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Why has Korean culture become so popular?
What is behind the sudden rise of Korean culture? Is it good or bad?
· 1. Korean Government
· 2. Korea’s Economic Development
· 3. The Pandemic
· 4. China’s Ban Korea Order
· 5. The Idol Trainee System
· 6. Incorporation of Other Cultures
· 7. Fast Adoption of Digital Technology
· 8. The Audience
· 9. Geopolitical Situation
· 10. Korean History
· 11. Democratization Experience
· 12. Freedom of Speech
· Conclusion
Squid Game, Hellbound, Parasite, BTS, and The Masked Singer. Unless you lived under a rock, you have probably experienced the recent surge of Korean pop culture in the mainstream media in the US and the rest of the world. The Korean Wave or ‘Hallyu’ refers to the increased popularity of Korean culture. The extent of the Korean Wave is not limited to pop culture but extends to fashion (K-fashion), food (K-food), beauty products (K-beauty), and webtoons at least. Many articles were written on the reasons for the sudden popularity but none to my satisfaction and thus the reason for writing this article.
