week2-Vivianne Lee

     Although Korea has not been considered cool during the 1950s, Korean popular culture soon began to play an increasingly visible role in transnational markets and lead to the popular country it is now. For example, the Korean singer, BoA has topped Japan’s Oricon pop music charts several times, and other Korean pop singers and bands have become household names throughout Asia. I personally seen the artist BoA many times in Japanese singing shows. Meanwhile, there has also been an exponential growth in the export sales of Korean films. As a Japanese Korean, I too have noticed how Korea has gradually become a popular topic to discuss growing up. KPOP drama has become a huge topic during my years in middle school, and even people who aren't Korean were watching Korean dramas. The Korean media today not only echoes, but also fuels the nationalistic euphoria and celebration concerning the Korean Wave phenomenon. The coverage of the Korean Wave phenomenon by media such as the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Fi-nancial Times, and comments on Korean films by internationally recognized figures have similarly made headlines in the Korean media. I think media really helped Korea rebuild itself from its economic disaster and lead to its popularity seen today. 









Jeongsuk Joo. “Transnationalization of Korean Popular Culture and the Rise of ‘‘Pop Nationalism in Korea”.
“BoA.” Discogs, www.discogs.com/artist/112795-BoA.