Introduction

Abstract

Starting in Asia in the 1990s, the Korean Wave has become a worldwide phenomenon in recent years as attested by the phenomenal success of PSY’s “Gangnam Style” in 2012. Coined by the Chinese press, the Korean Wave refers to the popularity of Korean popular culture outside of South Korea.1 This book analyzes the Korean Wave in order to answer the questions: (1) What makes it so appealing to the global audience? and (2) What does the success of Korean popular culture imply in terms of the hegemonic relationships that have existed among the countries? The book also examines the role of popular culture as a means of national as well as international economic policies. To a casual observer, the Korean Wave may not seem so remarkable in that it reflects the widespread popularity of Japanese popular culture during the 2000s, including anime, video games, and sushi. However, there exist significant differences between the two, for, first, the Korean Wave was begun and has been promoted as an official policy of the Korean government to revive the country’s economy. As such, popular culture products are tailored to appeal to the widest possible audience beyond the national and regional boundaries.