K-pop groups with snappy names and psychedelic music videos accumulate billions of views. K-drama characters with tragic backstories and slow-motion falling scenes capture the hearts of international fans. Hallyu, or the Korean Wave, is the coined catch-all for the growing global popularity of Korean culture.

In the 1960s, South Korea began to recover from the ruins of the Korean War through industrialization, access to foreign markets, and the emergence of chaebol companies like Samsung and Hyundai. Noting the popularity of American media, in the 1990s, the Korean government turned its attention to the entertainment industry. Throughout the early 21st century, South Korean TV shows and K-pop groups gained traction in Asia. The release of PSY’s “Gangnam Style” in 2012, the first YouTube video to reach over a billion views, was the first successful entrance of the Korean cultural craze in the United States. Gradually, through streaming platforms and social media, Korean entertainment has grown more accessible for international audiences. 

Western countries, particularly the United States, have long held heavy influence over global media, from newspapers to film. However, Hallyu has broken barriers of language and culture to bring Korean media to the forefront of entertainment. A central reason for the rise of Korean entertainment is the grapevine of social media. For example, the hit Korean thriller show, Squid Game, went largely unpublicized in the United States. However, through social media, viewers promoted the show, primarily via Twitter and TikTok. Widespread streaming platforms such as Netflix and viewer-generated social media content combine to create a highly available and appealing route to Korean media.

Korean media’s intrinsic differences from Western media also account for the international success of Korean entertainment. Most K-pop and K-dramas generally adhere to more conservative standards, such as fewer or subtler references to drugs or sex compared to Western media. For instance, K-pop idols are held to higher standards of behavior than Western performers by their agencies, standards which often stem from culturally-rooted Confucian beliefs. Because of Korean entertainers’ relatively “clean” reputations, people--regardless of beliefs--can look past the performers’ personal lives and enjoy Korean culture instead. 

Hallyu has introduced South Korean culture on a global stage, breaking barriers and slowly peeling away Western media’s hegemony. International audiences can only hope that Hallyu will not wash away--and that more culturally diverse waves will create ripples in the entertainment industry.