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Evan Barringer’s accidental viewing of the South Korea n romcom Full House at the age of 14 started his unexpected connection with the global Korean wave in 2012 . What he thought was a remake of an American sitcom quickly captured his interest. He now works as an English teacher in South Korea years later due to this cultural exploration. Barringer has gotten to enjoy the diverse food from K-dramas and attend K-pop artist concerts showing how a singular cultural event can cause deep and broad connections between people.
The 2012 encounter with Full House acted as a turning point for Evan demonstrating the effect that simple entertainment can have on a person’s life which caused him to live in a different country. Initially mistaking it for an American production Barringer's experience underscores the global expansion and interconnected world where entertainment shapes individuals trajectories. The shift from watching a random South Korean TV show to living in South Korea shows a rare instance of entertainment reshaping one's life which has not happened on a broad level prior to the expansion of South Korean TV shows globally.
In 2012 when Evan stumbled across the Full House TV series the world considered Korean entertainment to be fairly minor even compared to global pop exports such as Psy's Gangnam Style. Today Korean entertainment garners an estimated 220 million global fans a huge leap in popularity that surpasses the four times of the population in the entire country of South Korea. Netflix’s Squid Game quickly become a landmark program demonstrating this increased popularity while receiving a second season with a very large built in audience due to it’s past popularity .
The worldwide Korean wave resulted from streaming access combining American production styles creating great success according to global experts. Korean TV content spanning various genres like pop music to very emotional dramas plus widely relevant stories has risen dramatically due to streaming services. Korean sales internationally are worth multiple billions encompassing everything from video games to popular drama programs. Han Kang won a Nobel prize and then social media created online jokes highlighting South Korea’s “Cultural Victory”. Many now think of South Korea as nation of creative works following Kim Koo’s long time ambition to have Korea be a nation known for cultural significance.
Following the end of military rule in 1987 South Korea lifted censorship leading to new TV channels opening . Numerous creators born idolizing both Hollywood productions and hip hop styles came to define this era and style within South Korea’s entertainment industry. South Korea also rapidly grew their overall wealth which resulted from a rapid rise in the amount of electronics and car sales on the global market which impacted film as more money went into film production. South Korea quickly attracted investment which quickly propelled movie and TV creation.
Major conglomerates called chaebols invested significant amounts in media studios enabling filmmakers the capacity to produce movies with very little concern for budgetary requirements . K-pop took hold nationally during mid 90s propelling groups such as H.O.T and Shinhwa. Agencies then began to mimic the rigorous Japanese system managing up and coming new artists signing individuals for many years using very structured contracts transforming how K-Pop artist develop as well as their image. Korean management created “perfect” idols which contributed to rapid expansions throughout the K-Pop market.
Korean TV programs and K-Pop groups gained popularity by the 2000s across both East and Southeast Asia but with the new streaming platforms accessibility drastically changed as access became global allowing access through simple smartphones. Recommendation engines became key to growth through personalized experiences allowing fans the opportunity to move to different Korean content through multiple streaming sites including Netflix. Evan found himself captivated by the format as the romantic TV show Full House stretched romance instead of American shows that quickly move on to relationship development . He started also observing interesting aspects like the home habit of taking shoes off indoors, causing a deeper interest in many aspects of their culture.
Evan’s cultural exploration also led him to watching the comedy format variety show a new development for international audiences to experience as they began to watch all facets of Korean life through a new global lens . As people progress through show recommendations fans also learn about traditional cultural meals that eventually form a deeper relationship through immersive experience of unfamiliar aspects like kimchi jiggae and kalguksu.. Mary Gedda a French actor sought out a meal of kimchi jjigae after seeing it in multiple K-dramas sharing the extreme experience of both enjoying the spice and also experiencing an immediate culture shock from unfamiliar flavors.
Food played an essential component in how Mary engaged with Korean content showing how cultural immersion can occur through very unexpected but enjoyable mediums and avenues. Mary noted the emphasis that K-dramas place on meal times showing connections within groups across varied meal times highlighting similar traditions from her youth as a person coming from Burgundy French country sides. Marie Namur who is from Belgium states her interest in viewing K-Dramas came from initial visit to South Korea with the added fact she had a strong interest in how Korean male actors displayed romantic gestures within all Korean shows she viewed . Many K-dramas showcase romantic story of rich men falling for poor girls allowing escape and an aspirational space for female viewers.
South Korean women act as the core team of writers behind most of these TV shows making the genre from their perspective and fantasies that capture female global viewers. Marie Namur states her experiences differed with what she experienced from media content in contrast to actual dating while living in South Korea with very different gender expectations in day to day living. International fans seek alternative cultural experiences because they face disappointments in their societies due to various reasons. Prim romances plus very attentive romantic male figures act as a strong drawing point among a largely female fanbase while they might seek alternatives to some sexual content viewed on some American entertainment outlets.
Social inequity and division have recently been highlighted by media like Parasite and Squid Game attracting viewers globally showing more critical stories have value across numerous national markets. The industry’s challenges such as creative teams feeling exploited are gaining visibility within the public eye that previously only focused on the surface level view of Korean productions . K-pop has often been criticized for increased use of English that moves away from their primary consumer fanbase that is seeking Korean culture which is adding some creative pushback in creative fields.
The global focus on South Korea is a positive thing according to Prof Chung showcasing a move from government critics that were routinely silenced with an entire history that includes American influence. She enjoyed seeing her American town cinema viewing Parasite having an impact mirroring her love for American film while demonstrating how culture flows across national borders bringing awareness globally and creating international communication and community.