Understanding the Korean Wave

✍ Scribed by Dal Yong Jin;

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2023
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 295
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

A comprehensive and critical introduction to understanding the Korean Wave (Hallyu) as a transnational media phenomenon. This book provides an accessible introduction to the Korean Wave-the rapid growth of local cultural industries and the global popularity of Korean popular culture over the past 30 years-providing historical, political, economic, and socio-cultural context to its initial rise and enduring popularity. Jin explores the transnational cultural flows of Hallyu across a variety of products and digital technologies-from television dramas, film, and K-pop to online games, and webtoons-and explains the process of cross-media convergence and the socio-political contexts behind the Hallyu phenomenon. He also explores how overseas fans and audiences advance K-pop fandom as social agents in different geo-cultural contexts. The book concludes by discussing if Hallyu can become a sustainable global popular culture beyond a fan-based regional cultural phenomenon. Each chapter features detailed contemporary case studies and discussion questions to enhance student engagement. This is essential reading for students of Media and Communication, Cultural Studies, Korean Studies, and Asian Studies, particularly those taking classes on popular culture and media, media and globalization, Korean popular culture, and East Asian culture.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Contents
Preface
1. Introduction
What Is the Korean Wave?
Major Goals of the Book
Summary of the Book
PART I: History, Theory, and Context of the Korean Wave
2. The History of the Korean Wave
Introduction
From the Pre-Korean Wave to the New Korean Wave
Hallyu 1.0: Early 1990s-2007
Advent of Local Cultural Industries and the Korean Wave
Korean Government Initiatives
Early Hallyu and Globalization in the Asian Region
Hallyu 2.0: 2008-2017
Hallyu 3.0: 2017 Through the Present
Conclusion
3. Theoretical Approaches: From Cultural Proximity to Transnational Proximity
Introduction
Theoretical Considerations in Global Cultural Flows
Cultural Proximity in Hallyu Audiences
Affective Affinities in Global Hallyu Fans
Emergence of Transnational Proximity in Global "Fan Audiences"
Transnational Proximity in K-pop
Transnational Proximity in Screen Culture
Conclusion
4. Cultural Policy in the New Korean Wave
Introduction
What Is Cultural Policy in Hallyu Studies?
Neoliberalism vs. State-led Developmentalism in Cultural Policy
Cultural Policy in the Pre-Hallyu Era
Cultural Policy in the Hallyu 1.0 Era
Cultural Policy in the Hallyu 2.0 Era
Cultural Policy in the Hallyu 3.0 Era
Conclusion
5. Soft Power and Cultural Diplomacy
Introduction
Understanding Soft Power and Cultural Diplomacy
Soft Power and the Korean Government
Soft Power Toward Public Diplomacy
Celebrity Diplomacy
Film Festivals
K-pop Competitions
Cultural Diplomacy in the Korean Wave Tradition
Conclusion
6. Local Cultural Industries Toward the Global Cultural Markets
Introduction
Cultural Industries vs. Creative Industries in the Korean Wave
The Cultural Industries
The Creative Industries
The Content Industries
The Growth of the Local Cultural Industries in the Early Hallyu Era
Cultural Industries in the New Korean Wave
Media Workers as Cultural Creators
Digital Platforms in the Korean Wave
Conclusion
PART II: Transnational Korean Wave
7. The New Wave of K-dramas in the Digital Platform Age
Introduction
Television Hallyu in the Hallyu 1.0 Era
Was What Is Love? the Forerunner of the Korean Wave?
Growth of Television Formats in the New Korean Wave
Shift in Television Content in the OTT Platform Era
Transnational Cultural Flows in the Digital Platform
Netflix and Platform Imperialism
Case Studies: The Squid Game Model vs. The Extraordinary Attorney Woo Model
Television Hallyu's Global Fans
Conclusion
8. K-pop Fandom from Global Perspectives
Introduction
K-pop Fandom and Transculturalism
The Growth of K-pop in the Global Cultural Sphere
Hybridity of K-pop
The Advent of Virtual K-pop
Nexus of K-pop and Social Media
Case Study: BTS-Authenticity, Hardship, and Learning to Love Yourself
Conclusion
9. Korean Cinema and Hallyu Cinema
Introduction
Korean Cinema as the Korean Wave
Evolution of Korean Cinema in the Korean Wave Era
Remakes of Korean Films and Hallyu
Netflix Is Riding the Korean Wave
Case Study: Parasite (2019)
Conclusion
10. Transnational Digital Games and Esports
Introduction
Convergence of Youth Culture and Digital Gaming
The Growth of the Korean Game Industry
Transformation of the Korean Game Industry in the Smartphone Era
Growth of Esports Across the Globe
From Korean Esports to Global Esports
Case Study: KRAFTON's Battlegrounds and Esports
Conclusion
PART III: Problematizing the Korean Wave
11. What Is the K in the Korean Wave?
Introduction
What Is Koreanness in Hallyu Content
The K in K-pop
Hybridization in the Korean Wave
The K in Hallyu and Cultural Nationalism
Critical Understanding of K-Everything
Conclusion
12. Diaspora, Ethnicity, and the Korean Wave
Introduction
Diaspora and Popular Culture
The Role of Diaspora Koreans in the Hallyu Phenomenon
Korean Diaspora and Digital Technologies
The Korean Wave and Diasporic Identity
Case Study: Ethnic Drama Kim's Convenience in Canada
Conclusion
13. BTS and Fan-Nationalism
Introduction
From Banal Nationalism and Cyber-Nationalism in a BTS Nation
BTS and ARMY in the Global Music Sphere
Cyber-Nationalism in a BTS Nation: ARMY as Bulletproof for BTS
ARMY Citizens Fulfill BTS's Messages
Critical Interpretations of Cyber-Nationalism in the BTS Sphere
Conclusion
14. Webtoons, Transmedia Storytelling, and Intellectual Property
Introduction
Transmedia Storytelling in the Korean Wave
Webtoons in the Korean Cultural Industries
Transnationalization of Korean Webtoons
Webtoons' Transnational Transmedia Storytelling
Case Study: Tower of God
Conclusion
References
Index