The country exported nearly $3 billion in entertainment, more than double 2002 exports, according to MK Daily, a Korean news portal. South Korea’s success starts with tv series’ in the nineties. Then comes the pop songs and boy bands where it really begins to influence the east. Finally, they become fans of everything, from Korean food to the Korean language. Some people are even so infatuated that they change their names to one from Korean descent.
It is going to take over control of leading position on the market very soon. Korean brands are known by everyone for their quality, being prominent with Korean and global customers alike, become the dominant focal point because of the Korean wave. Innovative ingredients and fast development have helped South Korea to be easily recognizable in the global industry. Korea is one of the rapid-growing beauty industry (5.8%), comparing to U.S(3.9%) and U.K. (2.1%). And total sales of cosmetics in South Korea became $6.2 billion In 2014.
The post-1997 Asian Financial Crisis that savaged the Korean national economy contributed to the stepping-up of the exporting of Korean pop culture as part of the national export industry. The same crisis had led television industries in the other affected expensive Japanese Dramas. The confluence of these two separate industry strategies led to the rapid importation and screening of Korean TV dramas in the rest of East Asia, except Japan, creating the so-called ‘Korean Wave’ in the region. When Korean drama initially made its entry to China, it didn't rely on large-scale propaganda to open Chinese market, which is nowhere near as aggressive as those Korean automobile and technologic product brands did. Even so, Korean drama’s influence and high penetration rate are hardly to match with.
Nowadays, many of the characteristics of both the Korean and Japanese cultures are traced back to Chinese influences. China was seen as a model society by growing nations because of large size and historic success in all sectors of the country. China played a crucial role in the maturity of Japan and Korea since they were able to advance both culturally and politically. In most cases, the cultural interworking’s of the three countries are
However, K-pop has a strong competitive edge which enables it to compete worldwide, and benefiting foreign consumers will ultimately benefit domestic companies and the image of Korea itself. Permeation of K-pop culture and ultimately Korean culture into other nations can positively influence the minds of foreigners and strengthen the leverage and power of South Korea as a whole. Looking forward to such returns, we should make efforts to establish a sustainable
Due to Korea’s success and charm, many foreigners are looking for employment in South Korea. However, there are few jobs for foreigners in Korea besides teaching English or working in the restaurant industry. I think this has to do with the lack of Korean language skills that foreigners possess.Yet, as companies continue to globalize, Korean work culture may have to become more inclusive to foreigners, especially women. As a foreigner, and as a women, I want to be a part in pioneering this new form of inclusiveness. I would be able to apply my intended Master’s research pragmatically.
The problem is getting people to have a good understanding of South Korea and the Korean lifestyle. Many people have asked me how I came to know so much about South Korea. I would tell them through my interest in learning about different cultures of the world. One reason I fell in love with the South Korean culture was the deep respect they have for each other and their very low crime rate. First, when visiting South Korea you will have a difficult time adjusting to the language.The Korean language is spoken in both North and South Korea, but through over 70 years of separation, it has varied drastically.
Much of these are greatly influenced by Western cultures, particularly the United States. Nonetheless, South Korea still retains centuries-old customs and traditions such as its cuisine, ancestor worship, blood line and some Confucianism ideals. Contemporary South Korean culture is heavily dominated by technological advancements, examples of which are feature-rich cellphone units and on-line games. South Korea’s technology-based expertise has brought it to hold the world title in the highest (number) penetration of high-speed internet access to households. Education in Korea – 1987-1988, a book published by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Kores sites four (4) outstanding traits of the Korean culture.
Now, in this 21st century, South Korea has become main trader of its popular culture and had already defeating Western countries like United States and United Kingdom. Taken from www.economist.com, it stated that The Economist (2014) has said that South Korea has become Asia foremost trendsetter. This statement indicate that South Korea has making it entertainment sector as one of its way to enhance the country’s economy besides making it as world’s leading pop culture exporter. The globalization of K-pop is assist by effective medium that we called as social networking and video sharing platform such as You tube.
Although it is not as prominent as its TV drama counterpart, variety show has recently experienced surge in popularity both in the domestic and global entertainment industry. Therefore, I would analyze the impact of Korean variety shows in shaping Korean entertainment industry and their contributions in propelling the ‘Korean Wave’. In this essay, I would argue that Korean variety shows play an important role in supporting and marketing Korean entertainment industry for the domestic and global market. I would explore the cultural production (creativity), political economy, globalization and digitalization aspects as guidelines to elaborate on the trend and influence of Korean variety shows in the entertainment