- published: 23 Sep 2015
- views: 3209880
The Korean Wave, (Hangul: 한류; Hanja: 韓流; RR: Hallyu) refers to the spread of South Korean entertainment in Asia and other parts of the world. The term was coined in 1999 by Beijing journalists, as they observed a growing popularity of Korean entertainment in China. The Korean wave adds around $4.2 billion dollars of revenue in 2011 for South Korea through cultural exports.
In 1999, a “Korean Wave" in Japan, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Philippines and other Asian countries began to emerge. Korean dramas continued to spread throughout Asia, achieving mainstream success in Japan, China, and Southeast Asia, as well as carving niche markets in Europe and North America.
Korean pop music, referred to as K-pop (an abbreviation of Korean pop), became a large part of the Korean Wave. Korean entertainment companies recognized YouTube as a key component to the international spread of Korean culture in recent years. According to Bernie Cho, president of a Seoul-based agency specializing in the marketing of international K-pop acts, the entertainment companies are "aggressively steering their efforts to go international via the Internet".