Hallyu Wave Unfold

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CHAPTER 1 1. Introduction What is Hallyu Wave? The Korean Wave, also known as the Hallyu (Hangul: 한류; Hanja: 韓流; Romanized: Hallyu), refers to spread of South Korean culture around the world. The term was coined in China in mid-1999 by Beijing journalists surprised by the fast growing popularity of Korean entertainment and culture in China. The Korean wave is responsible for achieving over one billion dollars in revenue annually for South Korea through cultural exports. Korean Drama (K-Drama) In 1999, reports of an emerging “Korean Wave" in China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Hong Kong and other Asian countries started to come out. In 1997, as Korea was shaken by the IMF crisis and its belief in the industrial modernization process was turning weak, there was a widespread societal movement to make use of the cultural industry with its high added value to overcome the national crisis. 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 (K-Pop) Korean pop music, referred to as K-Pop (an abbreviation of Korean pop), has become a large part of the Korean Wave. K-pop's popularity has been attributed to talent and individualism, as well as having diversity through collaborating with international producers. In recent years, Korean entertainment companies have started to recognize YouTube as a key component to the international spread of Korean culture. 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". Other aspects of Korean Wave The Korean wave also reflects to the spread of other aspects of Korean culture, including food,

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