Current Status of Korean Wave after 20 Years of Its Beginning

K-pop's flashy dance moves, and catchy tunes. Korean films portraying unique and sympathetic characters with intense imageries. And Korean dramas, boasting intriguing plots. These are some of the distinctive characteristics of Korean pop culture, or the Korean Wave. The popularity of these cultural products is globally.

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In a recent poll done by the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, 55 percent of the respondents said they have been exposed to some type of Korean culture,either films, dramas, or music, during the past year.

While Korea's pop idols may enjoy massive popularity among teens, apparently Korean films have an wider reach.
Nearly 40 percent of the 15-thousand respondents - in 28 countries - said, they have seen at least one Korean film during the past year.

Exposure to Korean dramas apparently lags a little behind exposure to the films, followed by traditional Korean culture,.. and K-pop.

And by region, Hallyu has made the greatest in roads in other Asian countries; over 40 percent of respondents in Asia had been exposed to elements of the Korean Wave.

In countries like China and Thailand, more than 70 percent of the respondents say have experienced some type of Korean pop culture at least once during the last year.

And in North and South American countries, and in some European countries, the awareness of Korean pop culture has been steadily growing.

Against this backdrop, distinguished scholars and cultural leaders in Korea, gathered on Friday, to discuss the Korean Wave from different perspectives,. such as economics, and technology.

[Interview : Lee O-young, Former Minister of Culture] "The progress in the spread of Korean culture is noteworthy. Hallyu has depended much on the IT revolutionsince it is being spread through CDs, DVDs, user generated content, and social media networks. This is a new way of spreading culture".

French columnist Guy Sorman, is fascinated by the level of interest overseas.

[Interview : Guy Sorman, French Columnist
] "There is something very special, like a local flavor, which people are discovering. Korea is quite an unknown civilization. So suddenly, people around the world are confronted with a new flavor, new kind of sound, new kind of behavior".

To keep the momentum going, experts say the value of combing Hallyu's roots in traditional Korean culture and universal values, with the need to bring fresh ideas.
They say as long as the artists draw on what is fresh in Korean culture, the power - and business - of Hallyu will keep growing.
Park Ji- won, Arirang News.

APR 20, 2012
Reporter : jiwonpark@arirang.co.kr