# data[].attributes.headline
Ice BREAKING! (Nothing related to global warming)

# data[].attributes.subject
Ice BREAKING! (Nothing related to global warming)

# data[].attributes.body
Annyeonghaseyo! (Hello!)
Students, this is Lamia Zahid, your professor for KDA501. I am your professor as well as alumni, since I have completed my graduation and post-graduation from Brac university.
I have always been interested and intrigued by the impact of Korean wave globally, therefore, selected this as my area of teaching.
In the comment section, let's introduce ourselves with our names and area of interest!

# data[].attributes.body
1. To understand how, as a fusion culture, Kdrama connects with numerous global cultural influences.

2. To be able to associate analytical tools for comprehending today's global media scenario.

3. To be able to acknowledge and analyze global media ideas and studies, then apply those theories and arguments to Kdrama and Movie.

4. To examine how global fans learn to accept and develop meanings of linguistically, culturally diverse items.

5. Do joint research to create a Kdrama-related video.

# data[].attributes.body
Are you curious about Korean culture?  Many people are since the culture in South Korea is becoming more popular all across the globe.

Perhaps you’ve heard about K-Pop, K-Dramas, Korean food, or Korean movies, but don’t know much about them. Or maybe you’ve just heard a lot about South Korea in general, and you’re curious what the country is all about.

Rest assured, you’ve come to the right place!
Often referred to as “hallyu” or the Korean wave, the Korean popular culture is no longer only famous and popular in Korea but becoming widespread across the globe.

Korean wave mainly includes Korean pop music, dramas, and movies. In fact, although K-Pop, through acts like BTS, is a hot topic these days, it was originally Korean dramas that became famous for watching in other countries.

Korean cinema

When speaking of Korean cinema, it usually counts the time from 1945 onward. The movies take a lot of influence from Korea’s own past, featuring a lot of material from the Japanese occupation, the Korean War, the road towards democratization and globalization, and so on. Although there is still present some shyness to putting certain materials on film, simultaneously Korean filmmakers are bold in expressing their views of society, through internationally well-received movies like The Handmaiden and Parasite.
Korean dramas

Korean dramas differ from a lot of Western TV content, as they are typically only made to last for one season, with one overarching plot lasting 12 to 16 or so episodes. Historical stories and sitcoms may last longer, even up to 200 episodes, but the majority of prime-time television is set up this way. The dramas range on a variety of topics, from history and action to school and work life.
K-Pop

K-Pop is short for Korean pop, Korea’s response to Western mainstream music. The music itself samples different genres, from rock and jazz to hip-hop and techno, influenced by worldwide trends.

However, despite the influences, K-Pop is also quite different from Western pop, with idol groups being its leading force.

# data[].attributes.headline
What is Korean Drama and Movie? A brief introduction....

# data[].attributes.subject
What is Korean Drama and Movie? A brief introduction....

# data[].attributes.body
Watching the video,
https://youtu.be/Xocxh4XPjrs

Reading: “MANY PEOPLE'S INTEREST IN SOUTH KOREAN DRAMA ITAEWON CLASS” by L Roza Khairani, MB Simanjuntak.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Learn Alphabets With Kdramas (Read Discription)

# data[].attributes.headline
Discussion on the Oscar-winning movie, “Parasite” by Bong Joon-ho.

# data[].attributes.subject
Discussion on the Oscar-winning movie, “Parasite” by Bong Joon-ho.

# data[].attributes.body
Reading and discussing, https://en.prothomalo.com/entertainment/Parasite-South-Korea-s-barrier-breaking-satire

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
/ Last Updated On:

K-drama has become a global phenomenon of sorts. Thanks to the spread of different forms of Korean popular culture, the South Korean series Squid Game, and most importantly, K-pop.

You can take this article with you on the go! Just click on the free PDF resource below:

Are you ready to discover all you need to know about Kdramas? If so, grab your popcorn, and let's get into it!

K-drama is short for " Korean drama " which pertains to television series created in South Korea. These series have become popular not only in Korea but globally, making them more accessible for K-drama fans through streaming websites like Netflix.

Along with other Korean entertainment, such as K-pop and Korean movies, Kdramas have fueled the Korean Wave, which has been constantly expanding worldwide.

The History of Korean drama

The roots of television in South Korea go back to the mid-1950s, with the first Korean TV series broadcasting in 1962. It was broadcasted on KBS, Korean Broadcasting System, which has continued to exist as Korea's big national channel.

However, it wasn't until the 1970s that Korean households properly began buying television sets. Most South Korean television series depicted historical times and historical figures only reached a small audience.

After the surge of TVs in Korean homes, more diverse South Korean dramas began getting made, from national heroes such as King Sejong to tales of regular present-day people, especially their struggles and sufferings.

When color TVs became available in the 1980s, the landscape of Korean television changed, with modern dramas becoming more prominent. And in the 1990s, it started getting more popular to format dramas into a single season of approximately 12 to 24 episodes. Today, it is also more widespread to produce web dramas.

Only the first four episodes of K-dramas will be shot before starting a broadcast. Otherwise, each drama is shot as close to the release date as possible to save on production expenses.

Scripts aren't entirely finalized, and changes to them may be made based on viewer feedback during the course of a K-drama. These changes may come at just a few hours' notice before filming. There have even been instances where scenes of the episode are still being filmed as it is being shown on TV! So filming a drama in South Korea is most certainly an intense process.

However, thanks to the increased popularity of these dramas globally, producers have been selling rights to broadcast or release the dramas ahead of time, before anything has been shot. This, in turn, has allowed them to film with more time and well before airing than the "live shooting" method.

The largest broadcasting companies in South Korea also have their own shooting locations for the best historical Korean dramas, with readily built, detailed sets. And interestingly, in comparison to many other countries, the scriptwriters in Korean dramas are almost equally as famous as the stars and the director of the show. There is usually one writer or a small group of writers writing each K-drama.

How to say "episode" in Korean

Before we head on to the next section, here's a quick vocabulary lesson! Below is a video on how to say "episode" in Korean. You can come across this word at the start of each drama episode.

If you enjoyed this video on how to say "episode" in Korean, you can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel for other helpful videos!

Music plays an integral part in most dramas from South Korean. Whole original soundtracks are crafted for each one of them. Most of these songs are performed by popular Kpop singers. If you would like to know some popular Kpop groups and artists, we have a list of the best Kpop groups for you to read!

Popular Korean songs used as part of a soundtrack could also increase the popularity of a Korean drama. The popularity of a drama could also make an OST song a major hit. Each song should express the drama's structure and mood, and a detailed process is taken to choose the right songs.

It's also common to use the same artist for many different dramas due to their past successes. A notable example of such an artist is Baek Ji Young. She has recorded OST songs for approximately 20 different dramas.

Why are Kdramas popular?

Kdramas are undeniably popular nowadays. However, this wasn't the case a few years back. Thanks to the growth of Korean pop culture worldwide, people outside of Asia have also gained interest in Kdramas and Korean movies.

K-dramas have become easily popular once viewers knew about them for several reasons.
The Korean drama storyline
Kdramas have been known to have great plots with scenes that will keep you on the edge of your seat, wanting to know what will happen next. This is why Kdramas are great for binge-watching. They avoid predictable storylines and constantly throw plot twists that will make the viewers' jaws drop. If you're very into it, you might finish the whole season in just a few days!
The OST
A Korean drama's OST or original soundtrack goes hand in hand with the actual drama. People recognize a song and associate it with the drama they heard it from, and vice versa. These soundtracks vary depending on the scene, matching the emotions portrayed by the characters. Some Korean pop stars have also starred in Kdramas while they have also sung the OST.
The Korean Culture
K-dramas give its viewers a glimpse of what it is like living in Korea. There are plenty of interesting things about Korea besides K-pop, such as Korean food, culture, fashion, and the places that you can visit. All these can be within reach through the K-dramas and Korean movies we could view online. Some dramas such as Crash Landing on You even show life in the North through their storyline.
K-dramas are relatable
These dramas give you the usual romance or action kind of scenes, but they also exhibit issues in Korean and global society that are relatable to many. These include topics on mental health, suicide, bullying, gender inequality, corruption, and racism. Genres on family and history are also common in K-dramas.
Korean dramas can help you learn Korean
People are possibly introduced to popular culture in Korea for various reasons, but they end up wanting to learn Korean most of the time. Watching Korean dramas can help you practice and learn Korean vocabulary and conversations.
People talk about it on social media
With the good quality story that K-dramas have, it's normal for people to talk about them. This is especially easily done through social media. You can see good drama recommendations from viewers, and some even provide their reviews which make others want to begin watching already.
Korean dramas are easy to find
It's not difficult to start watching a K-drama as it's available for streaming on different sites globally. We'll go through some apps and sites on our list below.

What are the most popular Kdramas?

For our list of best Korean dramas, please refer to this article. Below is a list of some additional popular K-dramas you might want to watch. We've also included their title in the Korean language. Most dramas are shown over a 10-week period, which means we viewers are constantly getting new dramas to be excited about!
My Only One
Title in Korean: (하나뿐인 내편 ㅣ hanappunin naepyeon)

This story is about Kim Doran, whose life becomes complicated when her biological father returns after 28 years. If you're fond of dramas revolving in the family and drama genre, this is a must-watch. The lead actress in this drama, Uee, who plays the role of Kim Do Ran, was also part of the K-pop girl group After School.
Once Again
Title in Korean: (한 번 다녀왔습니다 ㅣ han beon danyeowatseumnida)

This drama is about the life of a family, consisting of a couple and their four adult children. The story will give you a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Once Again proves to be a drama worth watching as it won several awards during the 34th KBS Drama Awards.
When the Camellia Blooms
Title in Korean: (동백꽃 필 무렵 ㅣ dongbaekkkot pil muryeop)

At the center of this love story is a single mother running a cafe, played by actress Gong Hyo Jin, who not only tries to navigate two possible romances but has to evade becoming the next victim of a serial killer. Actors Kang Ha Neul and Kim Ji Suk played the roles of her love interests.
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo
Title in Korean: (역도요정 김복주 | yeokdoyojeong gimbokju)

Bok Joo (Lee Sung Kyung) is a 20-year-old weightlifter whose life has revolved around lifting barbells and training. This was until she came across her childhood friend's older brother, with who she developed a crush. Her childhood friend, Jung Joon Hyung (Nam Joo Hyuk) started off by teasing her when he found out but eventually helped her anyway.

Not long after, he also developed a crush on Bok Joo. This exciting yet light coming-of-age K-drama is one of the best romantic comedies on Korean TV series and will surely be entertaining! Check out this article for phrases mentioned in this fun K-drama!
Vagabond
Title in Korean: (배가본드)

A stunt man, dreaming of becoming a famous action star, finds himself in Morocco trying to investigate what actually happened to his nephew, who supposedly died in a plane crash. This action-filled drama with hints of romance is starred by actor Lee Seung Gi and actress Bae Suzy.
The King: Eternal Monarch
Title in Korean: (더 킹: 영원의 군주 ㅣ deo king: yeongwonui gunju)

Starring Lee Min Ho, in this drama, the king of the Kingdom of Corea Lee Gon finds himself in a parallel world, the Republic of Korea, while trying to know how he survived an otherwise fatal night in his childhood. Here, he'll also come across a young woman (Kim Go Eun) who plays a huge role in knowing the reason behind these occurrences.
Signal
Title in Korean: (시그널)

Communicating via walkie-talkies, a criminal profiler in the present day and a police officer in the past try to solve a cold case that is personal to the criminal profiler. As this drama is about solving crimes, some of the scenes were inspired by criminal incidents that actually happened in South Korea, including the Hwaseong serial murders. If you'll enjoy watching this drama, you'll also love our article on K-drama words and phrases mentioned in this series.
Memories of Alhambra
Title in Korean: (알함브라 궁전의 추억 ㅣ alhambeura gungjeonui chueok)

Memories of Alhambra tells the love story of the main characters- company CEO played by actor Hyun Bin and a hostel owner, played by actress Park Shin Hye who found themselves trapped in a puzzling series of events in Spain.

What's more interesting is that it revolves around an AR game, with the lines between real-world and augmented reality beginning to become unclear. This drama is best for those who are into sci-fi.
Vincenzo
Title in Korean: (빈센조 | Binsenjo)

Actor Song Joong Ki stars in this story centered around an Italian Mafia named Vincenzo who came back to Korea in search of gold. He intended to make the trip quick and flee as soon as he completes his goal.

However, meeting Atty. Hong and the Geumga Plaza tenants tell him otherwise. The supposed quick trip turned into a mission to stop the Babel group from pursuing their evil plans. Fans of legal, action, and comedy genres would enjoy watching this series.
Kingdom
Title in Korean: (킹덤 | Kingdeom)

This hit Netflix original series written by Kim Eun Hee is a story about how Crown Prince Lee Chang (Ju Ji Hoon) along with his subordinates encountered a plague that resurrects dead bodies.

This happened during the Joseon Dynasty as they were investigating the truth behind the rumors that the King is dead. The Korean series so far has finished its second season and a special episode entitled Ashin of the North was released in 2021.
Squid Game
Title in Korean: (오징어 게임 | Ojing-eo Geim)

Squid Game is a Netflix original series by director Hwang Dong Hyuk. This drama series tells the story of people who were invited to play children's games, and compete for cash in desperate need of money. The series is filled with thrilling scenes and plot twists! We also have a separate article solely for Squid Game here.
Business Proposal
Title in Korean: (사내맞선 | Sanaematseon)

This story is about Shin Hari (Kim Se-Jeong), who went on a blind date in place of her best friend. However, she finds out that her date is actually Kang Tae-Moo, the CEO of the company where she works at!

This is one of the dramas that was based on a Korean manhwa too!

What is the highest-rated Korean drama?

The current highest-rated K-drama is entitled The World of the Married (부부의 세계 | Bubuui Segye). This Korean series from JTBC is a romantic melodrama that was aired in 2020.

This story is about a doctor (Kim Hee Ae) whose life began to fall apart after she knew of her husband's (Park Hae Joon) affair with her friend. The 16-episode long drama remains to be the highest-rated cable drama episode of all time.

Kdrama Genres

There's a wide variety of Korean dramas that you can start watching. Here are the common drama genres that you can refer to along with dramas in this category.

Action genres bring the most excitement and thrill to dramas in Korea. This genre is also often paired with the crime genre and keeps the viewers hooked during intense fighting scenes. Lead characters in this genre usually go against antagonists who are more powerful than them. Thus, making their victories even more satisfying.

If you're into this type of drama, we recommend the K-dramas Vagabond, Healer, Beyond Evil, and the most recent one, Vincenzo.

We mainly think of love and happy endings when a romance genre is mentioned. These dramas often incorporate other genres like comedy, melodrama, fantasy, or even action in romantic series. This gives the romance a twist and creates depth in the story.

The highest-rated Korean drama, The World of the Married, also falls under this genre. You can also check out these high-rating romantic dramas: While You Were Sleeping, Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo, Descendants of the Sun, and Crash Landing On You.

Korean Historical Drama

This genre is also known as 사극 (sageuk), which refers to historical films and series. Historical dramas are special because they show viewers a lot about Korean culture and Korean history.

Over time, historical genres evolved and incorporated modern drama styles, making them more appealing to younger audiences. Moon Embracing the Sun, Six Flying Dragons, Queen Seondoek, Mr.Sunshine, and Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo are just some of the popular dramas in this genre.

Fantasy Korean Drama

Dramas with supernatural and fantasy elements bring anticipation to the audience because anything can happen in a fantasy world! The scenes that don't happen in real life become a reality for the characters.

Some popular fantasy These dramas feature supernatural beings like ghosts, goblins, mermaids, and aliens. A Korean Odyssey, Guardian - The Lonely And Great God, The Legend Of The Blue Sea, and My Love From The Star are some of the best fantasy K-series we recommend. One of the most recent additions to this genre is the Tale of the Nine-Tailed starring Lee Dong Wook and Jo Bo Ah.

Korean Medical Drama

Medical dramas are both entertaining and educational. Since medical terms are often mentioned, definitions are also included to help the audience understand the concept better. Some scenes make the viewers sigh with relief as a patient's heart starts to beat again in operating rooms.

Whether you're in the medical field or not, this genre might be interesting for you. Hospital Playlist, Good Doctor, Doctors, and Hospital Ship are some of the dramas you can check out under this genre.
Get "Kdrama" Free PDF Guide
Korean Family Drama

Dramas in the family genre never fail to make their audience get at least teary-eyed from all the emotions. After all, the concept of family is very relatable to many. These dramas tend to be light and happy, but sad scenes can easily make you bawl your eyes out. Watching a K-series like this will give you different feelings.

These dramas are usually made up of 50 to 55 episodes, with each episode 60 minutes long. Dramas of this genre are usually broadcast on weekends. They're usually about 2 families whose fates are intertwined dealing with common family issues. Korean dramas on family that we recommend include Reply 1988, My Father Is Strange, Go Back Couple, What Happens to my Family, Marry Me Now, Golden Life, Father, I'll Take Care of You, and You're the Best.

Legal Korean Drama

Similar to medical dramas, legal dramas are also educational but in the field of law Characters portrayed in the lead roles are often lawyers or prosecutors trying to find justice amidst the corruption and unfair treatment in Korean society.

If this piques your interest, you can start by watching legal K-dramas Innocent Defendant, Diary Of A Prosecutor, Law School, or Suits which is a Korean remake of the American series of the same title.

Coming-of-Age Korean Drama

Coming-of-age is a genre that focuses on the protagonist's growth from when they were young to adulthood. This highlights the emotions felt by the character throughout the journey towards adulthood from certain experiences like first love, heartbreak, maturity, and having a new sense of responsibility.

Some dramas in this genre include The Heirs, Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo, Boys Over Flowers, and Dream High.

Korean Web Drama

K-dramas typically last around 60 minutes per episode which may be a bit long for others to view in one sitting. Luckily, a Korean web drama usually lasts between 5 to 30 minutes only but still provides similar good quality to the longer ones.

A video or an episode of this type is accessible on channels on platforms such as V-Live. Love Playlist, A-Teen, Queen of the Ring, and The Way I Hate You are some of the dramas in this genre that you can stream.

Korean Melodrama

If you're up for an intense level of drama, Korean melodrama will not disappoint you. This genre is characterized by a high level of emotions portrayed and plenty of heart-wrenching scenes.

A great example of Korean melodrama is the Endless Love series which features four different dramas entitled Autumn in My Heart, Winter Sonata, Summer Scent, and Spring Waltz, named after the four seasons in Korea.

Thriller Korean Drama

As the name suggests, thriller dramas give loads of thrill to their audience. This is the kind of drama where every second counts, and you need to have your eyes glued to the screen. Thriller dramas usually go together with horror or action genres where many things are going on. There will constantly be a feeling of suspense and anticipation as scenes are heading toward the climax.

The series Kingdom, Save Me, Defendant, and Extracurricular are ones you can start with. Before you do so, if it helps, it's best to expect jump scares and ominous background music!

We've told you about the history of K-dramas and some of the best ones to start binge-watching. But what are the best Kdrama sites to start watching these dramas on? We'll tell you about it in a while, including some of the series you can watch on these sites!

In the past, it was a big challenge for many foreigners living outside Korea who have an interest in South Korean dramas to find an app or website for watching them. However, thanks to technology and the ever-increasing popularity of K-dramas, they're easily accessible now.
www.netflix.com
These days watching dramas could be done comfortably through Netflix! You can stream Korean series or a movie through their website or app, or you can also download the video for offline binge-watching. Some K-dramas are also listed as Netflix originals. We've listed some of them below.

As Korean dramas increase in popularity and demand, this app is investing more in Korean series and movies this year. If you're a subscriber, you'll definitely have a long list of series and movies on your account.

Best Kdramas on Netflix

Crash Landing on You

Hi Bye, Mama!

Hospital Playlist

It's Okay Not to Be Okay

Kingdom

Love Alarm

Mystic Pop-up Bar

Vagabond

When the Camellia Blooms

Vincenzo

Business Proposal

https://www.viki.com
Viki is a streaming site that has often been considered the very best to get your K-drama fix. We've listed some Korean dramas you can stream on Viki, covering the different Korean drama genres.

Best Korean dramas on Viki

Descendants of the Sun

Guardian: The Great and Lonely God

Hotel del Luna

My Love From the Star

Strong Woman Do Bong Soon

Swing Kids

Train

Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo

Welcome to Waikiki

What's Wrong With Secretary Kim

https://www.hulu.com
There's a wide variety of movies and series that you could see, including some popular K-dramas by searching on Hulu.
https://www.viu.com/
Viu is one of the leading streaming sites when it comes to Korean dramas and movies. However, it is still only available in parts of Asia, the Middle East, and South Africa.

Are South Korean dramas shown in North Korea?

The North has minimal access to media compared to South Korea. This is mainly because government control is pretty much everywhere in the North, including their media. This means that Korean dramas are not shown in the North.

People do not have access to it as everything shown on North Korean television or by a media company is already filtered and controlled by their government.

Also, an anti-reactionary law was imposed by the North Korean government late last year. With this law, anyone who uses, stores, or distributes foreign cultural content from South Korea and other countries, could be punished by paying fines, imprisonment, or the death penalty being the maximum punishment.

Want to watch Korean dramas without subtitles? Then you have to learn Korean first! Our structured program will help you learn Korean fast. If you follow the structure, you'll be able to have 3-minute conversations in Korean in just 90 Days. Check out the 90 Day Korean Membership program and start your Korean language Journey today!

What is your favorite Korean drama to date? Do you like the romantic-comedy genre, or perhaps action or thriller? Which actors do you especially enjoy watching, and what kind of stories do you like?

Are there any upcoming K-dramas that you plan on watching soon? Let us know any thoughts you have on the best Korean dramas below! For example, if you haven't yet watched any K-dramas, let us know which drama you will try out first!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Kdrama - The Complete Guide to Korean Dramas

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Last Updated On: K-drama has become a global phenomenon of sorts. Thanks to the spread of different forms of Korean popular culture, the South Korean series Squid Game, and most importantly, K-pop. You can take this article with you on the go!

# data[].attributes.body
Please submit your reflection paper on the article that we read previously, "“MANY PEOPLE'S INTEREST IN SOUTH KOREAN DRAMA ITAEWON CLASS” by L Roza Khairani, MB Simanjuntak.
Word limit: 1000-1500
Submit it by the next class which is on Saturday.

# data[].attributes.body
There will again be no regular sit-in final exam for this course. Over the entire semester, you were asked to produce 3 short and simple blog posts (nearly 500 words) in which you have connected popular media attention (specially South Asian media attention) on K-drama and Movie with the class readings and evaluated the K-dramas and movies related materials (from trailers and videos on YouTube).
Each of your posts will be scored based on its clarity, knowledge of the readings, and level of involvement with the topic matter. This activity will be counted as their final examination. Thank you :)

# data[].attributes.body
It is a K-drama/Movie related course, so a group Drama Presentation is a must! You have to make 4 groups among yourselves and each group will consist of 6 members. You will select one K-drama or Movie according to your choice, more specifically, you will select a particular scene from a particular drama or movie. Keep the main context and characters the same, nonetheless, you have to change the scenes based on your own ideas and this drama presentation will be conducted in English. You can use some Korean words to make it more interesting. This group drama presentation carries 10% marks.

# data[].attributes.headline
Korean wave in the time of Social media!

# data[].attributes.subject
Korean wave in the time of Social media!

# data[].attributes.body
Coming up next,
Your second reflection paper on the reading, “Emergence of the ‘Korean Wave’ and Its Influence on Bangladesh” By SHALLY Shahina Akter.
The format is same as before.

# data[].attributes.body
https://oxfordre.com/communication/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228613.001.0001/acrefore-9780190228613-e-715;jsessionid=139CA53B8608BCF0741123687F06AA1D#

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
(이게 춤이다!) ☆춤신춤왕☆ 임수향(Lim soo hyang)의 'New Face'♬ 내 아이디는 강남미인(Gangnam Beauty) 1회

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Plastic surgery blessed me with pretty privilege... | 200 Pounds Beauty

# data[].attributes.body
One of the major themes of this course is to see how the modern day Korean wave is impacting South Asian countries (On the basis of language and culture). The news presentation from the students will help us to delve deeper into this topic. Hence, I would like you to assign a news presentation which will be conducted individually. Each and every student from this class needs to present on the influence of Hallyu on South Asian countries, specially, Bangladesh. You can talk about particularly one or multiple aspects of Hallyu according to your accessibility and understanding.
It will contain 10% of your overall score.

# data[].attributes.headline
The history and globalization of Korean culture (Day-1)

# data[].attributes.subject
The history and globalization of Korean culture (Day-1)

# data[].attributes.body
Reading and discussing,
“Past, Present and Future of Hallyu (Korean Wave)” by Kim Bok-rae

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
From BTS to Squid Game to high-end beauty standards, South Korea reigns as a global exporter of pop culture and entertainment. How does a country go from a war-decimated state just 70 years ago, to a major driver of global soft power? Through war, occupation, economic crisis, and national strategy, comes a global phenomenon - the Korean wave.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How Korean Culture Went Global : Throughline

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
From BTS to Squid Game to high-end beauty standards, South Korea reigns as a global exporter of pop culture and entertainment. How does a country go from a war-decimated state just 70 years ago, to a major driver of global soft power? Through war, occupation, economic crisis, and national strategy, comes a global phenomenon - the Korean wave.

# data[].attributes.body
There will be no traditional sit-in exam for this course. Rather you will form a group of 4 to 6 people to make a reaction YouTube video to a Kdrama or Movie clip, or on an original soundtrack of any drama/movie just like the OST that I have shared from "Crash Landing on You!". Moreover, you have to write a short reflecting article about the experience of producing the reaction video. The article will contain 2000 words. Please maintain Times new roman (12) throughout the paper. Don't forget to give reference if you are adding any secondary source in your paper.
For your better understanding regarding the reaction video, I have attached one with this post. Make sure to explore through Youtube to find some more.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.tbsnews.net/glitz/sazal-kim-bangladeshi-actor-creating-waves-korean-film-industry-131527

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Sazal Kim: The Bangladeshi actor creating waves in Korean film industry

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In an exclusive interview with The Business Standard, the actor spoke about his adoption, interests in the Korean media and upcoming projects

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.newagebd.net/article/134872/a-bangladeshi-migrants-success-story-korean-film

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
New Age | The Most Popular Outspoken English Daily in Bangladesh

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Over the past decade and a half, this migrant worker from Bangladesh has mesmerised the audience in South Korea with his prowess on the screen. Yet Bangladesh-born Korean superstar Mahbub Alam, also known as Mahbub Lee, holds the distinction of being unknown to many in his own land of birth.

For Mahbub, it was a long journey and rarely an easy one. When he migrated to South Korea in 1999 to fund his ailing mother's treatment in Bangladesh, little did this alumnus of Government Tolaram College in Narayanganj know what lay in store for him.

Thanks to his elder brother who was in Korea then, he got a job in a garment factory. Seven months later, his mother passed away in Bangladesh. While his elder brother returned to his home country, Mahbub chose to stay back. And his urge to protect fellow garment factory workers from exploitation in Korea prompted him to participate in social movements.

'I first came to Korea in 1999 and I worked in a textiles and garment factory, where my job involved pressing film covering onto the fabrics. It was hard work, using a lot of industrial chemicals,' Mahbub said in an interview with AsiaRights.

'At first, I wasn't involved in any activism, but after about three years I started to do voluntary work in the Bangladeshi migrant community, taking up issues like industrial accidents and non-payment of wages. Many migrant workers in Korea work in very small firms, and their bosses sometimes cheat them out of their wages,' he said.

'I became secretary of the Bangladesh Mutual Association, which dealt with these sorts of social problems. Then in 2002, the Migrant Workers Trade Union was established. It was organised under the umbrella of the Korean Confederation Trade Union. We started going to rallies, and I became busy in the Union, writing publicity material for them and so on.'

But Mahbub was quick to realise that stories of unjust treatment of garment workers in the South Korean apparel industry must surface in the mainstream media in order to drive a lasting change for them. So, he decided to test his luck at something new-making documentary films on the plight of workers in the Korean garment industry.

The documentary films, aired on several Korean TV channels, attracted attention for their portrayal of human suffering underpinning the garment industry. Around the same time, he started learning Korean and launched the Migrant Workers' Television (MWTV) in 2005.

The MWTV organised a film festival in 2006. And within a couple of years, a brown movie star was born in Hallyuwood- the Korean film industry.

Though he began his acting career with a short flick, titled 'The Road of Revenge', he achieved stardom in 2008 with his performance in his first feature film 'Bandhobi'. The Returnee (2009), City of Crane (2010) and Love in Korea (2010) are some of his other popular movies.

Primarily a love story, Bandhobi also highlighted the plight of the migrant workers in South Korean garment factories. The film was screened at a number of film festivals across the globe and appreciated by audiences the world over. The movie features a Bengali song.

Over the years, Mahbub has received a number of awards-the President's Award of South Korea in 2012, Sejong Culture Award for Cultural Diversity the same year, and Multicultural Activist award from the South Korean Ministry of Culture and CGV Multicultural Film Festival Award in 2010.

Though he has not worked in any Bangladeshi movie yet, he has got a few offers from some of this country's leading filmmakers over the years.

Mahbub is married to a Korean woman, named Lee Myung. But he has not forgotten his Bangladeshi roots, and his wife is also very supportive of his socio-cultural ventures. He has also penned an autobiography, I am an Earthian (2010).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
most popular outspoken english daily newpaper in bangladesh

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
most popular english daily newpaper in bangladesh

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
most popular daily newpaper in bangladesh

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
leading english daily among bangladesh newspapers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A Bangladeshi migrant's success story Korean film

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Over the past decade and a half, this migrant worker from Bangladesh has mesmerised the audience in South Korea with his prowess on the screen. Yet Bangladesh-born Korean superstar Mahbub Alam, also known as Mahbub Lee, holds the distinction of being unknown to many in his own land of birth.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.tbsnews.net/feature/panorama/why-and-how-bangladesh-fell-love-korean-culture-214660

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Nafisa Anjum, a Bangladeshi youth, was surprised to find out how many of her fellow students shared her enthusiasm for Korean ballad and hip hop songs in her first day at University back in 2016.

And to her utter delight, it wasn't just the Korean music that they were passionate about, rather many other aspects of Korean culture which as Nafisa would eventually discover, have a crazy following in Bangladesh.

She was just beginning to understand the true extent of Korean cultural impact at that time. Now years later, shared interest in Korean music, dramas, food and fashion has brought Nafisa many friends, not to mention made her life more enjoyable and thrilling.

That being said, it's not only people like Nafisa who have been impressed with this particular trend in Bangladeshi society. Others have been drawn to it as well.

"Korean culture is gaining more and more popularity in Bangladesh. I hope that the Korean Film Festival would serve as a valuable opportunity to promote mutual understanding and friendship between our two people," said HE Mr Hu Kang-il, erstwhile Korean ambassador to Bangladesh, at the Korean Film Festival on 12 October, 2018, at the Bangladesh National Museum.

He echoed similar sentiments in a K-pop festival at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in July, 2018, which was attended by thousands of fans. In both the cases, he was referring to the growing Bangladeshi enthusiasm for Korean culture which has turned into a frenzy lately. And with it, "Hallyu" has engulfed the country.
What is Hallyu?
"Hallyu", a Korean term, refers to the rapid spread of Korean culture in the form of movies, dramas, music, cosmetic products and such, on a global scale.

The website of the South Korean embassy in Bangladesh describes it as Hanllyu (direct spelling from the Korean word): ha (silent n) "Korea" + llyu "a unique trend" = Hallyu.

It is this Korean wave that is sweeping across entire countries and generations throughout the planet. Some say it is the famous Korean band Seo Taiji and Boys that started this trend in the early 1990s through their performances on various platforms. Others point fingers at South Korea's cultural exports that began in the late 1990s.

Some even say it is the Korean dramas that began airing in Chinese national television back in 1997 that shot Korean culture's popularity up. Regardless of its origin, Bangladeshi youths today have fallen in love with many of the Korean cultural exports like the rest of the world.

Everything 'K'

The Korean culture, with the active help of South Korea's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, has spread throughout the globe. People around the world have taken interest in the rhythmic music, intriguing dramas and other cultural aspects originated from South Korea.

KCON, the largest K-pop festival and a convention for promoting Korean culture, attracted 1.11 million visitors in 2016 and the fans poured in from all` around the world - from Western Europe as well as from the Middle East. And it is not only about the music; Hallyu, the Korean wave, has something for everyone.

The intriguing and romantic K-dramas have also attracted millions of fans as well as given birth to other fandoms.

Since people want to know about the Koreans' love for food, many of which are delicious items that are traditionally eaten with chopsticks, fans have taken an active interest in K-food as well.

Cosmetic products and other beauty items from Korea have also become of interest for many, making K-beauty also a part of Hallyu.

And just as it has suddenly engulfed many parts of the world, Hallyu arrived in Bangladesh as well, taking many by surprise. Since the two nations share a long partnership of friendship and cooperation, it was greeted with enthusiasm and well-wishes.
Two nations 4,000 KMs apart
Though Bangladesh and South Korea established bilateral relationships in the early 1970s, it took off as the century was about to end.

Korean culture began to solidify the relationship between the two countries in 2010 as the popularity of K-pop, K-dramas and other Korean cultural exports began skyrocketing.

Despite being nearly 4,000 kilometres and oceans apart from each other, the two countries have grown incredibly close in recent years. South Korea is one of the largest investors in Bangladesh with investments totalling USD103 million in the RMG sector worth USD421 million back in 2017.

South Koreans have also set up production units in Bangladesh's SEZs (Special Economic Zones), which host various Korean multinational companies including branches of giants like Youngone Corporation (South Korean Apparel and sportswear manufacturer), that employed 65,000 Bangladeshis in 2018.

South Koreans also have welcomed thousands of migrant Bangladeshi workers over the years in their country. For these reasons, Bangladeshis have already developed a strong bond with South Korea, which was significantly boosted by Hallyu in recent times.

Adiba Islam, the Bangladeshi ambassador to South Korea, stressed the need for good relations between the two countries in multiple interviews. Except for the garments sector, South Korea's steps in medical equipment supply, cosmetics and other sectors of Bangladeshi economy was acknowledged by her.

The fact that Bangladesh is diplomatically close to South Korea should, therefore, be of no surprise to anyone.
Dynamite and the Army
But the biggest influencer among South Korean cultural exports in Bangladesh is the popularity of Korean music. Thousands of Bangladeshis have been listening to Korean bands such as BTS for the simple reason that the music simply 'clicks' with the youth.

When fans of K-music are asked what they like about BTS or other K-pop bands, they give a variety of answers. The most common one among them is that K-pop is simply fun. The music videos as well as the choreography that these songs feature explains why Facebook groups such as 'BTS Army of Bangladesh' have thousands of active members who live and breathe K-pop.

In 2012, PSY's 'Gentleman', better known as 'Gangnum Style', was watched over a billion times on YouTube, signalling the ushering of a new age in the modern world.

Today, that future has been realised. Bangladeshi youths, like many others around the globe, are consumed with BTS super hits such as 'Dynamite', which is one of the most-watched music videos in the world and has already broken multiple global records. The song has won a Grammy nomination and a spot at the Hot Billboard 100's number one position.

Yet, there is something beneath the surface. Though K-pop's rhythmic songs and raps have managed to attract teenagers and young adults in droves across the nation, it has not really had the same impact on other demographics.

The vast majority of the conservative populace in Bangladesh's mostly rural areas has not really cared much for K-pop's massive popularity among urban teenagers.

Regardless, K-pop's catchy songs, rhythmic dancing and fashion have all but mesmerized many Bangladeshis to the point that they would follow the artists' attires closely and bring significant changes to their hairstyles and speech patterns.

Hip-hop and the ballads have truly been keeping them engulfed in the Hallyu wave.

Dramas that 'crash-landed on us'

Another part of Korean culture that has made its way into Bangladeshi society is the flurry of K-dramas such as 'Descendants of the Sun' and 'Crash Landing on You', which have taken many of us by surprise.

The sheer storytelling and compact nature of these series have truly earned respect from people of all walks of life. Fans enjoy intriguing storylines with interesting cliffhangers which are over by the 16th episode.

"One of the reasons I like them is that they're mostly 16-20 episodes long," said Nafisa Anjum Rathi, a K-drama fan and post-graduate student at Jashore University of Science and Technology.

Another young Hallyu fan, Tashif Hossain, an undergraduate student at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh, regards the intrigue and twists in the plots as one of the best things Korean storytelling has to offer.

Many others simply love the way Asian culture is depicted in K-dramas. Bangladeshis find identifiable situations in these storylines as they share similar cultural aspects in a society that is respectful to elders and sometimes things like the conservative family structure where arranged marriages are the norm.

Light and engaging love stories have won many fans over from western shows and Indian dramas, which might be too long or too westernized for Asians to relate to.

Straight out of fairy tales

Many of Bangladeshi's K-culture fans idolise the gorgeous actors and actresses from the dramas or music videos. A large portion of the youth has even started to change their lifestyles based on the shows they watch, which has tremendously increased the demand for Korean cosmetics and beauty products in Bangladesh.

Stores in Dhaka and Chattogram, as well as online shops, have also started selling 'trendy' clothing items from the Korean shows. Aspirations to visit South Korea have also skyrocketed among fans, so have the demands for Korean food.

Fancy restaurants as well as online food stores have been offering Korean BBQ, grilled beef bulgogi and spicy kimchi all around the country. This indicates how popular these items have become in our country.
Hybridization and social indications
In the end, Korean culture's popularity in Bangladesh indicates not only the effects of rapid globalisation, but it also points towards the Urban youth's yearning for entertainment, where plots are somewhat relatable, compact and enjoyable.

Interestingly, though Hallyu's reach has not quite penetrated every section of Bangladeshi society, it does have a loyal and large fan base. A few reasons could be closely related to the socio-economic and socio-political realities of the two countries.

It also indicates a change of perception among the younger generation who have embraced the Korean wave more readily than others.

While a small section of the society has ignored or even ridiculed the enthusiasm of K-fans in the country, it has not really stopped Hallyu's march.

The largely conservative society of Bangladesh has yet to label the Korean culture as a destructive force for the native culture, something that has been the case for Indian or Western cultures in the past.

Of course, that could be because of the way Korean culture adapts to a new environment. In many parts of the country, the Korean wave has merged with the local culture creating a hybrid that is more adaptive and welcomed.

Similarly, Hallyu has given us Korean food that can be paired with Biryani or clothes that can be worn with our own. At the same time, it has brought over certain Korean words and styles that have become ours as well.

This means that Bangladeshis, for a certain part, do cherish and enjoy contacts with other cultures. Technological advancements have only reaffirmed our desire to assimilate with those who we consider being our friends.

The fact that in this day and age, when nationalism and ethnocentrism reign supreme in many parts of our world, including certain areas of our own society, acceptance of a foreign culture with such hospitality can only point towards the Bangladeshi youths' love for the relatable Korean culture and broadly, Bangladeshi people's trusting and receptive mindset.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why and How Bangladesh fell in love with Korean culture

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Nafisa Anjum, a Bangladeshi youth, was surprised to find out how many of her fellow students shared her enthusiasm for Korean ballad and hip hop songs in her first day at University back in 2016.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
New korean bangla Movie (Bandhobi)| New bangla movie | Mahabub alom new movie | বাংলা ছবি | বান্ধবী

# data[].attributes.headline
Influence of Korean culture on South Asian Countries.

# data[].attributes.subject
Influence of Korean culture on South Asian Countries.

# data[].attributes.body
Reading: “Emergence of the ‘Korean Wave’ and Its Influence on Bangladesh” By SHALLY Shahina Akter.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Last week, I was standing in a huge dance studio - one of 12 - near the top of a funky new office tower just north of the Han River in the South Korean capital, Seoul. The building is home to a company called SM Entertainment, which has strong claims to have invented one of the most potent cultural movements of the 21st century, the phenomenon of Korean pop music - K-pop.

Each generation creates hit factories in its own image. The " SM Culture Universe " was originally the vision of a Korean pop entrepreneur called Lee Soo-man who, after a brief career as a singer and DJ, studied computer engineering in the States in the 1980s. He returned to Seoul "with the dream of globalising Korean music".

In the dance studio, his nephew Chris Lee, now the chief executive, is talking me through all the ways in which this dream came true. To begin with, K-pop idols conquered Asian charts; lately, after the extraordinary success of K-poppers BTS (the biggest-selling band in the world for the past two years, managed by rival conglomerate Hybe), they have been expanding their reach to all corners of the globe. New members of boy bands and girl bands - aged 11 upwards - are recruited by SM each year on long contracts and this building becomes their virtual home. It is designed as an inside-out place, with every room a stage set for press conferences, fan chats and livestreams; one floor is an "artist's house", a place where "idols" can chill or do some cooking (while their fans watch and scream outside); another is a "song camp" where songwriters from across the world are flown in on rotation to create a global sound.

"One of the things we tell [new talent]," Lee says of this operation, "is that they are representing our country. If you were on an Olympic team you would have to be trained and we see no difference. If they want to be the best in the world, it takes a lot of work. They get media training. They study languages so that they can communicate with many different audiences. We teach them how to have good personalities."

One of the most successful products of that system is Taeyong, who joins our conversation. Taeyong is the leader of a group called NCT 127 (NCT stands for "neo-cultural technology", 127 is Seoul's line of longitude). NCT's last album, Sticker, reached No 3 on the US Billboard chart. Like all boy band and girl band members, Taeyong has the bone structure and flawless complexion of an avatar and a kind of androgynous vulnerability. He was, he explains, spotted for his looks by SM talent agents on the street in Seoul a decade ago. "Taeyong didn't dance well at the time," Lee says. "He didn't rap at all. He is now the best dancer, a great rapper. He has lived in this building, in that practising room."

Taeyong is 27, though he could be 17. As the leader of NCT 127, his responsibilities are onerous. K-pop bands are all about accessibility. Taeyong is in near-permanent contact with NCT 127's fan community, partly through a "digital metaverse", a kind of gamers' dreamscape in which fans can meet virtual versions of their idols. (Two years ago, SM launched a new girl band, Aespa, in which there are four real members and four avatar members, each with detailed backstories and virtual lives.) That desire for ubiquity is not just online. "NCT 127 are one of the biggest boy bands in the world," Lee says. "But physically there are nine of them and they are in Korea. They cannot be everywhere in the world all the time." As a result, there are now NCTs in China and plans to roll out versions elsewhere in the world.

The boy band as franchise? "Not a franchise, a cultural brand."

Even before the pandemic, SM was creating online concerts for its groups involving virtual reality and holograms. The current aim is "a 2.0 version of an online concert". One recent live show featuring a roster of SM acts had an interactive livestreaming audience across the globe of 56 million.

Parents, Lee suggests, can be sure that their kids are in safe hands. "We don't sing about sex or drugs or clubs. We don't sell bad dreams but good dreams." That spirit apparently engages K-pop fan armies not so much to lust after their idols but to protect them. There have been high-profile cases of K-pop stars taking their own lives after being targeted by online abuse. Fans of BTS and NCT not only organise 24-hour vigils and legal action against critics and trolls online but also seek to do charitable works in their idols' names. BTS last year addressed the UN on climate change. K-pop appeals, lucratively, to that generation less interested in rebellion than in policing kindness and inclusion.

Before I leave his studios, Lee puts up on a screen aphotograph of where it all started. The picture comes from the Shanghai Evening Post in 2000. The original SM Entertainment boyband, H.O.T., had just held their first concert in Beijing and the newspaper headline coins the idea of "the Korean wave". "There is something very interesting in this photograph," Lee says and zooms in on members of the Chinese crowd who have the Korean flag sewn on their backpacks. "There is only one reason for that flag: because they feel, perhaps for the first time, that Korea is cool."

The collective results of that Korean coolness, which has flourished across the world over the past decade or more - not only in music but also in film and video games and TV and fashion and food - will be celebrated in a major exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London at the end of this month called Hallyu! The Korean Wave. My visit to the K-pop factory was part of a fast tour through Seoul - following the city's principle of ppalli-ppalli (hurry-hurry) - to get a feel for where that Korean wave started and a sense of where it is likely to break next.

In the book that accompanies the V&A's Hallyu! exhibition, SM's Lee Soo-man claims that the Korean entertainment industry has created a new paradigm for cultural export. In the past he suggests, effective "soft power" - notably, the cultural exports of Britain and the US - followed on from economic empire building. The Korean model, by contrast, was "culture first, economics second": export the idea of "Korean cool" and watch Samsung and LG, Hyundai and Kia reap the benefits.

Ever since Elvis, it has been understood that there is no more ardent love than that of teenagers for pop idols. One of the masterstrokes of the government of Korea was to recognise that such love might be weaponised, a force for national good. This project was given greater urgency by South Korea's fragile geopolitics. During my brief hallyu tour, I spent a day up at the border with the north, inside the demilitarised zone, looking through binoculars across the rewilded no man's land at North Koreans going about their business in distant mountain villages.

It is across this border that the bluntest expression of hallyu takes place. For decades, the rival nations have bombarded each other with loudspeaker propaganda. From the north, songs eulogising Kim Jong-un are periodically amplified. From the south, in recent years, the dominant beat has been K-pop - BTS, NCT and Girls' Generation - blasted through vast speakers.

According to some North Korean defectors, the pop barrage is successful. Despite the ban on all outside media, K-pop tracks seem to have become seductive earworms in Pyongyang. Their softly subversive lyrics have been described as "cultural Trojan horses", alongside addictive South Korean soap operas smuggled across on CDs and hard drives. "In the north, dramas and films are all about making sacrifices for the leader," the defector Lee Je-son noted. "But across the border, shockingly, characters are seen to make sacrifices for love." Some commentators compare the effect of samizdat and the Velvet Underground in helping to bring down the iron curtain. There is some evidence that it is having an effect, not least in chilling reports of mass executions of party officials caught with CDs imported from the south.

The sense that hallyu can penetrate the most closed of societies perhaps emboldened Korean creators to believe there was no territory their work could not invade. In her book The Birth of Korean Cool (subtitled How One Country Is Conquering the World T hrough P op C ulture), the Korean-American journalist Euny Hong quotes Korea's influential cultural critic Lee Moon-won about the audacity of that enterprise: "Very few countries have ever attempted to sell their pop culture to the United States." For about a decade, when K-pop and K-dramas were ascendant across Asia, that ambition was stubbornly resisted. The unlikely detonator of the Korean wave in the English-speaking world was Gangnam Style, the 2012 track by the Seoul-based rapper Psy that became the first YouTube video to be viewed a billion times. Gangnam Style - a high-octane dig at the pretensions of Seoul's newly minted and plastic surgery-obsessed elite - vocalised an easy and irreverent spirit at odds with received ideas of the earnestness of Korean culture. It offered dramatic evidence that the west's complacent sense of a monopoly on irony and nuance might be under serious threat.

The global success of Psy's rap could be traced back to the dramatic rises and falls in fortune that have characterised Korean history (the peninsula has been invaded and colonised many times, without ever encroaching on its neighbours). After the Korean war, South Korea was ranked among the poorest nations in the world. With a mixture of authoritarian repression and collective will, the "hermit kingdom" had by the late 1990s turned that around to look like a tech and manufacturing success story. That rise came to an abrupt end with an economic crash in 1997, when the Korean government was forced to ask the IMF for an emergency loan of $57bn. The day of that request is still known as the Day of National Humility. In order to pay off the debt there were many collective sacrifices (including a drive for gold that saw tens of thousands of ordinary Koreans donate wedding rings to the national cause).

The Seoul government still faced serious harm to Korea's credibility as a place to do business. Former president Kim Dae-jung decided that what was needed was a massive exercise in nation rebranding. According to ministers quoted in Hong's book: "Kim marvelled how much revenue the United States brought in from films and the UK from stage musicals. He decided to use those two countries as benchmarks for creating a pop culture industry in Korea."

After the IMF crisis, the president threw money at a new cultural content office, supported by a multibillion-dollar public-private investment fund to promote Korean creative industries and individuals. The effort was galvanised by a flood of cultural imports from Japan (if one thing unites Koreans, it is a long memory about brutal Japanese imperial rule). The drive to eclipse J-pop and J-movies with home-grown culture became a national obsession. Koreans couldn't stop singing. The launch in 2009 of Superstar K, Korea's version of Britain's Got Talent, saw more than 700,000 people apply to audition. By the fourth season in 2012 that number had passed 2 million.

The other strand of the Korean government's rebranding programme was a commitment to a digital future. Broadband was delivered to nearly all Korean households by 2010. One outcome of that early adoption of technology is that the Korean wave tends to blur distinctions between real and virtual worlds. Just as K-pop stars exist both on concert stages and in an imagined metaverse, so esports merge real-world competition and online gaming. During my time in Seoul, I visited the futuristic HQ of T1, the "Manchester United of esports", in Gangnam. As with K-pop, T1 recruits and nurtures teenage stars for its all-conquering League of Legends team. Semi-nocturnal players (the meal schedule at the T1 complex is always one step behind - breakfast is at lunchtime, dinner is in the early hours) are encouraged to interact with armies of fans online, before and after stadium-filling livestreamed matches. Faker - real name Lee Sang-hyeok - the star of the T1 (who looks a little more like Harry Potter than Cristiano Ronaldo), reportedly turned down a $20m salary recently to join a rival team.

For all that virtual interactivity, there is, too, a powerfully traditional sense about much Korean culture. One night in Seoul I had dinner with 84-year-old Shim Young-soon, who is the something like a cross between Delia Smith and Elizabeth David in Korean cuisine. She appeared in her daughter's restaurant wearing stiff Korean silks. Shim has evangelised Korean cooking for 50 years and watched it grow from being the poor relation of world cuisine to an antioxidant-rich, Michelin-star turn.

Kimchi is at the heart of that revolution. The spiced cabbage dish holds a unique place in Korean hearts partly because of the collective memory of kimjang, the communal autumn ritual of massaging vats full of cabbage leaves with red pepper, salt, garlic, ginger and anchovy paste. It was kimchi - fizzing and fermenting in clay pots underground - that got Korea through the harshest winters of its war-torn history.

Shim has travelled through Korean regions collecting dozens of different recipes for kimchi with records dating back to the 15th century. She puts her own health, mental and physical, down to her adherence to the subtle checks and balances of Korean cuisine. Those viral beliefs in kimchi's health-giving properties went properly global, along with K-pop, during Covid. In between brief lectures on the importance of food preparation within a fertile marriage, Shim offered me a long and impassioned argument about the inferiority of Chinese and Japanese versions of the dish. At one point in a fabulous meal, she had a brief coughing fit. She put that down to her daughter's introduction of an "alien" piece of parmesan crisp on an otherwise "true" Korean dish of grilled ribs.

If Korean food wants to celebrate the native authenticity of its origins, however, most of the rest of its culture is exuberantly hybrid. This weekend, the first Seoul Frieze art fair is taking place, cementing the city's reputation as south-east Asia's art capital. Next month in London, there is a festival of crossover K-pop and K-classical. Ten years ago, the critic Lee Moon-won was suggesting that "Koreans are not good at creativity". But just as the tiger economies had imported and copied and eclipsed western manufacturing excellence by the end of the last century, Korean artists have brought home and transformed western ideas of cool.

Nowhere has that effort been more successful than in film. While Hollywood repeats ever-more bloated Marvel franchises, Korean film-makers have learned that 1970s Hollywood trick of making thoughtful, auteur-led films go mainstream. Bong Joon-ho's was a groundbreaking Oscar success - the first foreign language winner of best picture - not for any kind of worthiness but for its brilliant contemporary storytelling, the sharp and resonant things it had to say about inequality and class and poverty and excess - subjects about which mainstream American film is mostly silent. The Netflix blockbuster Squid Game, too, gave a whole new tone of voice to its playful, compulsive, brutal take on late-stage capitalism. Squid Game was the first non-English Netflix show to top global viewing charts, breaking all previous records for the platform ( in its first month, it clocked up 1.65bn hours of viewing compared with what was then the previous best, the first season of Bridgerton, with 625m hours).

Korea has been emulating the effectiveness of those prime movers of soft power, the British Council and the BBC

Its success opens up scope for more Korean exports. While I was in Seoul, a very different Korean drama, Extraordinary Attorney Woo, was a surprise fixture at the top of Netflix's global ratings charts, above the much-hyped adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Sandman. Extraordinary Attorney Woo is a courtroom series featuring an autistic junior barrister with case-cracking powers of recall. It proves an appetite for Korean kookiness as well as high-concept violence. The star of that show, Park Eun-bin, started out as a child actress on Korean television 27 years ago. She told me how gratifying it was to now be reaching a global audience. She said: "It's fantastic that we can now share a lot more elements of Korea with the world." There was a confidence that nothing needed to be modified to find those viewers, even in the west. "What works here works outside as well."

Bang Jinah is director of the Korean Culture and Information Service. In her 13 years in that department, she has seen the Korean wave move from a ripple to a deluge. "About 10 years ago, we noticed the big shift," she said. "Before that, most of the coverage of Korea in the foreign press was about national defence. And now it is all about culture - K-pop, K-classical, K-movies. There has in this time also been a threefold increase in the number of articles."

I mentioned to her an interesting metric, the annual Good Country Index, which attempts to quantify how effective countries are in selling positive ideas of themselves. Last year, Korea was at No 6 in its list of global cultural influence (Britain was at No 23).

Bang smiled. What they were doing in her department, she suggested, was really trying to emulate the effectiveness of the British Council and the BBC, those prime movers of soft power. She was surprised when I mentioned how the current British government seemed intent on starving that success story, undermining the BBC, slashing the budget of the "woke" British Council, shutting down university creative and design courses. "Why?" she asked. "Search me," I replied. But then I guess that's the thing about waves: for every one that advances, there are always plenty of others in retreat.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
K-everything: the rise and rise of Korean culture

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
From music to film, technology to food, the world has fallen in love with everything South Korean. Tim Adams visits Seoul in search of the origins of hallyu - the Korean wave

# data[].attributes.body
Reading and discussing,
https://www.tbsnews.net/thoughts/squid-game-hallyu-and-what-bangladesh-can-learn-south-koreas-cultural-export-policy-326275

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Itaewon Class | Official Teaser | Netflix [ENG SUB]

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
From independent films to hit series streaming on platforms like Netflix, South Korean films are capturing audiences around the world. What's behind their success?

When South Korea's "Parasite" made history by becoming the first non-English language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, all eyes were set on director Bong Joon-ho.

Bong had famously said the Oscars were "very local."

South Korean actress Yang Mal-bok, whose new film "The Apartment with Two Women" premiered at the Berlinale in February, says Bong's sentiments resonated with her.

"I'm a bit tired of the cultural flow that was a bit monopolized in one direction," Yang told DW.

"I started to think that our tastes in movies were long concentrated on one side and it's obvious to me that your view expands when you come in contact with a culture or art of a different region, like South Korea," she said.

But in recent years, audiences worldwide have developed a bigger thirst for Korean cinema.

Rise of South Korea's cultural economy

The Korean wave - or Hallyu - is a term widely used to describe the international success of South Korean music, film, TV, fashion and food.

In October last year, the Oxford English Dictionary added the Korean word Hallyu to its latest edition.

When asked about Hallyu, Jung Bo-ram, Yang's co-actress in the "The Apartment with Two Women," said "It's the universalist themes of Korean society" which help drive the success of South Korean films abroad.

In her latest movie, Jung plays a woman in her late twenties who lives with her mother. The film centers around their turbulent mother-daughter relationship.

"All mothers and daughters living in South Korea can relate to this story. I thought that this movie is not specific to South Korea but it contains various emotions that you can feel about the relationship of any mother-daughter," Jung told DW.

"When people watch this movie, they can relate with their own lives."

South Korean films take world by storm

The success of South Korean films abroad took off in the 1990s - after the last vestiges of its repressive military regimes ended. Censorship laws were eased and investment started trickling into the film business by large Korean companies.

Investments through conglomerates - or chaebols - like Samsung, Daewoo and Hyundai have all played a major role in the country's film industry.

Following the Asian financial crisis of 1997, new conglomerates like CJ Entertainment, the Orion Group (Showbox), and Lotte Entertainment emerged to become the biggest players in the South Korean movie industry.

In the first decade of Hallyu, international fans, particularly in the US, typically downloaded pirated films while South Koreans studying abroad did the subtitling.

"This was happening long before OTT (over-the-top) platforms and easy subtitling," Yang explained.

But as her new independent film is touring international film festivals, the actor says South Korean films have finally become "elevated" and that Hallyu is here to stay.

Yang also played a cameo in the South Korean series "Squid Game," one of streaming giant Netflix's all-time biggest hits. The nine-part thriller reached 1.65 billion viewers just in its first month of release.

Yang said she "had no idea" that the series would "become so popular all over the world."

"It's obvious that Hollywood has had a huge cultural influence on the world. English-speaking movies are screened in theaters and multiplexes. It's hard to compete with that but, for two decades now, international independent film festivals have increased opportunities for us to be seen and heard," Yang said.

Entertainment industry as 'soft power'

Netflix has announced that it would spend $500 million (€451 million) in 2022 as part of efforts to expand South Korean content.

The pandemic, however, has taken a toll on the film industry.

"After COVID-19, there is less investment in the entire cinema industry in South Korea, so there might be less opportunity to have auditions for me, but it's also hard to say if it's a totally bad situation," said Jung.

Local productions, however, still account for a major share in the South Korean market.

The South Korean government considers the entertainment industry a key driver for the future national economy and is heavily investing in films and series from the national budget. One of its main goals is to become the world's leading exporter and importer of entertainment and media.

"The Apartment with Two Women" is director Kim Se-In's debut film and was funded by the Korean Academy of Film Arts.

K-pop: 'Korean wave' sweeps across India

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

"I can focus only on making the film. From writing the script to the post-production stage, the Korean Academy of Film Arts has given me every support to blossom," Kim said. "I don't have to worry about market and distribution, the academy helps with it."

Kim won five awards at the Busan International Film Festival in October.

When asked what she thinks is behind the success of South Korean cinema, Yang said the country's entertainment landscape is adaptable and changes very fast.

"Media produces new content very fast. It's tricky to pick up only one reason why cultural content from South Korea becomes popular. Perhaps it is a wave and South Korea is at the center of it."
Edited by: Sou-Jie van Brunnersum

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How S. Korean movies are dominating cinema - DW - 03/02/2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
From independent films to hit series streaming on platforms like Netflix, South Korean films are capturing audiences around the world. What's behind their success? When South Korea's "Parasite" made history by becoming the first non-English language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, all eyes were set on director Bong Joon-ho.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
REPLY 1988 | FUNNY & SAVAGE MOMENTS [PART 2]