Korean_Wave：_Towards_Regional_Cultural_Diffusion.docx

An unexpected change has occurred in contemporary Asian popular culture: long-time beloved Hong Kong action movies and Japanese soap operas are no longer the prime interest in the Asian market. Asians have turned their attention to something many consider to be fresh and trendy. Asia is in love with South Korea. Over the last ten years, more and more people throughout Asia are choosing to watch Korean movies, listen to Korean popular music, watch Korean soap operas, and even travel to Korea to visit spots they have seen in their favorite Korean television shows and movies. Declarations by thousands of Taiwanese and Japanese travelers that they visit Korea with the sole purpose of obtaining signatures from famous Korean stars are no longer surprising news. Even Korean plastic surgery has become popular in Asian countries after many Asians have become enamored with and wish to emulate beautiful Korean actresses. What is happening? This sudden rise in popularity and broad dissemination of Korean popular culture throughout Asia is new, powerful, unprecedented, and fascinating. This cultural flow in contemporary Asia is called the “Korean Wave.” The Korean Wave has become a topic of popular discourse in Asian countries, including Korea. Many scholars and journalists have written about it in academic journals (Cho Hae-Joang 2005; Kim Hyun-Mi 2005), as well in newspaper columns and magazine articles, putting forth different reasons for the emergence of Korean popular culture as a force throughout Asia and speculating on its potential influence on the future of the region. Some say that it provide s Asian societies with reassurance that, even within an increasingly globalized world, Asian identity remains strong. In Korea, popular and scholarly articles alike have discussed the influence of the Korean Wave on Korean society, argued for the superiority of the quality of Korean culture over other Asian societies, and noted positive reactions of Asian societies to Korean popul