Korean Wave

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1990s korean waves.jpg

Korean Wave as a Tool of Soft Power[edit]

„Korean Wave„ is a neologism referring to the increase in popularity of the South Korean culture since the late 1990s. Originally coined in 1999 by Beijing journalists surprised by China’s reception of South Korean cultural production, the term was progressively associated to TV K-dramas broadcasted across East and Southeast Asia and, successively, most areas of the world.

The expanding K-pop culture trend can be perceived as a tool of soft power, through which the South Korean government pursues a cultural exchange between South Korea and the rest of the world touched by this trend.