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South Korea: Hallyu (Korean Wave) Facts & Worksheets

The Korean Wave (Hallyu) refers to the global popularity of South Korea’s cultural economy exporting pop culture, entertainment, music, TV dramas, and movies.

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The Korean Wave (Hallyu) refers to the global popularity of South Korea’s cultural economy exporting pop culture, entertainment, music, TV dramas, and movies. Hallyu is a Chinese term which, when translated, literally means “Korean Wave”.

See the fact file below for more information on the Korean Wave or alternatively, you can download our 25-page Korean Wave worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Origins of Hallyu

  • To respond to South Korea’s 1997 Financial Crisis, the country decided to restrict cultural imports from Japan and instead strengthen local culture within Korea and build on their own talents.
  • Studios began producing high-quality Korean films and K-Dramas cheaply, attracting China and Japan.
  • It then became South Korea’s goal to recover through a mission to become the world’s leading exporter of popular culture.
  • In the early 2000s, K-dramas led the Korean Wave and attracted many viewers. But the rise of Korean boy bands and girl bands such as Big Bang, Girls’ Generation, and Kara extended its reach to the global stage.
  • According to studies, several factors also enabled South Korea to explore its potential towards the Hallyu:
    • Lifting the ban on foreign travel for local Koreans 
    • Restructuring of Korean chaebols (a large family-owned business conglomerate), allowing smaller businesses to venture into more independent and varied businesses
    • Banning censorship laws gave more entertainment industries the freedom to showcase formerly “controversial” topics
    • Focus on infrastructure and globalization
    • Introducing Korean brands to the world such as Samsung, LG, Hyundai Cars, and AmorePacific for beauty products
  • To maintain its influence outside Korea, the Korean government has been active in conducting different cultural festivals displaying Korean culture and PR campaigns to promote Korean uniqueness and help the entertainment industry.

K-Pop

  • Perhaps the most successful Hallyu contributor is the explosion of the KPop industry. Korean pop music began with Seo Taiji and Boys’ debut in 1991.
  • Currently divided into four generations, these boy bands and girl bands attracted international audiences of all ages.
  • Their fame increased South Korea’s tourism and overall economic impact to about $4.9 billion by 2021.
  • In 2009, the girl group Wonder Girls were the first Koreans on the Billboard Hot 100 with the English variant of “Nobody”.
  • Psy’s “Gangnam Style” ranked no. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 7 consecutive weeks and was soon followed by BTS in 2020 and 2021 at no. 1 with their songs Dynamite and Butter.
  • With the Kpop industry’s growing popularity, idols are devoted to real-time communication with their fans around the world via social media, building stronger bonds with them.

K-Drama

  • Other K-drama shows loved by the international audience beginning the 2010s are My Love from the Star, That Winter, the Wind Blows, Dokkaebi (Guardian: The Lonely and Great God), and Moonlight Drawn by Clouds.
  • Netflix’ first original Korean drama in 2019 Kingdom 1 & 2 was successful and was then followed by Sweet Home in 2020.
  • This success gave rise to some Korean superstars such as Lee Min Ho and Song Joong Ki, among the men and Song Hye Kyo, Park Shin Ye, and Park Min-young among women.
  • To date, Descendants of the Sun has been exported to 32 countries, generating earnings of more than KRW 1 trillion.

K-Movies

  • The value of the cinema of South Korea is the fifth highest in the world following North America, China, Japan, and the United Kingdom.
  • Films such as Old Boy, Oasis, Burning, and On the Beach at Night Alone have won international film awards over the years.
  • The Korean film industry reached its peak when Bong Joon-ho became the first Korean director to win the Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival for his film Parasite, and won 4 leading awards at the Academy Awards in 2020. 
  • As Parasite won major awards at the Oscars 2020 (Best Picture, Directing, International Feature Film, and Writing), Korean films were more recognized around the world.

K-Beauty

  • With the influence of K-pop idols and Korean artists, beauty standards have also begun to shift, resulting in increased demand for K-beauty products around the world.
  • The Korean beauty market is now in the top 10 in the world, with an estimated worth of over $13.1 billion in sales in 2018, with an expectation of billions more in the coming years.
  • Boasting functional cosmetics, K-beauty products include anti-wrinkle, elasticity-boosting, pigment-fading, and sunscreen properties, which are popular not only with women but also men.
  • If cosmetics and medicines don’t work, South Korea is the best place to physically change one’s facial features, as the country is currently known as the plastic surgery capital of the world.

South Korea: Hallyu (Korean Wave) Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about the Korean Wave across 25 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Hallyu, also known as the Korean Wave which refers to the global popularity of South Korea’s cultural economy exporting pop culture, entertainment, music, TV dramas, and movies.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Hallyu (Korean Wave) Facts
  • South Korea
  • Korean Wave
  • K-Pop
  • Standards of Beauty
  • Korean Cuisine
  • Language
  • Movie Review
  • Korean Fashion
  • Hallyu Tourism
  • Culture Exchange

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.