S2-05: Hallyu - The Rise of Korean Cool

Culture Jumpers

Culture Jumpers looks at how Korean culture has come to dominate the West. Whether it’s K-dramas and Squid Game on Netflix; Academy Award-winning film Parasite; K-pop stars like BTS and Blackpink; or the latest beauty trends — Korean influence is everywhere. And that’s not an accident. This week’s guest, Dr. Rosalie Kim, explains the history of Korean pop culture and Hallyu — the Korean Wave.

Episode Transcript

Timestamps:

(00:00:00) - Prologue

(00:01:57) - Dr. Rosalie Kim & Seo Taiji and Boys

(00:06:23) - The Korean War and the 60s

(00:09:24) - Park Chung-hee Era

(00:13:27) - The 90s and the Asian Financial Crisis

(00:20:30) - Hallyu Highlights

(00:21:51) - Hallyu! The Korean Wave Exhibit

(00:30:05) - Outtakes

References and Further Reading:

1. Jones, R. (2023, April 25). Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos Makes a $2.5 Billion Bet on K-Content. Observer. https://observer.com/2023/04/netflix-ceo-ted-sarandos-directs-2-5-billion-to-south-korean-content/

2. BTS. (n.d.). Billboard. https://www.billboard.com/artist/bts/chart-history/hsi/

3. Marilyn Monroe performing for the thousands of American troops in Korea, 1954. (2017, October 14). Rare Historical Photos. https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/marylin-monroe-korea-1954/

4. The Pearl Sisters. (1968). A Cup of Coffee [Vinyl A Cup of Coffee]. Shin Joong-hyun.

5. In A Kadda Da Vida (cover by 신중현/Shin Jung Hyun). (n.d.). YouTube. Retrieved April 7, 2024, from https://youtu.be/5U-lR7wEhRY?si=KSpai1Xa1YRAxi_m

6. (1995, October 8). The Simpsons - “Bart Sells His Soul” (No. 132). FOX. Retrieved March 17, 2024 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulDC1w1ydLI

7. 일하는 해의 노래 (Song of the Year of Working) - Korean Patriotic Song. (n.d.). YouTube. Retrieved April 7, 2024, from https://youtu.be/VDUBCPyyUBU?si=iCI675NjYUDiZgRM

8. Baron Cohen, E. (2006, October 24). O Kazakhstan [Digital Download O Kazakhstan]. Atlantic Records.

9. Chick, S. (2011, September 15). Shin Joong Hyun: South Korea’s psychedelic mimic turned master]. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/sep/15/shin-joong-hyun-korean-psychedelic

10. Santos, Brandon L. (2018). South Korean Nationalism and the Legacy of Park Chung Hee: How Nationalism Shaped Park’s Agendas and the Future Korean Sociopolitical Landscape. Chadron State Graduate Theses. 1. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/chadron/1

11. [신곡 무대] 누구나 기억하는 충격과 공포의 데뷔 무대! 서태지와 아이들 - 난 알아요 : 1992년 특종TV연예. (n.d.). Www.youtube.com. Retrieved April 7, 2024, from https://youtu.be/Zr-9NlWLr5g?si=6zE7HATENC3iV0_J

12. Min-sik, Y. (2017, August 14). Hallyu’s future; limitations and sustainability. The Korea Herald. https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20170814000686 ‌

13. Falcon, E. (2020, March 16). Why Is South Korea a Global Broadband Leader? Electronic Frontier Foundation. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/02/why-south-korea-global-broadband-leader

14. MacDonald, J. (2022, November 13). V&A Showcases Korean Pop Culture In “Hallyu! The Korean Wave” Exhibit. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/joanmacdonald/2022/11/13/va-showcases-korean-pop-culture-in-hallyu-the-korean-wave-exhibit/?sh=5960e7e63ef0