The Global Impact of South Korean Popular Culture

Hallyu Unbound

Contributions by Crystal S. Anderson, Ecaterina Balica, Colette Balmain, Paula Iadevito, Pawel Kida, Valentina Marinescu, Vladislava Mazaná, Suray Agung Nugroho, Irina Sotirova, Atsushi Takeda, Sherri L. Ter Molen, Sunny Yoon Edited by Valentina Marinescu

Publication date:

24 September 2014

Length of book:

166 pages

Publisher

Lexington Books

ISBN-13: 9780739193372

This volume fills a gap in the existing literature and proposes an interdisciplinary and multicultural comparative approach to the impact of Hallyu worldwide. The contributors analyze the spread of South Korean popular products from different perspectives (popular culture, sociology, anthropology, linguistics) and from different geographical locations (Asia, Europe, North America, and South America). The contributors come from a variety of countries (UK, Japan, Argentina, Poland, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Indonesia, USA, Romania). The volume is divided into three sections and twelve chapters that each bring a new perspective on the main topic. This emphasizes the impact of Hallyu and draws real and imaginary “maps” of the export of South Korean cultural products. Starting from the theoretical backgrounds offered by the existing literature, each chapter presents the impact of Hallyu in a particular country. This applied character does not exclude transnational comparisons or critical interrogations about the future development of the phenomenon.

All authors are speaking about their own, native cultures. This inside perspective adds an important value to the understanding of the impact of a different culture on the “national” culture of each respective country. The contributions to this volume illustrate the “globalization” of the cultural products of Hallyu and show the various faces of Hallyu around the world.

Chapter 1: Many faces of Hallyu in the global world—Valentina Marinescu
Part I: Hallyu in Asia
Chapter 2: The Cultural Identity and Korean historical television dramas—Sunny Yoon
Chapter 3: Hallyu in Indonesia - Suray Agung Nugroho
Chapter 4: Japanese-Korean International Marriage through the Korean Wave in Japan—Atsushi Takeda
Part II: Hallyu in Europe
Chapter 5: Cultural perception and social impacts of the Korean wave in the Czech Republic—Vladislava Mazaná
Chapter 6: Wind of Change: Poland is One Step Away from the Korean Wave-Pawel Kida
Chapter 7: Hallyu and students’ motivation in studying Korean-Irina Sotirova
Chapter 8: Pop goes Korean Popular Culture: An investigation into the popularity of Hallyu culture in the UK-Colette Balmain
Chapter 9: Audience persceptions and representations of Korea—The Romanian experience—Valentina Marinescu, Ecaterina Balica
Part III: Hallyu in America
Chapter 10: Hallyu for Hire: The Commodification of Korea in Tourism Advertising and Marketing—Sherri L. Ter Molen
Chapter 11: HallyU.S.A: America’s Impact on The Korean Wave—Crystal S. Anderson
Chapter 12: Hallyu and Cultural Identity: A sociological approach to the Korean Wave in Argentina—Paula Iadevito

All chapters of this book are very informative and easy to understand, and engage in descriptive and practical-empirical arguments. Therefore, the book will be useful to readers who love Korean popular culture and who would like to learn its history and current status . . . This book will contribute greatly to the growing body of contemporary Korean (cultural) studies.