ARI Working Paper Series

The shape of Korean Wave, which refers to the phenomenal popularity of Korean pop culture abroad, has changed noticeably in recent years. In the early 2000s, it was characterized by scenes of middle-aged housewives from East Asian countries chasing after Korean actors whom they were enamored, from watching television and VCDs (video cassette disks). Now, Korean pop music, or K-pop, has become the centerpiece of the Korean Wave, and it is largely enjoyed by teenagers around the world–not just in Asia. How to understand this global fever of the Korean pop culture? What happened to Korea, becoming the new powerhouse of pop culture in Asia? Drawing from recent theoretical discussions of culture industries and fandom, and empirical data of the Korean Wave, the paper will discuss his ideas of the history, present condition and future trajectory of the Korean Wave.