown">{{Cite news |last=Brown |first=August |date=29 April 2012 |title=K-pop Enters American Pop Consciousness |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2012-apr-29-la-ca-kpop-20120429-story.html |access-date=24 March 2013 |archive-date=30 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030051808/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2012-apr-29-la-ca-kpop-20120429-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Since September 2022, the Victoria and Albert Museum has hosted the exhibition "Hallyu! The Korean Wave", showcasing the history of the Korean Wave in fashion, music, dance, and art.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Harris |first=Gareth |date=7 July 2021 |title=South Korea's Rapid Rise to Global Pop Cultural Dominance Will Be Explored in New Victoria & Albert Museum Exhibition |work=The Art Newspaper |url=https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2021/07/07/south-koreas-rapid-rise-to-global-pop-cultural-dominance-will-be-explored-in-new-victoria-and-albert-museum-exhibition |access-date=8 July 2021 |archive-date=7 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211007133041/https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2021/07/07/south-koreas-rapid-rise-to-global-pop-cultural-dominance-will-be-explored-in-new-victoria-and-albert-museum-exhibition |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-09-24 |title=Inside 'Hallyu!', The V&A's Playful Exhibition Celebrating Korean Fashion & Culture |url=https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/hallyu-korean-wave-exhibition-review |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=British Vogue |language=en-GB |archive-date=7 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307153647/https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/hallyu-korean-wave-exhibition-review |url-status=live }}</ref> Following its success in London, the exhibition travelled internationally, opening at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, then moving to the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, the Museum Rietberg in Zurich, and the National Museum of Australia in Canberra. Across these venues, the exhibition received strong critical acclaim, praised for its dynamic storytelling, immersive design, and nuanced exploration of Korea's cultural influence on the world.<ref>{{Cite web| url=https://www.esned.art/korea| title=Hallyu! The Korean Wave | last=Nezić| first=Esned | work=Esned.art| language=en | access-date=February 21, 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/lifestyle/arts-theater/20251114/korean-art-odyssey-hallyu-exhibit-redefines-global-presentation-of-korean-culture| title=Korean Art Odyssey 'Hallyu!' exhibit redefines global presentation of Korean culture| last=Mee-yoo| first=Kwon| work=The Korea Times| language=en| access-date=February 21, 2026| archive-date=7 January 2026| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260107153240/https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/lifestyle/arts-theater/20251114/korean-art-odyssey-hallyu-exhibit-redefines-global-presentation-of-korean-culture| url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12-13/act-korean-pop-culture-exhibition-national-museum-of-australia/106137256 | title=Exhibition exploring influence of Korean pop culture opens at National Museum of Australia | last=Bovill | first=Monte | work=ABC | language=en | access-date=February 21, 2026 | archive-date=20 March 2026 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260320023330/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12-13/act-korean-pop-culture-exhibition-national-museum-of-australia/106137256 | url-status=live }}</ref> Min Jin Lee, the author of the novel ''Pachinko'', credited the Korean Wave for her success.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-08-08 |title='Pachinko' author Min Jin Lee credits Korean Wave for her success |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/culture/2022/08/142_334100.html |access-date=2022-08-17 |website=The Korea Times |language=en |archive-date=17 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220817052157/https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/culture/2022/08/142_334100.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Government policy === {{See also|Korean Culture and Information Service|Korean Cultural Centers|Korea Foundation}} [[File:Kpop fans in poland.jpg|thumb|K-pop fans outside the Korean Cultural Center in Warsaw holding up a South Korean-Polish flag, as well as banners for Korean boybands MBLAQ, B1A4, and 2PM in 2011]] The success of South Korean cultural products in Asia has led some governments to pass measures to protect their own cultural industries. China made specific efforts to stem the flow of Korean films and dramas into their countries, hurting their sales.{{Sfn|Jin|2016}}{{Page needed|date=March 2023}} This motivated the South Korean cultural industry to break into markets outside of Asia.{{Sfn|Jin|2016}}{{Page needed|date=March 2023}}

Prior to the 1990s, the Korean government prioritized funding traditional forms of Korean culture over contemporary Korean pop culture.{{Sfn|Jin|2016}}{{Page needed|date=March 2023}} However, in 1993 the government shifted to a policy of cultural commercialization, incorporating cultural products as economic exports.{{Sfn|Jin|2016}}{{Page needed|date=March 2023}} In 1999, the National Assembly passed the Basic Law for Promoting Cultural Industries which provided government support for Korean cultural products.{{Sfn|Jin|2016}}{{Page needed|date=March 2023}} The South Korean government promoted hallyu to increase its cultural soft power.<ref name=":FandomNationalism">{{Cite book |last1=Wang |first1=Erika Ningxin |title=Fandom Nationalism: Participatory Censorship and Performative Patriotism in East Asia |last2=Huang |first2=Qian |date=2026 |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |isbn=979-8-7651-2516-8 |edition= |series=Bloomsbury Fandom Primers Series |location=New York}}</ref>{{Reference page|pages=19-20}}

=== The Internet === Since the 2000s, the Korean Wave has transformed from a phenomenon driven primarily by satellite broadcasts to one driven by social media and the Internet.{{Sfn|Kim|2013|p=2}} Foreign-language subtitles of K-dramas and real-time translations of K-pop performances on the Internet broadened the scope of Korean pop culture.{{Sfn|Kim|2013|p=2}} YouTube has enabled fans to connect with K-pop through their own content, such as dance covers and reaction videos/channels.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Oh|first=David C.|date=2017|title=K-pop Fans React: Hybridity and the White Celebrity-fan on YouTube|journal=International Journal of Communication|volume=11|pages=2270–2287|s2cid=59365830|s2cid-access=free}}</ref> The creation of remakes on YouTube acted as consumer-generated advertising and helped propel the virality of "Gangnam Style".{{Sfn|Lee|Kuwahara|2014}}{{Page needed|date=March 2023}}<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Lyan|first1=Irina|last2=Zidani|first2=Sulafa|last3=Shifman|first3=Limor|date=2015|title=When Gangnam Hits the Middle East: Re-makes as Identity Practice|url=https://www.academia.edu/20031304|journal=Asian Communication Research|volume=12|issue=2|pages=10–31|doi=10.20879/acr.2015.12.2.10|s2cid=147486091|access-date=12 December 2018|archive-date=9 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220409120009/https://www.academia.edu/20031304|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Music in the second generation === {{See also|K-pop}} YouTube and other online video platforms played an important role in expanding the international popularity K-pop.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.cnn.com/videos/showbiz/2013/02/05/pkg-lah-kpop-industry-global.cnn |title=K-pop Goes Global |date=5 February 2013 |last=Lah |first=Kyung |type=Video |publisher=CNN |access-date=4 March 2013 |archive-date=2 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160802052242/http://www.cnn.com/videos/showbiz/2013/02/05/pkg-lah-kpop-industry-global.cnn |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Asia Today,'' reported that global attention began in the late 2000s with groups such as Wonder Girls, followed by artists like BigBang, 2NE1, Girls' Generation, and Super Junior who went on to break multiple ''Billboard'' records, "one after another".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Yoon |first=Hyeon-jeong |date=2024-02-25 |script-title=ko:[윤현정의 컬처&] 글로벌 K-아트 '고전예술'에 관심을 |trans-title=[Hyeonjeong Yoon's Culture&] Global interest in K-art and 'classical art' |url=https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/view.php?key=20240225010012626 |access-date=2024-02-26 |website=Asia Today |language=ko |quote= |archive-date=26 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240226035309/https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/view.php?key=20240225010012626 |url-status=live }}</ref> K-pop gained further visibility in 2012 when Psy's "Gangnam Style" became the first YouTube video to reach one billion views in December of that year, marking a major turning point for Korean music abroad.<ref>{{Cite news |author= |date=21 December 2012 |title=Gangnam Style Hits One Billion Views on YouTube |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-20812870 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191103170124/https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-20812870 |archive-date=3 November 2019 |access-date=21 December 2019 |work=BBC News}}</ref>

In the 2010s and 2020s, groups such as BTS and Twice continued to achieve worldwide success through global tours, appearances at major award shows, and other foreign events.<ref name="Sooho Song2" /> BTS won twelve ''Billboard'' Music Awards, eleven American Music Awards, and received five nominations at the Grammy Awards. BTS sold out four concerts at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles in 2021.<ref name="Shim Sun-ah 2021-12">{{Cite news |date=16 December 2021 |title=From 'Squid Game' to BTS, 2021 Is Most Memorable Year for Korean Culture |work=Yonhap News Agency |url=https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20211214005100315 |access-date=18 December 2021 |surname=Shim |given=Sun-ah |archive-date=19 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211219092816/https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20211214005100315 |url-status=live }}</ref> Blackpink's Born Pink World Tour in 2022–23 became the highest-grossing tour by an Asian act in history,<ref>{{cite magazine|title=BLACKPINK's 'World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas' Concert Film Coming to Screens Worldwide|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/concerts/blackpink-world-tour-born-pink-in-cinemas-concert-film-release-date-1235713967/|magazine=Billboard|last=Kaufman|first=Gil|date=June 20, 2024|access-date=June 20, 2024|archive-date=June 20, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240620165542/https://www.billboard.com/music/concerts/blackpink-world-tour-born-pink-in-cinemas-concert-film-release-date-1235713967/|url-status=live}}</ref> and the group was the first Asian act to headline Coachella in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Look of the Week: Blackpink headline Coachella in Korean hanboks|url=https://www.cnn.com/style/article/blackpink-coachella-2023-hanboks-lotw/index.html|website=CNN|last1=Paul|first1=Larisha|last2=Dolan|first2=Leah|date=April 18, 2023|access-date=April 18, 2023|archive-date=April 18, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230418171309/https://www.cnn.com/style/article/blackpink-coachella-2023-hanboks-lotw/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Blackpink member Rosé earned three Grammy Award nominations and became the first K-pop act to be nominated in a Big Four category as a lead artist.<ref>{{cite web|last=Heller|first=Corinne|title=How Kendrick Lamar, Rosé and More Are Already Making Grammys 2026 History|url=https://www.eonline.com/news/1424751/grammys-2026-kendrick-lamar-more-nominations-making-history|date=7 November 2025|access-date=7 November 2025|website=E! News|archive-date=7 November 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251107185214/https://www.eonline.com/news/1424751/grammys-2026-kendrick-lamar-more-nominations-making-history|url-status=live}}</ref>

Collaborations between Korean and international artists increased during this period, including BTS with Steve Aoki, Psy with Snoop Dogg, and Rosé with Bruno Mars.<ref name="Jenna Gibson">{{Cite web |last=Gibson |first=Jenna |date=20 April 2018 |title=Hallyu 3.0: The Era of K-pop Collaborations |url=https://keia.org/the-peninsula/hallyu-3-0-the-era-of-k-pop-collaborations/ |access-date=1 February 2022 |website=KEI |archive-date=27 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211127144923/https://keia.org/the-peninsula/hallyu-3-0-the-era-of-k-pop-collaborations/ |url-status=live }}</ref> As K-pop's global reach expanded, success abroad no longer depended on domestic popularity, and international audiences became the largest consumers of the genre.

In today's world, K-pop continues to thrive through short-form content, TikTok challenges, and global fan engagement platforms that let fans participate in real-time streaming, voting, and album promotions. These digital tools, along with emerging technologies like virtual performances and AI-generated remixes, have helped K-pop remain influential in today's global music landscape.

=== Television in the second generation === Since the mid-2000s, the three major South Korean broadcast television networks, KBS, MBC, and SBS, have faced increasing competition from comprehensive television networks with integrated production teams.<ref name="Ju-2018" />{{Rp|page=|pages=10–11}} The second generation of the Korean Wave produced a number of innovative television programs, including the absurd romantic comedy ''My Love from the Star'', the reality variety show ''Running Man'', the live audition programs like ''Superstar K''.{{Sfn|Kim|2021|p=76}}

The 2006 historical K-drama ''Jumong'' was hugely successful in Turkey, Romania, and Iran, where it achieved nationwide ratings of 80 to 90 percent.<ref>{{Cite news |author= |date=20 December 2009 |title=Iranians Hooked on Korean TV Drama |work=GlobalPost |url=https://theworld.org/dispatch/middle-east/091216/iran-korea-tv |access-date=11 November 2014 |archive-date=31 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220131000444/https://theworld.org/dispatch/middle-east/091216/iran-korea-tv |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=30 August 2011 |title=Int'l Fans Visit Korea for Seoul Drama Awards |work=The Korea Times |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2011/08/688_93772.html |access-date=17 March 2013 |quote=The hit Korean drama 'Jumong' was broadcast in Romania earlier this year, attracting some 800,000 viewers to the small screen. |surname=Kwon |given=Mee-yoo |archive-date=2 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220202193043/https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2011/08/688_93772.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Song Sang-ho">{{Cite news |date=10 August 2011 |title=Korea's Mark on an Expectation-defying Iran |work=The Korea Herald |url=https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20110810000745 |access-date=17 February 2013 |quote=The Korean wave, or hallyu, has also made significant forays into Iran. Korean period dramas, 'Jumong' in particular, were smash hits. Jumong{{snd}}the founding monarch of Korea's ancient Goguryeo kingdom (37 B.C.–A.D. 668){{snd}}has become the most popular TV drama representing Korea here, with its viewer ratings hovering around 80 to 90 percent. |surname=Song |given=Sang-ho |archive-date=23 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140823224307/http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20110810000745 |url-status=live }}</ref> The 2019 K-drama ''Kingdom'' was highly successful in India.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Frater |first=Patrick |date=1 October 2020 |title=Led by BTS, 'Parasite,' '#Alive' and More, South Korea's Entertainment Biz Is Taking the World by Storm |url=https://variety.com/2020/biz/asia/bts-parasite-south-korea-entertainment-1234788068/ |magazine=Variety |access-date=25 April 2021 |archive-date=3 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210303035002/https://variety.com/2020/biz/asia/bts-parasite-south-korea-entertainment-1234788068/ |url-status=live }}</ref> During the COVID-19 pandemic in India, streaming services in India saw a dramatic rise in interest for Korean-language programming.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bhatt |first=Shephali |date=17 November 2020 |title=How K-pop and Korean drama had their biggest breakthrough in India amid the pandemic |work=The Economic Times |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-bytes/how-k-pop-and-korean-drama-had-their-breakthrough-moment-in-india-amid-the-pandemic/articleshow/78954150.cms |access-date=2022-05-14 |archive-date=31 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031203212/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-bytes/how-k-pop-and-korean-drama-had-their-breakthrough-moment-in-india-amid-the-pandemic/articleshow/78954150.cms |url-status=live }}</ref> Korean Wave also has had a significant impact on Pakistan, particularly among the youth during the COVID era.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Saleem |first=Hina |date=2024-12-24 |title=Youth Perspectives on Korean Dramas |url=https://www.humapub.com/admin/alljournals/gmmr/papers/eA6tzNveLg.pdf |journal=Youth Perspectives on Korean Dramas |volume=6 |issue=2023 |pages=9 |via=Jaweria |archive-date=25 December 2024 |access-date=24 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241225012512/https://www.humapub.com/admin/alljournals/gmmr/papers/eA6tzNveLg.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Film in the second generation === During the first generation of the Korean Wave, Korean films that were exported abroad were primarily consumed in other Asian countries.<ref name="Sooho Song2"/> Through online streaming services like Netflix, the South Korean entertainment industry has been able to expand outside of East Asia. The 2019 black comedy thriller film ''Parasite'' won several awards at international film festivals, including Academy Awards for Best International Film, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and — marking the first win in the category for a non-English-language film — Best Picture.<ref name="Sooho Song2"/><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.economist.com/prospero/2020/02/10/parasite-becomes-the-first-foreign-language-film-to-win-best-picture | title="Parasite" becomes the first foreign-language film to win Best Picture | author=N. B. | date=10 February 2020 | magazine=The Economist | access-date=26 March 2023 | archive-date=26 March 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326181546/https://www.economist.com/prospero/2020/02/10/parasite-becomes-the-first-foreign-language-film-to-win-best-picture | url-status=live }}</ref>

According to PlumResearch data presented by Omdia, in the first quarter of 2023 locally produced Korean Netflix originals accounted for nearly 68% of all hours watched for the platform's original titles in South Korea.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mediaplaynews.com/omdia-netflix-original-content-accounts-for-less-than-40-percent-of-viewing-in-key-markets|title=Omdia: Netflix Original Content Accounts for Less Than 40 Percent of Viewing in Key Markets|date=2023-06-26|access-date=2023-06-26|website=Media Play News|last=Erik|first=Gruenwedel}}</ref> In 2025, the American animated movie ''KPop Demon Hunters'' became the most viewed movie on Netflix and a summer pop-culture hit.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Ruiz |first1=A. Stefanie |last2=Handy |first2=Femida |last3=Park |first3=Sunwoo |date=2025-08-07 |title='KPop Demon Hunters' is attracting huge audiences worldwide – young Philadelphians told us K-pop culture inspires innocence, joy and belonging |url=http://theconversation.com/kpop-demon-hunters-is-attracting-huge-audiences-worldwide-young-philadelphians-told-us-k-pop-culture-inspires-innocence-joy-and-belonging-262179 |access-date=2025-09-16 |website=The Conversation |language=en-US |archive-date=12 September 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250912220418/https://theconversation.com/kpop-demon-hunters-is-attracting-huge-audiences-worldwide-young-philadelphians-told-us-k-pop-culture-inspires-innocence-joy-and-belonging-262179 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== ''Manhwa'' === {{Main|Manhwa}}

''Manhwa'', the Korean term for comics, first gained popularity outside of Korea during the early 2000s when ''manhwa'' were first became available on the Internet.{{Sfn|Cicchelli|Octobre|2021|p=16}}<ref name="McKinney-2020">{{Cite web |last=McKinney |first=DW |date=2020-10-24 |title=Riding the Wave: The Steady Rise of Korean Manhwa |url=https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/riding-the-wave-the-steady-rise-of-korean-manhwa/ |access-date=2023-03-18 |website=Los Angeles Review of Books |language=en-US |archive-date=12 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230312220301/https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/riding-the-wave-the-steady-rise-of-korean-manhwa/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The term "manhwa" is derived from the Korean word "manhwa" ({{Korean|hangul=만화|labels=no}}), which can be translated to "comics" or "cartoons". It encompasses a wide range of genres and styles, similar to its Japanese counterpart, manga. During the 2010s, the format would undergo a revitalization as a result of webtoons, which provided the medium a smartphone-optimized layout and room to skirt South Korea's censorship standards.<ref name="McKinney-2020" /> Modern Manhwa has extended its reach to many other countries. Korean companies like Naver, Kakao, and Lezhin that host webtoons have expanded globally and have begun to offer their titles in different languages.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gyeonggido-korea.com/2020/04/what-is-webtoon-korean-culture-of-web-comic.html|title=What Is Webtoon? Rising of New Korean Culture Wave|author=|date=3 April 2020|website=Gyeonggi-do|access-date=24 August 2021|archive-date=17 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210817052238/https://www.gyeonggido-korea.com/2020/04/what-is-webtoon-korean-culture-of-web-comic.html|url-status=live}}</ref> These comics have branched outside of Korea by access of Webtoons and have created an impact that has resulted in some movie and television show adaptations.

The Korean Manhwa industry has undergone significant changes from 1910 to the present, facing various challenges along the way.<ref name="Parc-2023">{{Cite journal |last1=Parc |first1=Jimmyn |last2=Park |first2=Hongjin |last3=Kim |first3=Kyuchan |date=2023-07-01 |title=The Lagged Development of the Korean Manhwa Industry From 1910 to the Present:: The Formation of Negative Perceptions |url=https://aror.orient.cas.cz/index.php/ArOr/article/view/472 |journal=Archiv orientální |volume=91 |issue=1 |pages=169–196 |doi=10.47979/aror.j.91.1.169-196 |s2cid=259728143 |issn=0044-8699 |url-access=subscription |archive-date=8 December 2023 |access-date=8 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231208195843/https://aror.orient.cas.cz/index.php/ArOr/article/view/472 |url-status=live }}</ref> In the early years, the impact of Japanese colonial rule and the aftermath of the Korean War led to heavy government intervention from the 1950s to the 1970s.<ref name="Parc-2023" /> This intervention, driven by concerns for political stability, resulted in censorship and negative societal views, limiting the industry's growth during that period.<ref name="Parc-2023" /> Fast forward to the 2000s-2010s, a notable shift occurred with the rise of webtoons and educational manhwa. Webtoons, thriving on digitization and online platforms, gained international acclaim.<ref name="Parc-2023" /> Educational manhwa also played a positive role in children's education, reducing business risks and reshaping the industry.<ref name="Parc-2023" />

Globalization and digitization further boosted success, allowing Korean animation series and webtoons to capture diverse audiences worldwide.<ref name="Parc-2023" /> The need for a business-friendly environment with less government intervention, coupled with a shift in societal perceptions to recognize manhwa as a dynamic and creative industry was the key to this change.<ref name="Parc-2023" /> Recognizing historical challenges was crucial for crafting effective policies to propel the Korean manhwa industry into a vibrant and globally competitive landscape.<ref name="Parc-2023" />

== Popularity and impact == === Sociocultural === [[File:President Joe Biden and BTS in the Oval Office of the White House, May 31, 2022.jpg|thumb|BTS and US President Joe Biden at the White House in 2022]]

Korean pop culture is very popular in Taiwan, and an increasing number of Taiwanese are learning the Korean language. In Taiwan, where the drama ''Jewel in the Palace'' was extremely popular, some fans reportedly underwent cosmetic surgery to look like lead actress Lee Young-ae.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Shim|first=Doobo|date=2006|title=Hybridity and the Rise of Korean Popular Culture in Asia|journal=Media, Culture & Society|volume=28|issue=1|pages=25–44|doi=10.1177/0163443706059278|doi-access=free|s2cid=204327176|s2cid-access=free}}</ref> The United States Modern Language Association reported that the number of university students learning Korean doubled between 2006 and 2016. In 2020, Korean became the fastest growing foreign language in Mexico and United States.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Wang |first1=Hye-Sook |last2=Pyun |first2=Danielle O. |date=2020-06-16 |title=Hallyu and Korean Language Learning: Gender and Ethnicity Factors |url=https://scholarlypublishingcollective.org/psup/korean-language/article/24/2/30/286621/Hallyu-and-Korean-Language-Learning-Gender-and |journal=The Korean Language in America |language=en |volume=24 |issue=2 |pages=30–59 |doi=10.5325/korelangamer.24.2.0030 |s2cid=238013426 |issn=2332-0346 |access-date=26 March 2023 |archive-date=26 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326015825/https://scholarlypublishingcollective.org/psup/korean-language/article/24/2/30/286621/Hallyu-and-Korean-Language-Learning-Gender-and |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref> The South Korean Ministry of Education attributed this rise in interest in the Korean language as a product of the Korean Wave.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Choi |first=Ye-na |date=15 March 2021 |title=Nearly 160,000 Students Overseas Learned Korean in 2020 |work=The Dong-A Ilbo |url=https://www.donga.com/en/article/all/20210315/2501584/1 |access-date=15 March 2021 |archive-date=9 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220209215543/https://www.donga.com/en/article/all/20210315/2501584/1 |url-status=live }}</ref> The Korean Wave has influenced a large number of British university students to pursue Korean language degrees.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Hall |first1=Rachel |last2=Otte |first2=Jedidajah |date=30 December 2021 |title=Anime and K-pop Fuel Language-learning Boom |work=Taipei Times |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2021/12/30/2003770413 |access-date=7 February 2021 |archive-date=7 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220207195813/https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2021/12/30/2003770413 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In India, millennials and members of Generation Z are the most interested in the Korean Wave.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kandula |first=Vasavi |date=2022-03-22 |title=From K-Pop To K-Drama: How Indian Teens Can't Get Enough Of The Korean Wave |url=https://www.indiatimes.com/entertainment/kpop-kdrama-wave-in-india-564526.html |access-date=2022-05-12 |website=IndiaTimes |language=en-IN |archive-date=12 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220512061248/https://www.indiatimes.com/entertainment/kpop-kdrama-wave-in-india-564526.html |url-status=live }}</ref> On May 31, 2022, BTS visited US President Joe Biden at the White House to discuss the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Blair|first=Elizabeth|date=May 31, 2022|title=K-Pop stars BTS went to the White House to talk about anti-Asian hate crimes|publisher=NPR|url=https://www.npr.org/2022/05/31/1102244756/k-pop-stars-bts-went-to-the-white-house-to-talk-about-anti-asian-hate-crimes|access-date=June 25, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220604195447/https://www.npr.org/2022/05/31/1102244756/k-pop-stars-bts-went-to-the-white-house-to-talk-about-anti-asian-hate-crimes|archive-date=June 4, 2022}}</ref>

=== Impact in Canada ===

==== Impact on Asian-Canadians ==== A 2016 article was published on the Korean Wave's effect on Asian Canadians, and how they interact with it through social media. Ranging from Korean ethnic youth to Chinese, Taiwanese, Malay, and Japanese youths, through a series of interviews in two Canadian cities. The study found that the Korean Wave, specifically K-pop, allows Asian diasporic audiences to settle the differences between tradition and modernity. The Korean youth in this study used K-pop to connect to their homeland. Participants in the study also mainly engaged with others of Asian descent, in a form of racial affinity.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Yoon |first=Kyong |last2=Yong Jin |first2=Dal |date=2 March 2016 |title=The Korean Wave Phenomenon in Asian Diasporas in Canada |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/07256868.2015.1119810 |access-date=2026-04-02 |website=www.tandfonline.com |doi=10.1080/07256868.2015.1119810}}</ref>

In a 2017 article by the same author, on the topic of cultural translation of K-pop among the same demographic (Asian-Canadians), it was found that they used K-pop to positively re-affirm their race and challenge Asian stereotypes, even if they weren't specifically Korean. This is another case of racial affinity, where the Korean content allows them to look back on their identity as a member of the Asian community.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Yoon |first=Kyong |date=2017-05-23 |title=Korean Wave{{!}} Cultural Translation of K-Pop Among Asian Canadian Fans |url=https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/6303 |journal=International Journal of Communication |language=en |volume=11 |pages=17–17 |issn=1932-8036 |archive-date=13 April 2026 |access-date=2 April 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260413095907/https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/6303 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In the most recent study by the same author in 2022, a book was released about the Korean Wave in Korean Canadian youth culture, and not the generalized Asian youth. Diasporic Korean Canadian youth played a role as early proselytizers of Hallyu, spreading it transnationally. Involvement of Korean Canadian youth in the K-pop scene has reinforced trans-Pacific connections and genre hybridization. Finding ethnic identification through Hallyu, it influences how Korean Canadians interact with Korea, as well as being a source of cultural information for Korean-Canadians who haven't been there or haven't had many chances to visit, through vlogs, Korean TV like Running Man, K-dramas and K-pop.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Yoon |first=Kyong |date=2022 |title=Diasporic Hallyu |url=https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-94964-8?error=cookies_not_supported&code=fb2fb122-503b-41bd-9a8f-3353a34e59a4 |journal=East Asian Popular Culture |doi=10.1007/978-3-030-94964-8 |issn=2634-5935}}</ref>

In a case study published in 2023, consisting of both qualitative and quantitative research done through a questionnaire survey with 240 participants focusing on 1st, 1.5 and 2nd generation Korean-Canadians, and through Zoom, using Life History Interviewing across 10 participants that were 1.5 generation Korean-Canadians. On findings relevant to the Korean Wave consistent with previous studies mentioned, it was found that Korean pop culture (K-pop, K-dramas, entertainment shows, etc.) have a positive effect on Korean-Canadians and their identity exploration. It provides precious information on culture in Korea, which can aid them in exploring social ties with their families and ethnic community. Korean pop culture can also enhance interest and motivation to explore a Korean identity, instead of just a Canadian one.<ref>{{Cite thesis |last=Paek |first=Lindsey |title=Hybrid Identities in Cadada : a case study of the Korean Canadian identity |date=2023-06-15 |degree=phdthesis |publisher=Université Michel de Montaigne - Bordeaux III |url=https://theses.hal.science/tel-04202738 |language=en |archive-date=11 April 2026 |access-date=2 April 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260411011411/https://theses.hal.science/tel-04202738 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== Impact on Canadian Communities ==== In Canada, universities like University of Toronto are seeing a big spike in enrolment for Korean language courses, leading to long waitlists. A University of Toronto professor attributes the change to K-pop leading to interests in other aspects of the Hallyu Wave, then a general interest in Korean culture.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Shahzad |first=Ramna |date=13 March 2017 |title=Here's the unexpected reason why Korean language courses are so popular at UofT |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/programs/metromorning/korean-interst-1.4022395 |access-date=2 April 2026 |work=CBC News |archive-date=8 November 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251108085251/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/programs/metromorning/korean-interst-1.4022395 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Several K-pop dance groups have been started in Canada due to motivation from the Korean Wave, like Apricity,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Robertson |first=John |date=15 March 2016 |title=Edmonton K-pop dancers master the moves of Korean music videos |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/edmonton-k-pop-dancers-master-the-moves-of-korean-music-videos-1.3492555 |access-date=2 April 2026 |work=CBC News |archive-date=4 July 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250704014744/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/edmonton-k-pop-dancers-master-the-moves-of-korean-music-videos-1.3492555 |url-status=live }}</ref> Convergence, Daebak, Mimyu, and Encöre Dance Crew. Small communities have also been fostered by the Korean Wave, like the establishment of YEGKpop in Edmonton.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Fida Mohatarem |first=Kashmala |date=8 February 2022 |title=Edmonton's K-pop fans find community and connection through music |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/edmonton-s-k-pop-fans-find-community-and-connection-through-music-1.6342210 |access-date=2 April 2026 |work=CBC News |archive-date=2 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220902031514/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/edmonton-s-k-pop-fans-find-community-and-connection-through-music-1.6342210 |url-status=live }}</ref>

BGM Dance Studio in Vancouver was started by a 1st generation K-pop fan. In a radio interview, the director of the studio commented on the growth in Vancouver in K-pop, from 1 to 2 active K-pop dance groups in 2013 to now 10+ K-pop dance cover groups. Most students in the studio are interested in just dancing together, but there's certain students like previous BGM student Brian Ho of Ampers&One that want to be K-pop stars.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Macarenko |first=Gloria |date=24 July 2024 |title=K-pop Week: Metro Vancouver dance studio director discusses K-pop auditions and recent K-pop debut of former student |url=https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/audio/9.6458114 |access-date=2 April 2026 |work=CBC Radio}}</ref> Korean entertainment companies like Modhaus,<ref>{{Cite Instagram |postid=DVe3AvOj1jr |user=bgmdancestudio |title=MODHAUS ENTERTAINMENT ONLINE AUDITION |date=4 March 2026}}</ref> FNC<ref>{{Cite Instagram |postid=DQfXIluEjLa |user=bgmdancestudio |title=FNC ENTERTAINMENT GLOBAL AUDITION |date=31 October 2025}}</ref> and YG<ref>{{Cite Instagram |postid=DNjrqXWRQOi |user=bgmdancestudio |title=YG ENTERTAINMENT GLOBAL AUDITION |date=19 August 2025}}</ref> use BGM as a site for offline auditions.

The Korean Cultural Center of Ottawa holds courses under the name of K-Academy for anyone interested, starting in 2019.<ref>{{cite web |author= |date=2 February 2019 |title=2019 K-Academy (February-June) |url=https://canada.korean-culture.org/en/1364/board/569/read/95275 |access-date=2 April 2026 |website=Korean Cultural Center of Canada |publisher=Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism}}</ref> Han Lee, the PR manager for the Korean Cultural Centre Canada (KCCC) says that due to the popularity of K-pop, especially during the COVID lockdown, many Canadians now participate in the events and courses held by the Korean Cultural Centre Canada (KCCC). As well as Korean-Canadian families with children who want to learn more about their heritage visiting the center.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Anh Nguyen |first=Thuy |date=9 September 2025 |title=Rising Popularity of K-pop and K-dramas Forces Shift in Korean Identity |url=https://ricepapermagazine.ca/2025/09/rising-popularity-of-k-pop-and-k-dramas-forces-shift-in-korean-identity/ |access-date=2 April 2026 |work=RicePaper Magazine}}</ref>

==== Korean-Canadians in the Hallyu Wave ==== There are several Korean-Canadians who take part in the Korean Wave like Mark of NCT, Jeon Somi, Seok Matthew of Zerobaseone, Jacob Bae and Kevin Moon of The Boyz, Keeho of P1Harmony, Junny and Yechan of 82Major. Keeho auditioned for FNC Entertainment. Junny from Vancouver started on Soundcloud and sold a song of his to a former member of Exo. He was later invited by SM Entertainment to a songwriting camp and started working for the company as a songwriter.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Trudel |first=Nadia |date=19 October 2023 |title=Making it in Seoul: how some Canadians are moving to South Korea to become K-pop stars |url=https://www.cbc.ca/music/canadian-k-pop-artists-making-it-in-seoul-south-korea-1.6980734 |access-date=2 April 2026 |work=CBC Music |archive-date=16 September 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250916083226/https://www.cbc.ca/music/canadian-k-pop-artists-making-it-in-seoul-south-korea-1.6980734 |url-status=live }}</ref>

KPop Demon Hunters, an animated film by Sony, was made by Korean-Canadian Maggie Kang, who was born in Seoul and grew up in Toronto.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Nino Gheciu |first=Alex |date=29 July 2025 |title=How Toronto's Maggie Kang created the Netflix smash hit 'KPop Demon Hunters' |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/maggie-kang-netflix-movie-kpop-demon-hunters-1.7596183 |access-date=2 April 2026 |work=CBC News |archive-date=29 July 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250729232235/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/maggie-kang-netflix-movie-kpop-demon-hunters-1.7596183 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Economic ===

In 2004, KBS sold its K-drama ''Spring Waltz'' to eight Asian countries during its pre-production stage two years before its release.<ref name="Jeongmee Kim">{{Cite book |title=Reading Asian Television Drama: Crossing Borders and Breaking Boundaries |date=2014 |publisher=I.B. Tauris |isbn=978-0-7556-9727-4 |editor-last=Kim |editor-first=Jeongmee |doi=10.5040/9780755697274}}</ref>

The Korean Wave popularized Korean snacks in Kazakhstan, Pakistan, China, Vietnam, Russia, India, and the United States.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2 October 2021 |title=Korean Snacks Boom Around the World Thanks to K-pop Craze |work=The Chosun Ilbo |url=https://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2021/10/02/2021100200337.html |access-date=27 December 2021 |surname=Song |given=Hye-jin |archive-date=25 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211225001014/http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2021/10/02/2021100200337.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=25 December 2021 |title=Korean Food Makers Target More Populous Markets |work=The Chosun Ilbo |url=https://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2021/12/25/2021122500337.html |access-date=27 December 2021 |surname=Song |given=Hye-jin |archive-date=25 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211225000859/http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2021/12/25/2021122500337.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The Korean Wave has resulted in the rise in popularity of Korean ramyeon overseas, with the noodles being prominently featured in K-dramas and films.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Choon|first=Chang May|date=27 February 2021|title=Latest Chart Topper in the Korean Wave: Ramyeon or Instant Noodles|url=https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/latest-poster-boy-for-the-korean-wave-ramyeon-or-instant-noodles|work=The Straits Times|access-date=3 March 2021|archive-date=1 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301090109/https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/latest-poster-boy-for-the-korean-wave-ramyeon-or-instant-noodles|url-status=live}}</ref> Product placement, a common feature of K-dramas, has fueled interest in India into a variety of brands featured on these shows.<ref>{{Cite news |author= |date=18 January 2022 |title=K-dramas and Now K-products: Indian Viewers Get 'K' Brand Conscious |work=The Indian Express |agency=Press Trust of India |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/life-style/k-dramas-and-now-k-products-indian-viewers-get-k-brand-conscious-7726125/ |access-date=21 January 2022 |archive-date=21 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220121100924/https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/life-style/k-dramas-and-now-k-products-indian-viewers-get-k-brand-conscious-7726125/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Korean fashion, music, and television have been adopted by teenagers in Kashmir, despite concerns by older generations over the erasure of traditional Kashmiri culture.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Khan |first1=Waqas |last2=Basit |first2=Parray |date=2022-09-08 |title=Parents in Kashmir Worry That K-pop's Influence Will Lead to Cultural Erasure. Teens Are Fully Embracing the Hallyu Wave |url=https://muslimgirl.com/parents-in-kashmir-worry-that-k-pops-influence-will-lead-to-cultural-erasure-teens-are-fully-embracing-the-hallyu-wave/ |access-date=2022-09-11 |website=Muslim Girl |language=en-US |archive-date=11 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220911134009/https://muslimgirl.com/parents-in-kashmir-worry-that-k-pops-influence-will-lead-to-cultural-erasure-teens-are-fully-embracing-the-hallyu-wave/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Relations with North Korea === Per the Law on Rejecting Reactionary Ideology and Culture, consuming, possessing or distributing South Korean products is illegal in North Korea, with penalties ranging from forced labour to prison camp to death.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |title=The TV shows people risk death to watch |url=https://www.economist.com/culture/2025/07/03/the-tv-shows-people-risk-death-to-watch |access-date=2025-10-17 |newspaper=The Economist |issn=0013-0613 |archive-date=11 August 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250811191803/https://www.economist.com/culture/2025/07/03/the-tv-shows-people-risk-death-to-watch |url-status=live }}</ref> In North Korea, the Korean Wave is called the ''nam-Joseon baram'' ({{Korean|hangul=남조선 바람|lit=South Joseon wind}}).<ref>{{Cite news |last=김 |first=주환 |date=25 December 2021 |title=北 장마당 증가...한류 콘텐츠 은밀하게 확산 |language=ko |trans-title=North Korean Markets Grow...and Hallyu Content Spreads in Secret |work=YTN |url=https://www.ytn.co.kr/_ln/0101_201612240521399196 |access-date=21 February 2020 |archive-date=10 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220210220925/https://www.ytn.co.kr/_ln/0101_201612240521399196 |url-status=live }}</ref> In June 2007, the film ''Hwang Jin Yi'', adapted from a novel by a North Korean author, became the first South Korean production to be made available for public viewing in North Korea.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Lee |first1=Chang-Kyun |last2=Bonny |first2=Jinhee |last3=Choi |first3=Young Yoon |date=17 July 2007 |title=North Korea Cracks Down on 'Korean Wave' of Illicit TV |work=Radio Free Asia |url=https://www.rfa.org/english/news/in_depth/korea_wave-20070717.html |access-date=23 March 2013 |quote= |translator-last=Mudie |translator-first=Luisetta |archive-date=25 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141025151354/http://www.rfa.org/english/news/in_depth/korea_wave-20070717.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

A 2010 survey of 33 North Korean defectors by the Korea Institute for National Unification found that shows like ''Winter Sonata'' played a significant role in shaping the decision of the defectors to flee to the South. The institute also stated that some North Koreans near the Korean Demilitarized Zone reportedly tampered with their televisions to receive signals from South Korean stations, while on the northern border, CDs and DVDs were commonly smuggled in from China.<ref name="Seongbin Kang">{{Cite news |last=Kang |first=Seongbin |date=29 April 2011 |title='Korean Wave' Set to Swamp North Korea, Academics Say |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-media-northkorea-idUSTRE73S5J420110429 |access-date=18 March 2013 |archive-date=22 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222190350/http://www.reuters.com/article/us-media-northkorea-idUSTRE73S5J420110429 |url-status=live }}</ref> A 2012 survey by the institute of 100 North Korean defectors reported that South Korean media was prevalent among the North Korean elite. It also re-affirmed that North Koreans living near the northern border had the highest degree of access to South Korean entertainment.<ref>{{Cite news|author=|date=28 June 2012|title=Winds of Unification Still Blowing ...|url=https://www.dailynk.com/english/winds-of-unification-still-blowing/|work=Daily NK|access-date=22 March 2013|archive-date=29 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190529131642/https://www.dailynk.com/english/winds-of-unification-still-blowing/|url-status=live}}</ref> Notels, a type of Chinese portable media player introduced to North Korea in 2005, have been credited for proliferating Korean media in the North.<ref>{{Cite news|author=|date=22 October 2013|title=Cheap Chinese EVD Player Spreads S. Korean Culture in N. Korea|url=https://en.yna.co.kr/view/PYH20131022119600315|work=Yonhap News Agency|access-date=2 April 2015|archive-date=10 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220210223633/https://en.yna.co.kr/view/PYH20131022119600315|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|surname=Lee|given=Joon-seung|date=22 October 2013|title=Spread of Portable EVD Players Fueling 'Korean Wave' in N. Korea: Expert|url=https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20131022011400315|work=Yonhap News Agency|access-date=2 April 2015|archive-date=10 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220210224514/https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20131022011400315|url-status=live}}</ref>

In October 2012, Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un gave a speech to the Korean People's Army in which he vowed to "extend the fight against the enemy's ideological and cultural infiltration."<ref name="Tim Sullivan">{{Cite news |last=Sullivan |first=Tim |date=31 December 2012 |title=North Korea Cracks Down on Knowledge Smugglers |work=Salon |agency=AP |url=https://www.salon.com/2012/12/31/north_korea_cracks_down_on_knowledge_smugglers/ |access-date=23 March 2013 |quote= |archive-date=22 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130322184404/http://www.salon.com/2012/12/31/north_korea_cracks_down_on_knowledge_smugglers/ |url-status=live }}</ref> A US State Department-commissioned study earlier that year concluded that North Korea was "increasingly anxious" to restrict the flow of information, but were struggling to contain the "substantial demand" for South Korean movies and television programs and the "intensely entrepreneurial" smugglers on the Chinese side of the border.<ref name="Tim Sullivan" />

{{quote box |width=25em |align=right |qalign=left |quote=... My happiest moments when I was in North Korea were watching [South] Korean TV shows. I felt like I was living in that same world [as those actors on the show] ...<br />—A North Korean defector interviewed by Human Rights Watch<ref name="Human Rights Watch">{{Cite web|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2013/05/15/north-korea-stop-crackdown-economic-crimes|title=North Korea: Stop Crackdown on Economic 'Crimes'|author=|date=15 May 2013|website=Human Rights Watch|access-date=16 May 2013|archive-date=8 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130608222953/http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/05/15/north-korea-stop-crackdown-economic-crimes|url-status=live}}</ref>|}}

On 15 May 2013, the NGO Human Rights Watch found that "entertainment shows from South Korea are particularly popular and have served to undermine the North Korean government's negative portrayals of South Korea".<ref>{{Cite news|last=Schiff|first=Randy|date=8 June 2020|title=Streaming: From Unstable Worlds Come a Love Story, Civil War with Zombies and Government Thriller|url=https://buffalonews.com/entertainment/streaming-from-unstable-worlds-come-a-love-story-civil-war-with-zombies-and-government-thriller/article_c6155453-97ef-5529-a4ae-979983a75a7b.html|work=The Buffalo News|access-date=7 December 2020|archive-date=3 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210203182704/https://buffalonews.com/entertainment/streaming-from-unstable-worlds-come-a-love-story-civil-war-with-zombies-and-government-thriller/article_c6155453-97ef-5529-a4ae-979983a75a7b.html|url-status=live}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=March 2023}}

In 2020, North Korea passed the Law on Rejecting Reactionary Ideology and Culture, which imposes penalty ranging from forced labor to death for those that want to keep or distribute cultural materials, such as TV programs, books and songs from "hostile countries," including as South Korea.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hong |first=Dae Un |date=2021-02-25 |title=North Korean Laws Since 2016: What They Imply for the Country's Future - 38 North: Informed Analysis of North Korea |url=https://www.38north.org/2021/02/north-korean-laws-since-2016-what-they-imply-for-the-countrys-future/ |access-date=2025-10-17 |website=38 North |language=en |archive-date=26 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211126202629/https://www.38north.org/2021/02/north-korean-laws-since-2016-what-they-imply-for-the-countrys-future/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":1" />

In 2021, Kim Jong Un called K-pop a vicious cancer that serves to undermine the North Korean government. Kim further warned that South Korean entertainment was having a grave influence on young North Koreans and emphasized the necessity of stamping out "capitalist tendencies". In a leaked document obtained by Asia Press, Kim Jong Un deemed North Korean women who call their date ''oppa'' or "''yobo''" instead of comrade "perverted". The documents warned that those who were caught using the language would be expelled from their city.<ref>{{Cite news|surname=Choe|given=Sang-Hun|date=11 June 2021|title=Kim Jong-un Calls K-pop a 'Vicious Cancer' in the New Culture War|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/11/world/asia/kim-jong-un-k-pop.html|work=The New York Times|access-date=17 June 2021|archive-date=17 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210617002900/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/11/world/asia/kim-jong-un-k-pop.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2023, North Korea passed the Pyongyang Cultural Language Protection Act, which criminalizes the use of South Korean-style language and expressions by North Koreans, including using ''oppa'' to refer to non-relatives, with a maximum penalty of death.<ref>{{Cite news |title=North Korea is becoming even more repressive and threatening |url=https://www.economist.com/interactive/briefing/2025/09/25/north-korea-is-becoming-even-more-repressive-and-threatening |access-date=2025-10-17 |newspaper=The Economist |issn=0013-0613 |archive-date=17 October 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251017004726/https://www.economist.com/interactive/briefing/2025/09/25/north-korea-is-becoming-even-more-repressive-and-threatening |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Human Rights Watch |title=North Korea: Events of 2023 |date=2024-01-11 |work=Share this via Facebook |url=https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2024/country-chapters/north-korea |access-date=2025-10-17 |language=en |archive-date=20 October 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251020103945/https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2024/country-chapters/north-korea |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Other political impacts === K-dramas including ''Jewel in the Palace'' and ''Descendants of the Sun'' promote nationalistic themes.<ref name=":FandomNationalism" />{{Reference page|page=20}} South Korean media discourses celebrating K-Pop reinforce nationalism among the domestic audience.<ref name=":FandomNationalism" />{{Reference page|page=20}} South Korean researchers originated the term "pop nationalism" to analyze hallyu within nationalistic discourses and interests.<ref name=":FandomNationalism" />{{Reference page|page=20}}

== Tourism == The airing of drama ''Winter Sonata'' in Japan led to a rise in tourism to South Korea and dramatically shifted the demographics of Japanese tourism to South Korea, from primarily Japanese men on kisaeng tours to young Japanese women.{{Sfn|Hirata|2008|pp=143–148}} South Korea's tourism industry has been greatly influenced by the increasing popularity of its media. According to Korean Culture and Information Service (Kocis), yearly tourism figures have increased from 5.32 million visitors in 2000 to 11.03 million visitors in 2023.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.kedglobal.com/travel-leisure/newsView/ked202401300009 |title=Number of foreign tourists visiting Korea surpasses 11 million in 2023 |publisher=KED Global |date=2024-01-30 |access-date=2026-03-24 |archive-date=1 November 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251101063902/https://www.kedglobal.com/travel-leisure/newsView/ked202401300009 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Korean Tourism Organization has recognized the Korean Wave as a significant pull factor for tourists, and launched a tourism campaign in 2014 entitled "Imagine your Korea" that highlighted Korean entertainment.<ref name="Hee-Joo Han, Jae-Sub Lee">{{Cite journal |last1=Han |first1=Hee-Joo |last2=Lee |first2=Jae-Sub |date=2008 |title=A Study on the KBS TV Drama ''Winter Sonata'' and Its Impact on Korea's ''Hallyu'' Tourism Development |journal=Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing |volume=24 |issue=2–3 |pages=115–126 |doi=10.1080/10548400802092593 |s2cid=154926778}}</ref> Many fans of Korean television dramas are also motivated to travel to Korea,<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Kim|first1=Seongseop (Sam)|last2=Kim|first2=Sangkyun (Sean)|last3=Heo|first3=Cindy (Yoonjoung)|date=2015|title=Assessment of TV Drama/Film Production Towns as a Rural Tourism Growth Engine|journal=Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research|volume=20|issue=7|pages=730–760|doi=10.1080/10941665.2014.927378|doi-access=free|s2cid=153548291|s2cid-access=free}}</ref> frequently visiting filming locations like Nami Island, featured in ''Winter Sonata'', and Dae Jang Geum Theme Park.<ref name="Hee-Joo Han, Jae-Sub Lee" /> The majority of these tourists were women.{{Sfn|Mōri|2008|pp=130–131}} According to the KTO, more than 100,000 Indians traveled to South Korea in 2018, with the number of Indian tourists rising steadily each year.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Wadhwa|first=Sulakshna|date=15 April 2019|title=Korea Festival in Mumbai is Offering a Window into Korean Culture|url=https://www.financialexpress.com/lifestyle/korea-festival-in-mumbai-is-offering-a-window-into-korean-culture/1548530/|work=The Financial Express|access-date=14 February 2021|archive-date=8 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008130922/https://www.financialexpress.com/lifestyle/korea-festival-in-mumbai-is-offering-a-window-into-korean-culture/1548530/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://keia.org/the-peninsula/an-emerging-market-for-hallyu-the-growing-indian-fan-base/|title=An Emerging Market for Hallyu: The Growing Indian Fan Base|last=Cariappa|first=Neha|date=10 July 2020|website=KEI|access-date=28 September 2020|archive-date=15 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201115163038/https://keia.org/the-peninsula/an-emerging-market-for-hallyu-the-growing-indian-fan-base/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Impact of ''hallyu'' on South Korean tourism === [[File:Park Bo-gum 박보검 朴寶劍 as Honorary Ambassador for South Korean Tourism in Thailand 4.jpg|thumb|Actor and honorary ambassador of South Korean tourism Park Bo-gum (center) discussing filming locations of his K-drama ''Good Boy'' at the 2026 Thai International Travel Fair in Bangkok]] The Korean Wave has significantly influenced the global popularity of South Korean culture, particularly through K-dramas and K-pop, driving increased tourism in the country.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-05-20 |title="The number of Hallyu tourists has increased 30 times over the past four years."Government to Revitalize 'Hallyu Tourism' |url=https://www.ajunews.com/view/20250520153218214 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250712183143/https://www.ajunews.com/view/20250520153218214 |archive-date=12 July 2025 |work=ajunews |access-date=22 September 2025 |url-status=live }}</ref> The strategic initiatives implemented by the government and tourism industry have capitalized on this trend to enhance the country's economic landscape and cultural diplomacy on the global stage. ''Hallyu''-related sectors such as cosmetics, fashion, tourism, and education have seen substantial economic contributions, with cultural exports contributing to a 0.2% increase in South Korea's GDP in 2004, escalating remarkably to $12.3 billion by 2019. These figures underscore the profound impact of the Korean Wave on the economy, largely driven by tourism. This growth is supported by a study showing a robust correlation coefficient of 0.89 for ''hallyu'' products, significantly higher than 0.44 for non-''hallyu'' products, indicating the strong economic influence of cultural exports.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Fahrisa |first=T. R. |date=2022 |title=Exports Driven by Hallyu Increasing South Korea's Economic Growth - Cultural Diplomacy Approach |url= |journal=Jurnal Hubungan Internasional |volume=15 |issue=1 |pages=20–36|doi=10.20473/jhi.v15i1.33230 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

Recognizing the global appeal of ''hallyu'', the government launched the "Visit Korea Year 2023–2024". This initiative features a series of events and promotions to attract tourists, including K-pop concerts, cultural festivals, and significant discounts on travel and accommodations. The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) also hosts international roadshows and eco-friendly activities to promote cultural and environmental awareness. More details are available on the VISITKOREA website, which provides updates on upcoming events and offers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=[KTO] Visit Korea Year 2023-2024 Begins |url=https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/svc/contents/infoHtmlView.do?vcontsId=136376 |access-date=2024-04-24 |website=VisitKorea.or.kr |language=en |archive-date=24 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240424091035/https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/svc/contents/infoHtmlView.do?vcontsId=136376 |url-status=live }}</ref> Digital technologies also play a crucial role in tourism strategies. Live streaming, for example, has emerged as a strategic tool, significantly influencing viewer engagement through parasocial interactions, where viewers feel a sense of friendship and trust with streamers. This enhances viewer loyalty and encourages more visits, illustrating the shift towards digital engagement in tourism marketing.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Kim |first=M. |date=2023 |title=Parasocial Interactions in Digital Tourism: Attributes of Live Streamers and Viewer Engagement Dynamics in South Korea |url= |journal=Behavioral Sciences |volume=13 |issue=11 |pages=953|doi=10.3390/bs13110953 |doi-access=free |pmid=37998699 |pmc=10669488 }}</ref>

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism together with the Korea Tourism Organization appoints globally-known South Korean figures as honorary ambassadors for their campaigns. They have included boy group BTS, actor Lee Jung-jae, and girl group NewJeans,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-07-29 |title=한국의 매력 알리는 얼굴에 '박보검' |url=https://www.hankyung.com/article/202507298929K |access-date=2025-07-29 |website=한국경제 |language=ko}}</ref> and actor Park Bo-gum.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title="Hallyu superstar Park Bo-gum: 'Anyone can be the star in Korea' |url=https://www.korea.net/index.html |access-date=2025-10-07 |website=Korea.net}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Jae-heun |first=Kim |date=2025-07-24 |title=Actor Park Bo-gum new face of Korea's tourism |url=https://m.koreaherald.com/article/10538721 |access-date=2025-07-29 |website=The Korea Herald |language=en}}</ref>

== Foreign relations == [[File:Obama mentions Korean Wave and Gangnam Style.ogv|thumb|During a press conference with South Korean President Park Geun-hye in May 2013, US President Barack Obama remarked that the Korean Wave was another result of the Miracle on the Han River.<ref name="Obama-2013" />]]The Korean Wave has been acknowledged by various heads of state and government, including Chinese paramount leader Hu Jintao<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wong |first=Tze Chin |url=http://uskoreainstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/2009_Yearbook_Wong.pdf |title=SAIS U.S.–Korea 2009 Yearbook |date=2010 |publisher=U.S.–Korea Institute at SAIS |editor-last=Straub |editor-first=David |pages=11–27 |chapter=South Korea–China Mutual Perceptions: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150426103135/http://uskoreainstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/2009_Yearbook_Wong.pdf |archive-date=26 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Tsai |first=Ting-I |date=22 November 2005 |title=Korea Swallows Its Pride in Chinese Kimchi War |work=Asia Times Online |url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China_Business/GK22Cb05.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051124233457/http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China_Business/GK22Cb05.html |archive-date=24 November 2005 |quote=}}</ref> and Premier Wen Jiabao,<ref>{{Cite news |author= |date=5 April 2007 |script-title=zh:温家宝总理接受韩国新闻媒体联合采访 |language=zh |trans-title=Premier Wen Jiabao Accepts a Joint Interview with South Korean News Media |url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2007-04/05/content_5940122.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070408181809/http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2007-04/05/content_5940122.htm |archive-date=8 April 2007 |quote=对于'韩流'这种文化现象, 中国人民特别是年轻人都很喜欢, 中国政府会继续鼓励包括'韩流'在内的两国文化交流活动. |script-work=zh:新华网 |trans-work=Xinhuanet}}</ref> US President Barack Obama,<ref name="Obama-2013">{{Cite web |last=Obama |first=Barack |date=7 May 2013 |title=Remarks by President Obama and President Park of South Korea in a Joint Press Conference |url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2013/05/07/remarks-president-obama-and-president-park-south-korea-joint-press-confe |access-date=7 May 2013 |website=The White House |publisher=National Archives of Korea|quote= |surname2=Park |given2=Geun-hye |archive-date=23 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170123103019/https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2013/05/07/remarks-president-obama-and-president-park-south-korea-joint-press-confe |url-status=live }}</ref> Indian President Ram Nath Kovind,<ref>{{Cite web |date=10 July 2018 |title=Speech by the president of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind at the Banquet hosted in Honour of his excellency Mr Moon Jae-In, the President of the Republic of Korea |url=https://pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1538295 |access-date=2022-05-14 |website=Press Information Bureau, Government of India |archive-date=19 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220519165354/https://pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1538295 |url-status=live }}</ref> and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gillard |first=Julia |date=26 March 2012 |title='Australia and Korea: Partners and Friends', Speech to Yonsei University, Seoul |url=https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-18466 |access-date=10 February 2017 |website=PM Transcripts |publisher=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet |quote= |archive-date=11 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211155704/http://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-18466 |url-status=live }}</ref> The phenomenon has also been acknowledged by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon,<ref>{{Cite web |surname=Ban |given=Ki-moon |date=30 October 2012 |title=The United Nations and Korea: Together, Building the Future We Want |url=http://www.un.org/sg/statements/index.asp?nid=6398 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131025050159/http://www.un.org/sg/statements/index.asp?nid=6398 |archive-date=2013-10-25 |website=United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon |publisher=United Nations |quote=}}</ref> the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs,<ref>{{Cite book |author= |url=https://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/other/bluebook/2005/ch2-a.pdf |title=Diplomatic Bluebook 2005 |date=2005 |publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan |pages=18–61 |chapter=Asia and the Pacific |quote= |quote-page=29 |access-date=14 February 2022 |archive-date=14 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220214190916/https://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/other/bluebook/2005/ch2-a.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> US Secretary of State John Kerry,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kerry |first=John |date=13 August 2013 |title=Video Recording for the Republic of Korea's Independence Day |url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2013/08/213081.htm |access-date=21 January 2017 |website=U.S. Department of State |publisher=Office of Website Management |quote= |archive-date=21 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170121035924/https://2009-2017.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2013/08/213081.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Meerwais Nab,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kwon |first=Mee-yoo |date=2021-04-12 |title=Korea's Effort in Afghan Reconstruction Recognized |work=The Korea Times |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2021/04/176_306950.html |access-date=10 May 2021 |archive-date=8 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508230439/https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2021/04/176_306950.html |url-status=live }}</ref> New Zealand Deputy Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade Andrea Smith,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Andrea |date=2012-11-21 |title=Korea "Year of Friendship" Keynote Address |url=http://www.mfat.govt.nz/Foreign-Relations/Asia/News-items/0-NZ-Asia-Institute-Smith-speech.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130210151146/http://www.mfat.govt.nz/Foreign-Relations/Asia/News-items/0-NZ-Asia-Institute-Smith-speech.php |archive-date=2013-02-10 |website=New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade |quote=}}</ref> the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs,<ref>{{Cite web |author= |date=n.d. |title=La France et la République de Corée |trans-title=France and the Republic of Korea |url=http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/dossiers-pays/coree-du-sud/la-france-et-la-republique-de/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222091545/http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/dossiers-pays/coree-du-sud/la-france-et-la-republique-de/ |archive-date=22 December 2015 |website=France Diplomatie |publisher=Ministère des Affaires étrangères et du Développement international |language=fr |quote=La culture populaire coréenne connaît un succès grandissant à travers le monde. Ce phénomène porte le nom de « Hallyu », ou « vague coréenne ».}}</ref> the German Federal Foreign Office,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-03-03 |title=Kultur- und Bildungspolitik |url=http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/DE/Aussenpolitik/Laender/Laenderinfos/KoreaRepublik/Kultur-UndBildungspolitik_node.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141023130730/http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/DE/Aussenpolitik/Laender/Laenderinfos/KoreaRepublik/Kultur-UndBildungspolitik_node.html |archive-date=2014-10-23 |access-date=2014-10-23 |website=Auswärtiges Amt}}</ref> and UK Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Swire |first=Hugo |date=2012-11-23 |title=Anglo-Korean Society Dinner |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/anglo-korean-society-dinner |access-date=2012-12-19 |website= |publisher=Government Digital Service |quote= |archive-date=9 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170709075009/https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/anglo-korean-society-dinner |url-status=live }}</ref> A 2018–2019 survey conducted by the Korean Culture and Information Service found that the Korean Wave was a key factor in global perceptions of South Korea.<ref>{{Cite news |date=4 February 2020 |title=Around the World, Hallyu Boosts the Image of Korea |work=Korea JoongAng Daily |url=https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2020/02/04/etc/Around-the-world-Hallyu-boosts-the-image-of-Korea/3073366.html |access-date=28 September 2020 |surname=Yoon |given=So-yeon |archive-date=14 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514130206/https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2020/02/04/etc/Around-the-world-Hallyu-boosts-the-image-of-Korea/3073366.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Taiwan === The Korean Wave positively impacted perceptions of South Korea in Taiwan.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Sung |first=Sang-Yeon |date=2010 |title=Constructing a New Image. Hallyu in Taiwan |journal=European Journal of East Asian Studies |volume=9 |issue=1 |pages=25–45 |doi=10.1163/156805810X517652 |s2cid=144408953 |s2cid-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|author1-link=Ming-Yeh Rawnsley |last=Rawnsley |first=Ming-Yeh T. |title=Reading Asian Television Drama: Crossing Borders and Breaking Boundaries |date=2014 |publisher=I.B. Tauris |isbn=978-0-7556-9727-4 |editor-last=Kim |editor-first=Jeongmee |pages=215–238 |chapter='Korean Wave' in Taiwan: The Cultural Representation of Identities and Food in Korean TV Drama, ''Dae Jang Geum'' |doi=10.5040/9780755697274.ch-009 |s2cid=231013529}}</ref> Taiwanese people's favorable impression of South Korea continues to increase significantly, which also makes the relationship between South Korea and Taiwan very close.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hahm |first=Sung Deuk |date=2021 |title=The Impact of the Korean Wave on South Korea–Taiwan Relations |journal=Asian Survey|volume=61 |issue=2 |pages=217–240 |doi=10.1525/as.2021.61.2.217 |s2cid= 234871319 |s2cid-access=free}}</ref><ref>Chua & Iwabuchi 2008, p. 10.</ref>

=== India === Korean culture has become increasingly popular in India,<ref>{{Cite web |last=www.ETBrandEquity.com |title=How the Korean culture wave is submerging Indian audiences - ET BrandEquity |url=https://brandequity.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/marketing/how-the-korean-culture-wave-is-submerging-indian-audiences/108829278 |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=ETBrandEquity.com |language=en |archive-date=2 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240502015034/https://brandequity.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/marketing/how-the-korean-culture-wave-is-submerging-indian-audiences/108829278 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-08-29 |title=Korean dramas and culture are taking India by storm |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/news/korean/korean-dramas-and-culture-are-taking-india-by-storm/articleshow/103172030.cms |access-date=2024-05-02 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257 |archive-date=2 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240502015034/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/news/korean/korean-dramas-and-culture-are-taking-india-by-storm/articleshow/103172030.cms |url-status=live }}</ref> particularly in the northeast, where people feel somewhat alienated from the rest of India and have some similarities to Koreans.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Das |first=Bijoyeta |date=17 February 2014 |title=Manipur: A part of India where Korea rules |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2014/2/17/manipur-a-part-of-india-where-korea-rules |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en |archive-date=2 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240502003925/https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2014/2/17/manipur-a-part-of-india-where-korea-rules |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Hallyu'' began to impact Indian pop culture trends around the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy. The amount of ''hallyu'' content has increased for nearly all content types when compared to pre-pandemic times. The majority of consumers are young females.<ref>{{Cite web |title=인도 한류 심층분석 |url=https://kofice.or.kr/hallyunow/vol52_eng/sub/s21.html |access-date=2025-07-01 |website=kofice.or.kr |language=ko |archive-date=22 June 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250622054441/https://kofice.or.kr/hallyunow/vol52_eng/sub/s21.html |url-status=live }}</ref> India and Korea have hosted cultural events at each other's embassies, with their leaders looking to increase cultural ties.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kumar |first=Sanjay |date=2023-10-10 |title=Indian Embassy holds Sarang festival to promote cultural exchange |url=https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20231010000474 |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=The Korea Herald |language=en |archive-date=2 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240502015035/https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20231010000474 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Japan === The Korean Wave, began to gain traction in Japan around the late 1990s and early 2000s. This initial surge was largely due to efforts by Japanese Prime Minister Obuchi Keizo and Korean President Kim Dae-jung, who aimed to foster a "future-oriented relationship" between the two countries. As part of this initiative, South Korea lifted its unilateral restrictions on the import of Japanese cultural products in 1998, leading to increased cultural exchanges between the two nations. A relevant policies, which was the Open Door Policy implemented by South Korea from 1998 to 2004 played a significant role in facilitating the spread of ''hallyu'' in Japan. This policy aimed to liberalize South Korea's cultural industry and promote cultural exports.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wang |first=Linbin |date=January 6, 2023 |title=How Has the 'Korean Wave' Impacted Japan-South Korea Relations? |url=https://thediplomat.com/2023/01/how-has-the-korean-wave-impacted-japan-south-korea-relations/ |access-date=April 8, 2024 |website=thediplomat.com |language=en-US}}</ref> On November 2, 2021, data released by KOCCA, underscores a remarkable surge in the export of Korean video content to Japan. In 2021, the export value soared to $1.81 billion (approximately 2.46 trillion won), representing a substantial 50 percent increase from the previous year's figure of $1.21 billion (approximately 1.64 trillion won). This significant growth reflects the escalating popularity and demand for Korean video content within the Japanese market.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pyo |first=Kyung-min |date=November 14, 2023 |title=[INTERVIEW] Korean culture becomes part of daily life in Japan as hallyu marks 20th anniversary |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/culture/2024/04/262_362972.html |access-date=April 8, 2024 |website=The Korea Times |language=en |archive-date=8 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240408192940/https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/culture/2024/04/262_362972.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== China === The Korean Wave initially found a receptive audience in China, and by the late 2000s and early 2010s, China had become its largest market.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Three Decades On, the Korean Wave Continues to Build Momentum |url=https://thediplomat.com/2025/08/three-decades-on-the-korean-wave-continues-to-build-momentum/ |access-date=2025-12-24 |website=thediplomat.com |language=en-US |archive-date=11 October 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251011212728/https://thediplomat.com/2025/08/three-decades-on-the-korean-wave-continues-to-build-momentum/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Since 2016, China implemented ''hallyu'' ban on Korean cultural imports as retaliation for the installation of the THAAD missile defense system, which China considers a risk to its national security.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Smith |first=Nicola |date=4 December 2016 |title=South Korea's 'K-pop' Stars Caught in the Crossfire of Diplomatic Spat with China |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/12/04/south-koreas-k-pop-stars-caught-crossfire-diplomatic-spat-china/ |access-date=30 October 2018 |archive-date=8 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181108030009/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/12/04/south-koreas-k-pop-stars-caught-crossfire-diplomatic-spat-china/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Jozuka |first1=Emiko |last2=Han |first2=Sol |date=23 February 2017 |title=Why South Korean Companies, Entertainers Are Getting Cold Shoulder in China |work=CNN |url=https://www.cnn.com/2017/02/23/asia/south-korea-china-thaad-retaliation/index.html |access-date=18 October 2018 |archive-date=19 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190119143431/https://www.cnn.com/2017/02/23/asia/south-korea-china-thaad-retaliation/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In March 2017, the China National Tourism Administration issued a ban on group tours to South Korea by Chinese travel agencies.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Zhou|first=Laura|date=20 December 2017|title=Promises, Promises ... but Still No End to China's Ban on Group Tours to South Korea|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2125018/china-bans-group-tours-south-korea-once-again-says|work=South China Morning Post|access-date=29 October 2021|archive-date=8 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181108030001/https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2125018/china-bans-group-tours-south-korea-once-again-says|url-status=live}}</ref> On 31 October 2017, following the two governments' announcement of a settlement regarding the THAAD dispute, China marginally eased its restrictions on Korean content, permitting limited online consumption while allowing travel agencies to resume group tours to South Korea<ref name="Hong Soon-do">{{Cite news |date=2 November 2017 |title=China Virtually Ends Hallyu Ban |work=HuffPost |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/china-virtually-ends-hallyu-ban_b_59fb14cae4b09afdf01c40a1 |access-date=18 October 2018 |surname=Hong |given=Soon-do |archive-date=12 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412221822/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/china-virtually-ends-hallyu-ban_b_59fb14cae4b09afdf01c40a1 |url-status=live }}</ref>. Korean content, however, remained heavily restricted in mainstream media and theaters, with live concerts still banned.

=== Middle East and North Africa === Since the mid-2000s, Iran, Morocco and Egypt and Algeria have emerged as major consumers of Korean culture.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Xha|first=Farhaa|date=25 July 2010|title=The 'Asian Wave' Hits Saudi Arabia|url=http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2010072579067|work=Saudi Gazette|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106181245/http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2010072579067|archive-date=6 January 2014|quote=Egypt and Iran has been the center of the 'hallyu' phenomena in the Middle East for a few years now. While Egypt went crazy after the dramas 'Autumn in my Heart' and 'Winter Sonata,' Iran went gaga when its state television aired 'Emperor of the Sea' and 'Jewel in the Palace'.}}</ref> Following the success of Korean dramas in the Middle East & North Africa, the Korean Overseas Information Service made ''Winter Sonata'' available with Arabic subtitles and the program was broadcast on several state-run Egyptian television networks. The Korean government's support for the Korean cultural exports in the Middle East are part of greater efforts to improve the country's image in the region.{{Sfn|Nye|Kim|2013|p=34}}

The Middle East Broadcasting Channel (MBC4) played a major role in increasing the Korean Wave's popularity in the Middle East and North Africa. Beginning in 2012, MBC4 hosted a series of Korean dramas, including ''Boys Over Flowers'', ''You're Beautiful'', ''Dream High'' and ''Coffee Prince''. The imports of these programs were sometimes criticized out of the fear they would lead to Islamic youth to abandon traditional values.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Kraidy|first=Marwan M.|date=2010|title=Reality Television and Arab Politics: Contention in Public Life|publisher=Cambridge University Press|doi=10.1017/CBO9780511814259|isbn=978-0-511-67529-4|s2cid=128785183|quote=Critics of ''Star Academy'' fear that the learning rituals embedded in the show would lead Kuwaiti youth to abandon their traditions wholesale in order to adopt Western morality wholesale.|quote-page=138}}</ref>

=== Egypt === ''Autumn in My Heart'', one of the earliest Korean dramas brought over to the Middle East, was broadcast after five months of "persistent negotiations" between the South Korean embassy and an Egyptian state-run broadcasting company. Perceptions of South Korea in Egypt, which were undermined by the country's involvement in the Iraq War, were positively impacted following the screening of ''Autumn in My Heart'' in the country.<ref>{{Cite web |author= |date=3 November 2004 |title='Autumn in My Heart' Syndrome in Egypt |url=http://english.kbs.co.kr/hallyu/entertainment_news_view.html?No=1382 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106174531/http://english.kbs.co.kr/hallyu/entertainment_news_view.html?No=1382 |archive-date=6 January 2014 |website=Korean Broadcasting System |ref={{harvid|KBS|2004}}}}</ref>

=== Iran === [[File:Song Il Gook.jpg|thumb|South Korean actor Song Il-gook at a press conference in Tehran on 18 August 2009]]

A number of K-dramas have been aired by Iran's state broadcaster, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) in prime-time slots. Unlike Western productions, South Korean programs tend to satisfy the conservative criteria set by the Iranian Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.<ref>{{Cite news |date=29 July 2011 |title=Book Probes Transnational Identity of 'Hallyu' |work=The Korea Times |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/culture/2011/07/142_91849.html |access-date=22 April 2013 |quote=Korean television dramas reinforce traditional values of Confucianism that Iranians find more closely aligned to Islamic culture, implying that cultural proximity contributes to the Islamic Korean wave. 'Reflecting traditional family values, Korean culture is deemed "a filter for Western values" in Iran,' the article says. |surname=Chung |given=Ah-young |archive-date=5 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220205222146/https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/culture/2011/07/142_91849.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Amiri|first=Mitra|date=19 January 2011|title=Foreign Broadcasts, DVDs Challenge Iran Grip on TV|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/industry-us-iran-idUSTRE70I54420110119|work=Reuters|access-date=22 April 2013|archive-date=12 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160112035924/http://www.reuters.com/article/industry-us-iran-idUSTRE70I54420110119|url-status=live}}</ref> In October 2012, representatives for the IRIB visited South Korea to visit filming locations in an effort to strengthen "cultural affinities" between the two countries and to seek avenues for further cooperation between KBS and IRIB.<ref name="Tehran Times">{{Cite news|author=|date=19 October 2012|title=IRIB Director Visits Location of South Korean TV Series Popular in Iran|url=http://www.tehrantimes.com/arts-and-culture/102496-irib-director-visits-location-of-south-korean-tv-series-popular-in-iran-|work=Tehran Times|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121028100535/http://www.tehrantimes.com/arts-and-culture/102496-irib-director-visits-location-of-south-korean-tv-series-popular-in-iran-|archive-date=28 October 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://english.irib.ir/radioculture/iran/society/media/item/82398-irib-director-meets-south-korean-media-officials|title=IRIB Director Meets South Korean Media Officials|author=|date=17 October 2012|website=IRIB World Service|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121027235816/http://english.irib.ir/radioculture/iran/society/media/item/82398-irib-director-meets-south-korean-media-officials|archive-date=27 October 2012}}</ref>

=== Pakistan === The Korean Wave has gained popularity in Pakistan, especially among youth, through K-dramas, K-pop, and Korean beauty products. Cultural exchanges, such as K-pop competitions, film screenings, concerts organized by the South Korean embassy, have strengthened ties and sparked interest in the Korean language.

Notably, the ''K-pop Concert Night'' hosts by Korean embassy featuring the band Gaon was held at Al Hamra Art Center in Lahore on December 10, 2023, drawing significant attention from fans.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Desk (Lahore) |first=Web |date=2023-12-08 |title=Korean embassy hosts 2023 K-POP Concert Night in Lahore to further deepen cultural ties |url=https://pakobserver.net/korean-embassy-hosts-2023-k-pop-concert-night-in-lahore-to-further-deepen-cultural-ties/ |access-date=2024-12-24 |website=Pakistan Observer |language=en-US}}</ref> In October 2025, the South Korean embassy hosted the K-Wave Festa: Beauty, Beats and Beyond. Park Jaelark, who is Charge d'Affaires of the Republic of Korea, emphasized in his opening speech the continues "efforts to strengthen cultural and people-to-people exchanges between Korea and Pakistan".<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2025-10-12 |title=Korean embassy in Islamabad celebrates 'K-Wave Festa' |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1948243 |access-date=2026-02-05 |website=Dawn |language=en |archive-date=3 May 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260503103549/https://www.dawn.com/news/1948243 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Israel and Palestine === Some commentators{{Who|date=March 2023}} have hoped that the popularity of Korean culture across Israel and Palestine<ref name="Nissim Otmazgin, Irina Lyan">{{Cite journal|last1=Otmazgin|first1=Nissim|last2=Lyan|first2=Irina|date=2014|title=Hallyu Across the Desert: K-pop Fandom in Israel and Palestine|journal=Cross-Currents: East Asian History and Culture Review|volume=3|issue=1|pages=32–55|doi=10.1353/ach.2014.0008|doi-access=free|s2cid=143698495|s2cid-access=free}}</ref> may serve as a bridge over the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.<ref name="BBC News 2013">{{Cite news |author= |date=7 August 2013 |title=Middle East: Korean Pop 'Brings Hope for Peace' |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-23606319 |access-date=7 August 2013 |archive-date=21 January 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150121083629/http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-23606319 |url-status=live }}</ref> The Hebrew University of Jerusalem reported that some Israeli and Palestinian K-pop fans see themselves as "cultural missionaries" and actively introduce K-pop to their friends and relatives, further spreading the Korean Wave within their communities.<ref name="Nissim Otmazgin, Irina Lyan" /><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Otmazgin|first1=Nissim|last2=Lyan|first2=Irina|date=2019|title=Fan Entrepreneurship: Fandom, Agency, and the Marketing of ''Hallyu'' in Israel|journal=Kritika Kultura|volume=32|issue=32|pages=288–307|doi=10.13185/KK2019.03214|doi-broken-date=1 July 2025 |doi-access=free|s2cid=216896076|s2cid-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Lyan|first1=Irina|last2=Levkowitz|first2=Alon|date=2015|title=From Holy Land to 'Hallyu Land': The Symbolic Journey Following the Korean Wave in Israel|url=https://www.academia.edu/11614011|journal=Journal of Fandom Studies|volume=3|issue=1|pages=7–21|doi=10.1386/jfs.3.1.7_1|s2cid=131694946|access-date=12 December 2018|archive-date=9 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220409121913/https://www.academia.edu/11614011|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Criticism == {{Criticism section|date=June 2025}} In parts of China, the Korean Wave has been met with backlash and comparisons to cultural imperialism.<ref name="The New Yorker-2012">{{Cite magazine |date=2012-10-01 |title=Cultural technology and the making of K-pop |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/10/08/factory-girls-2 |access-date=2023-03-16 |magazine=The New Yorker |language=en-US |archive-date=24 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190724200424/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/10/08/factory-girls-2 |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Sfn|Shin|2014|p=422}} In China, the Korean Wave has frequently been described as a "cultural invasion" and restrictions have limited the number of Korean TV dramas shown to Chinese audiences.<ref name="Roald Maliangkay" /><ref name="The New Yorker-2012" />{{Sfn|Yang|2008|p=191}} At the Tai Ke Rock Concert in August 2005, a musician performed the racist and misogynistic rap "The Invasion of the Korean Wave" attacking actor Bae Yong-joon, female Taiwanese musicians, and the Korean Wave.<ref>{{harvnb|Yang|2008|pp=202–203}}: "Fuck your mother's cunt, fuck your mother's cunt, fuck Bae Yong-joon, Fuck Bae Yong-joon. Yuki, A-mei, Coco Lee, suck suck suck suck my dick."</ref> In addition, backlash to K-pop is common on the internet, where it is criticized for superficiality, heteronomy, or vulgarity.{{Sfn|Lie|2014|pp=144–145}}

Backlash against the Korean Wave can be rooted in nationalism or historical conflicts.<ref name="Cho Hae-Joang">{{Cite journal |date=2005 |title=Reading the 'Korean Wave' as a Sign of Global Shift |journal=Korea Journal |volume=45 |issue=4 |pages=147–182 |s2cid=14568377 |surname=Cho |given=Hae-Joang |s2cid-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|surname1=Nam|given1=Soo-hyoun|surname2=Lee|given2=Soo-jeong|date=16 February 2011|title=Anti-Korean Wave Backlash Has Political, Historical Causes|url=https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2020/02/04/etc/Around-the-world-Hallyu-boosts-the-image-of-Korea/3073366.html|work=Korea JoongAng Daily|access-date=16 March 2011|archive-date=14 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514130206/https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2020/02/04/etc/Around-the-world-Hallyu-boosts-the-image-of-Korea/3073366.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The K-pop industry has been criticized for its promotion of sexualized Asian stereotypes.{{Sfn|Shin|2014|p=422}}

===Mistreatment of artists=== The South Korean entertainment industry has faced repeated claims of mistreatment towards its musical artists.<ref name="Lucy Williamson">{{Cite news |last=Williamson |first=Lucy |date=15 June 2011 |title=The Dark Side of South Korean Pop Music |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-13760064 |access-date=27 November 2016 |archive-date=30 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180530090649/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-13760064 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Cha |first=Sangmi |date=4 December 2019 |title=Factbox: South Korea's K-pop Industry Hit by Tragedies, Scandal in 2019 |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-southkorea-kpop-factbox-idUSKBN1Y80JH |access-date=10 March 2020 |archive-date=13 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200213075608/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-southkorea-kpop-factbox-idUSKBN1Y80JH |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Park |first=Juwon |date=27 November 2019 |title=Singer Goo Hara's Death Shines Light on Dark Side of K-pop |work=AP News |url=https://apnews.com/article/music-ap-top-news-asia-seoul-south-korea-4245f772bc8f43b8bb948f84378c6658 |access-date=5 December 2019 |archive-date=14 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220214031045/https://apnews.com/article/music-ap-top-news-asia-seoul-south-korea-4245f772bc8f43b8bb948f84378c6658 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Williamson |first=Lucy |date=2011-06-15 |title=The dark side of South Korean pop music |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-13760064 |access-date=2023-03-21 |website=BBC News |archive-date=30 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180530090649/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-13760064 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Stiles |first=Matt |date=2017-12-19 |title=Death of K-pop star shines a spotlight on South Korea's suicide problem |url=https://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-south-korea-suicide-20171219-story.html |access-date=2023-03-21 |website=Los Angeles Times |archive-date=19 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220319023421/https://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-south-korea-suicide-20171219-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Tai |first=Crystal |date=2020-03-29 |title=Exploding the myths behind K-pop |url=https://www.theguardian.com/global/2020/mar/29/behind-k-pops-perfect-smiles-and-dance-routines-are-tales-of-sexism-and-abuse |access-date=2023-03-21 |website=The Guardian |language=en-gb |archive-date=19 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220319023421/https://www.theguardian.com/global/2020/mar/29/behind-k-pops-perfect-smiles-and-dance-routines-are-tales-of-sexism-and-abuse |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Brown |first=August |date=April 5, 2019 |title=K-pop's innocent image is shattered by the 'Burning Sun' scandal |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-burning-sun-20190319-story.html |access-date=March 19, 2022 |website=Los Angeles Times |archive-date=19 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220319023115/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-burning-sun-20190319-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> A series of high-profile suicides by Korean actors and idols highlighted the industry's harsh working conditions.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kim |first=Dae-o |date=4 January 2020 |title=I have reported on 30 Korean celebrity suicides. The blame game never changes |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/jan/04/i-have-reported-on-30-korean-celebrity-suicides-the-blame-game-never-changes |access-date=19 March 2022 |website=the Guardian |language=en |archive-date=29 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210629032942/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/jan/04/i-have-reported-on-30-korean-celebrity-suicides-the-blame-game-never-changes |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Campbell |first1=Matthew |last2=Kim |first2=Sohee |date=6 November 2019 |title=The Dark Side of K-Pop: Assault, Prostitution, Suicide, and Spycams |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2019-11-06/k-pop-s-dark-side-assault-prostitution-suicide-and-spycams |access-date=19 March 2022 |website=Bloomberg |url-access=subscription |archive-date=6 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191106100110/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2019-11-06/k-pop-s-dark-side-assault-prostitution-suicide-and-spycams |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Historical accuracy=== Korean historical dramas have been increasingly scrutinized by Korean viewers for historical negationism and otherwise inaccurate portrayals of Korean history, leading to boycotts and the cancellation of shows such as ''Snowdrop'' and ''Joseon Exorcist''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Smail |first=Gretchen |title=This K-Drama Is One Of The Most Controversial Shows On Disney+ |url=https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/snowdrop-controversy-explained-disney |website=Bustle |publisher=BDG Media |date=10 February 2022 |access-date=19 March 2022 |archive-date=12 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220312140128/https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/snowdrop-controversy-explained-disney |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Cultural and moral opposition=== K-pop boy bands and their fans have been the targets of a variety of racist, misogynistic, and homophobic attacks purporting that the bands promote homosexuality and feminine men.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Dongre|first=Divyansha|date=23 November 2021|title=How Self-appointed Vigilantes are Exploiting Policy Loopholes to 'Police' BTS' ARMY|url=https://rollingstoneindia.com/how-self-appointed-vigilantes-are-exploiting-policy-loopholes-to-police-bts-army/|magazine=Rolling Stone India|access-date=24 November 2021|archive-date=23 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211123233530/https://rollingstoneindia.com/how-self-appointed-vigilantes-are-exploiting-policy-loopholes-to-police-bts-army/|url-status=live}}</ref> In February 2021, Matthias Matuschik, a radio presenter for the German radio station Bayern 3, came under attack for declaring BTS were "some crappy virus that hopefully there will be a vaccine for soon."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chakraborty |first=Riddhi |date=2021-02-27 |title=Xenophobic German Presenter's Comments About BTS Are Just the Tip of the Racist Iceberg |url=https://rollingstoneindia.com/xenophobic-german-presenters-comments-about-bts-are-just-the-tip-of-the-racist-iceberg/ |access-date=2023-03-09 |website=Rolling Stone India |language=en-US |archive-date=9 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230309154624/https://rollingstoneindia.com/xenophobic-german-presenters-comments-about-bts-are-just-the-tip-of-the-racist-iceberg/ |url-status=live }}</ref> On 1 September 2021, a billboard of Jungkook from BTS was taken down in Pakistan after the billboard purportedly received complaints for promoting homosexuality and using the word ARMY, in conflict with the Pakistan Army.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Sng|first=Suzanne|date=7 September 2021|title=Billboard for BTS' Jungkook Removed in Pakistan for 'Promoting Homosexuality'|url=https://www.straitstimes.com/life/entertainment/billboard-for-bts-jungkook-removed-in-pakistan-for-promoting-homosexuality|work=The Straits Times|access-date=3 November 2021|archive-date=3 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211103065832/https://www.straitstimes.com/life/entertainment/billboard-for-bts-jungkook-removed-in-pakistan-for-promoting-homosexuality|url-status=live}}</ref> In November 2021, a group calling themselves "Team Copyright" based in Bangladesh took down a number of Twitter accounts associated with the BTS fandom through false copyright claims over allegations that the band promotes "atheism and homosexuality".<ref>{{Cite news|last=Chin|first=Monica|date=18 November 2021|title=BTS Fan Twitter Accounts Say They're Being Targeted by Copyright Trolls|url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/11/18/22789201/bts-fan-accounts-dmca-takedowns-twitter-copyright-suspension-allegation|work=The Verge|access-date=24 November 2021|archive-date=24 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211124091243/https://www.theverge.com/2021/11/18/22789201/bts-fan-accounts-dmca-takedowns-twitter-copyright-suspension-allegation|url-status=live}}</ref> K-pop and K-pop idols have been criticized for promoting unhealthy attitudes around weight in Indian adolescents.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mitra |first=Debraj |date=12 December 2022 |title=Alarm over kids' obsession with looking thin, finger at Korean pop culture |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/my-kolkata/news/alarm-over-kids-obsession-with-looking-thin-finger-at-korean-pop-culture/cid/1903320 |access-date=2022-12-28 |website=Telegraph India |archive-date=28 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221228055801/https://www.telegraphindia.com/my-kolkata/news/alarm-over-kids-obsession-with-looking-thin-finger-at-korean-pop-culture/cid/1903320 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Japan=== Anti-Korean sentiment in Japan has sparked a number of far-right nationalist street protests demonstrating against the import of South Korean entertainment products.<ref name="Cho Hae-Joang" /> The anti-Korean comic, ''Manga Kenkanryu'' ("Hating the Korean Wave") was published on 26 July 2005 and was widely sold in Japan. According to a ''Korea Times'' article posted in February 2014, "Experts and observers in Korea and Japan say while attendance at the rallies is still small and such extreme actions are far from entering the mainstream of Japanese politics, the hostile demonstrations have grown in size and frequency in recent months."<ref>{{Cite news |date=21 February 2014 |title=Anti-hallyu Voices Growing in Japan |work=The Korea Times |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2014/02/688_152045.html |access-date=21 April 2016 |surname=Park |given=Si-soo |archive-date=11 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220211182032/https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2014/02/688_152045.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

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==External links== {{Commons category}} {{Wiktionary}} * [https://www.npr.org/2020/07/13/888933244/start-here-your-guide-to-getting-into-k-pop Start Here: Your Guide To Getting Into K-Pop] (2020), by NPR

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