How South Korea become cultural super power in 70years ?

South Korea emerged as a cultural superpower in The industrialized economies in East Asia with the greatest rates of growth during the last seven decades are known as the “Asian Tigers.” Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and South Korea are the four Asian Tigers. Among them, South Korea is notable for being a superpower in culture as well as an economically developed country.

Rise of South Korea music.

The well-known “Gangnam Style” song from South Korea became the first YouTube video to receive over one billion views. “Squid Game,” a South Korean television program, is one of the most watched programs worldwide.

But by eliminating the embargo, Kim was crucial in fostering better ties between South Korea and Japan. As a result, J-Pop, or Japanese pop music, was first introduced in South Korea. Among the first wave of Korean boy bands was H.O.T. 1.5 million copies of their 1996 debut album, “We Hate All Kinds of Violence,” were sold. This band was founded by SM Entertainment. Prior to assembling this group, the company’s founder asked students what they thought the perfect pop group should be.

Even YouTube sensation Mr Beast’s most popular video is about Squid Game. Additionally, South Korean bands like BTS and Blackpink are achieving international fame, K-Dramas are becoming more and more popular, and South Korean movies such as “Oldboy” and “Parasite” receive acclaim and prestigious awards globally.

There are bands like Blackpink and BTS nowadays. The seven-piece boy band BTS made history by meeting US President Joe Biden at the White House, playing at the UN General Assembly, and becoming the first K-pop song to exceed one billion Spotify plays with their song “Dynamite.” The BTS Army is the name of the group’s devoted fan following; you may have noticed them frequently trending on Twitter.

The four-piece girl group Blackpink also saw tremendous growth in popularity. The Blink Army is the term used by their supporters. These significantly increased South Korea’s soft power.

Notably, “Parasite” achieved a first by being the first non-English film to win the Best Picture Oscar. “Parasite!” How is this taking place? Is the massive global appeal of South Korean material and products just a coincidence, or is the South Korean government’s well-planned policy to blame?

How did Korea divided into two.

Let’s begin our journey on August 15, 1945, the crucial day that signaled the official conclusion of World War II and the formal surrender of Japan. Korea, which had been ruled by Japan, achieved independence as Germany, Italy, and Japan suffered heavy losses. For this reason, August 15th is observed as National Liberation Day in both North and South Korea. At that time, Korea was a single, unified nation rather than two distinct countries.

Following World War II, Korea was divided into two halves by agreement between the US and the Soviet Union. North Korea was commanded by the Soviet Union, and southern Korea was under American authority. For a period of five years, North and South Korea were to be placed under trusteeship in order to evaluate their progress and make decisions about their future. After five years, the ultimate goal was to bring Korea back to independence.

Regretfully, it did not occur. The Cold War officially began when hostilities between the US and the USSR increased. The UN tried to hold supervised elections in North Korea in 1948, but it was not possible. In the meantime, elections were held in South Korea, which was ruled by the United States, and a new constitution was approved.

The Republic of Korea was thus established on August 15, 1948. A popular, liberal, new country.” Our General of the Army Douglas MacArthur and Mrs MacArthur, to attend observances formally publicizing the end of the US military government in Korea, and the conformation of the free and independent Korean Republic.” The following month, North Korea was placarded to be a absolutism run by socialists.

Two years later, in 1950, North Korea made an invasion of South Korea in an attempt to bring the two Koreas back together without the use of a peaceful treaty. A war resulted from this. An ongoing fight spanning three years. The Korean Conflict. “In Korea, United Nations’ troops push on in the cautious advance against the communists.” As a result, South Korea rose to the top of the global poverty index.

The nation was so impoverished at the time that its GDP per capita is lower than that of Haiti and Somalia, two of the world’s poorest countries today. President Rhee Syngman of South Korea maintains an authoritarian posture as a result of the extreme poverty that undermines democracy.

Rise of South Korea

The nation moved toward tyranny after he proposed changes to the constitution. In 1960, there were elections, but it was later discovered that they had been manipulated. starting protests across the country. The protests forced President Rhee to leave the nation, which led to fresh elections. In these elections, a new prime minister of South Korea was chosen. However, General Park Chung-Hee’s military coup quickly followed, toppling the administration and installing a military dictatorship.

Even though he was killed in 1979, a military coup resulted in the assassination of another general. South Korea did not experience a return to democracy until 1987–1988. Censorship is one legacy of the protracted authoritarian era in South Korean culture. The Motion Picture Law was adopted by Park Chung Hee in 1962 and was revised four times in the ensuing ten years, each time increasing stricter.

Entertainment revolution in south korea

Films released in South Korea during that period had to go through a government approval process for their scripts. Additionally, after the movie was produced, it was carefully examined to make sure the storyline followed the government’s approved version. Which movies would the government approve? Melodramas, martial arts films (many of which were released in South Korea during this period), violent pictures, and obviously films intended for propaganda purposes—many of which were funded by the government—were all permitted.

Films with graphic material were permitted as well. Known as “hostess films,” they included a minimum of one character portraying a bar girl or prostitute. However, what was prohibited? producing movies that tackle actual social and political issues. Instead of films that were critical of the government, any film that dealt with any national subject was prohibited. a stark contrast with Korea as it exists today.

The Korean content market is flourishing and diverse nowadays. Icons with international recognition include Squid Game, BTS, and Gangnam Style.

Weightlifting Fairy, Warm Meet You, and Cheer Up are among the top 5 Korean dramas. She Was Pretty and Tempted, Kim Buk-Joo. Of them, I think the television program Cheer Up is the most noteworthy; it is a moving tale of an underdog that appeals to a wide audience and is about friendship, life, dreams, and passion.

According to a 1975 New York Times article, South Korea imposed a ban on foreign music during the dictatorship. ‘Decadent’ Foreign Music Banned in South Korea Every foreign music without a “moral standard” was prohibited, resulting in the compilation of two massive blacklists with over 260 songs each. Protest songs, rock songs, folk songs, and even well-known pieces like Bob Dylan’s renowned “Blowing in the Wind” were featured.

The limitations lasted until the democratic system was reinstated in the 1990s, which was a watershed moment. The Hollywood production Jurassic Park made a significant amount of money at the box office in 1993 and became extremely popular all over the world.

The Hollywood film’s financial success was compared to the money from selling 1.5 million Hyundai cars in a report that the South Korean President received from the Presidential Advisory Board on Science and Technology. Following this, the government made the decision to support the media industry as a strategic one. Seo Pyeon Je, a Korean film, debuted in Korean theaters that same year.

At this point in time, not many people had high expectations for this movie.since the box office success of Hollywood films in South Korea was limited to these. On the other hand, this movie was inspired by traditional folktales. Because of how well-liked it was by the general public, this movie became the first Korean production to sell more than a million tickets in Seoul, the country’s capital.

The government realized the media industry had potential as a result of this success. They made the conscious decision to disseminate Korean culture over the world and actively worked to promote its development.

It is crucial to take into account the Korean economy in order to comprehend this emphasis on exports.

The nominal GDP per capita of South Korea rose fiftyfold between 1962 and 1989, from $104 in 1962 to $5,438 in 1989. Due to the dictatorship, General Park nationalized several private banks around the nation. Park was in charge of practically everything, including import/export permits, tax benefits, interest rates, and the distribution of foreign currency. Large family companies in Korea are referred to as Chaebols, and General Park utilized his influence to support them.

These organizations were protected from outside competition, and the government allowed them to take advantage of domestic labor. The issues South Korea was facing at the time were comparable to those Singapore was facing. Due to their small domestic markets, low levels of domestic savings brought on by poverty, and dearth of natural resources, small nations had to concentrate on exports if they wished to expand.

Industrialization focused on exports. Like Singapore, South Korea gave this a lot of attention. In an effort to spur growth, it listed a variety of manufactured commodities on its export list, including wigs, plush toys, shipyards, cars, home gadgets, appliances, chemicals, and semiconductors.

The government chose to export Korean culture in addition to everything else it was attempting to sell. For this reason, the Cultural Industry Bureau was founded by the South Korean government in 1994. In 1996, a new Film Promotion Law took the place of the antiquated Motion Picture Law.

The new rule encouraged artists and filmmakers to express themselves freely, in contrast to the former regulation that placed constraints on what may be included in movies. Meanwhile, a government-submitted media policy paper addressed worries about small and individual firms competing with major, international corporations.

Notably, big businesses began venturing into the media space, including Samsung, Hyundai, and Daewoo. These businesses assumed a variety of roles in the distribution, showing, and importation of international and domestic films. These chaebols had a hand in every affair.

These enterprises’ financial stability made it possible for South Korea to produce films properly for the first time.To learn about audience preferences, market research was done, and film studios enlisted the help of MBAs and recent graduates from prestigious colleges. Hollywood productions of big-budget blockbusters were made possible by Chaebols. much as this movie, Shiri. the Korean film industry’s first big-budget, Hollywood-style blockbuster picture.

This dramatic action movie kept its Korean content while incorporating Hollywood storytelling skills. With a 2.4 billion won budget, Samsung made this movie, which became the biggest grossing movie in Korea at the time of its release, surpassing the Titanic blockbuster in South Korea. The popularity of these movies spurred Koreans’ interest in going to their local theaters. International distribution of films was promoted for production businesses.

But South Korea was struck by a serious financial crisis in 1997. “The global markets worried that other Asian countries might have similar hidden floors.” Thailand, Indonesia, and South Korea were three of the most hit nations during the Asian Financial Crisis. The IMF intervened to help, although with some restrictions. The South Korean economic crisis was attributed on crony capitalism and the Chaebols.

Insider trading, tax avoidance, and indirect cross-ownership practices were exposed by the economic crisis.”The global markets worried that other Asian countries might have similar hidden floors.” Thailand, Indonesia, and South Korea were three of the most hit nations during the Asian Financial Crisis. The IMF intervened to help, although with some restrictions.

The South Korean economic crisis was attributed on crony capitalism and the Chaebols. The financial crisis made illicit insider trading public.Before receiving assistance from the IMF, the South Korean government was advised by the IMF to deal with these issues. The South Korean government responded by enacting eight new Chaebol regulations.

One important regulation stated that these big family-run companies had to stick to their core industries and not be permitted to operate in other areas. For this reason, businesses like Samsung and Hyundai have exited the film production industry. The new regulations caused the chaebols to exit the film production industry. clearing the path for fresh, younger competitors.

The global view of Korea was impacted by the financial crisis in addition to its negative effects on the Korean economy. Kim Dae-jung, the president of Korea, saw that culture might help the nation rebrand itself in addition to contributing to economic recovery. Even today, Kim Dae-Jung is held in high regard in South Korea and is frequently referred to as the “Culture President.”

He and his successor, Roh Moo-Hyun, are credited with starting the country’s cultural revolution. Remarkably, Kim Dae-Jung is the only Nobel laureate from Korea. How did he bring about these adjustments? First, the distribution of funds.Kim created the Basic Laws for the Cultural Industry Promotion Project in 1999 and provided $148.5 million to see it through to completion. The Ministry of Culture established a special division devoted to Korean pop music.

The second is the growth of infrastructure, which includes the building of concert halls costing millions of dollars, the establishment of Culture Industry Departments at universities around the nation, and the proliferation of Noraebangs. In essence, noraebangs are karaoke establishments where patrons can enjoy drinking and singing.

The Digital Korea initiative comes in third.Many people think that because of the pandemic, individuals were confined to their homes and turned to YouTube and over-the-top (OTT) platforms to find fresh entertainment, which is why Korean TV series and movies have become so popular. Thus, it just so happened that everyone began to watch Korean media. However, Kim Dae-Jung had already set the stage somewhat earlier.

South Korea became the most connected country in the world in 2004 when almost 12 million households had broadband connections thanks to the introduction of broadband services for households in 1998 and intensive promotion of broadband connections. Fourthly, censorship has been lifted. Kim Dae-Jung loosened all regulatory measures.

As previously said, filmmakers who tackled major national socio-economic concerns in their films ran the possibility of being labeled as anti-national, accused of endorsing North Korea, or even arrested under the National Security Act.

However, Kim eliminated the board review procedure, embraced artistic and creative freedom, and instituted an age rating system modeled after that of the United States.This made it possible for filmmakers to honestly depict the difficulties that regular people experience.

This explains the enormous global appeal of movies like Parasite. Parasite became the first non-English picture to win the Best picture Oscar after taking up the Best Film Award at the Cannes Film Festival. What was the subject of this movie? The enormous inequality in South Korea.

The world was made aware of Korea’s socioeconomic gap between the rich and the poor. Director Bong Joon-Ho was not accused of insulting the country by anyone. of taking advantage of the nation’s impoverishment on a worldwide scale.

President Moon Jae-In of South Korea really gave the movie high marks and called it the most Korean story. People in Korea rejoiced over the movie’s international success, and one of the main reasons for this is that the real-life problems it depicts—poverty, unemployment, crime, and gender discrimination—are not exclusive to Korea.

These problems are not exclusive to Korea. These can also be seen in other nations. They have an emotional resonance with individuals all throughout the world. Looking back on the 1990s, Korea saw the emergence of a group known as the 386 generation, which consisted of people who were politically involved in the 1980s democratic movement but were born in the 1960s.

This generation, now in their 30s, was the first to have the chance to go overseas by the early 1990s. Yes, it is correct. Koreans were prohibited from traveling abroad up until that point. Traveling abroad for tourism purposes was outlawed for citizens. The administration took this action due to its worry over the depletion of foreign cash.

But these limitations were removed as liberalization and economic growth occurred, enabling the 386 generation to go overseas. to travel while enrolled at international film schools, where they can learn fresh viewpoints on life and filmmaking. Many of this group went on to become well-known, left-leaning filmmakers who specialized in documenting important social topics in their films. Notable examples include Kim Ki-Duk and Bong Joon-Ho.

I mentioned the film Parasite, but Bong Joon-Ho has made two more outstanding films that are critical of capitalism: Okja and Snowpiercer. In contrast, Pieta, a film by Kim Ki-Duk that tells the tale of a callous loan recovery agent, took home the Golden Lion for Best Picture at the Venice Film Festival.

The most watched Korean film abroad at the time was Park Chan-Wook’s Oldboy. Zinda is an unofficial remake of a violent and dark vengeance thriller that took place in India.

Officially, Hollywood recreated the movie “Oldboy” under the same name. Dark thrillers were formerly the most popular genre in Korea; the Korean film “I Saw The Devil” served as an inspiration for the Bollywood film Ek Villain. The Korean film “The Chaser” was imitated in the Bollywood film “Murder 2,” and “The Outlaws” was imitated in “Radhe” and “Most Wanted Bhai.

“Il Mare,” which debuted in 2000 and became the first Korean film to be remade in Hollywood as “The Lake House,” is one of the romantic and comedic blockbusters that the Korean film industry used to break free from the stigma that it only produced dark thrillers. ‘What is Love,’ a successful Korean drama, was the first to be officially exported to China, debuting on China Central Television in 1997. It was a significant milestone in the history of Korean dramas.

Many people saw this as the first sign of Hallyu, which is Korean for “wave.” As the Korean wave grew in popularity over the years, Hallyu reached a new height. “Hallyu, also known as The Korean Wave.” With ‘Squid Game’ emerging as the most popular web series on Netflix, “The K-Wave” or “The Korean Wave” kDrama reached its pinnacle. One may wonder what it is about Korean dramas that makes them unique, compelling, and well-liked.

Their emotional reality is the crucial element. The stories are frequently plausible when viewed through an emotional lens. These plays also examine a variety of backgrounds, such as the historical Korea shown in “Royal Secret Agent,” the journalism industry in “Hush,” or the folklore fantasy in “Tale of the Nine-Tailed.

kDramas have a striking appearance. Fourth, authors’ inventiveness in developing captivating plots. It’s interesting to note that women make up 94.6% of kDrama screenwriters. based on projections by the Korean Broadcast Writers Association. As part of their decolonization process, South Korea first outlawed Japanese music content.

They then held auditions to choose the band’s members. After receiving intensive training in an organized idol system—a notion originally adopted from Japan—these people became well-known worldwide due to K-Pop. Street castings and international auditions are popular ways for talent agencies to find idol trainees. They offer extensive instruction in acting, dancing, singing, and media communication.

After that, the corporation chooses their stage name, persona, and fan interactions. Some criticize this structure, drawing comparisons between the record labels and factories, and labeling the trainee agreements as slave contracts. On the other hand, some support the system because it allows anyone to gain popularity based only on talent and appearance.

Notably, PSY’s “Gangnam Style,” a Korean song with an English punchline, rose to fame in a similar manner. It included an intriguing dancing move and a great melody. A combination of these factors led to the song’s continued success, making it the first YouTube video to exceed one billion views in December 2012.Many Korean songs have since adopted this format.

The songs’ ability to appeal to non-Korean speakers worldwide was made possible by the English hook and the majority of the lyrics being in Korean. South Korea is a superpower in culture today. that increases Korean tourism as well as the country’s economy.I think there’s a lot we can take away from this.

First, we saw how the chaebols contributed to the Korean economic disaster. It demonstrates why monopolies, crony capitalism, and wealth concentration are detrimental to all nations.

Where some people are compelled to live off of subsidies while others have access to coal, power, ports, airports, gas, and other industries. The country suffers from this. These kinds of monopolies are also seen, in large part, in Indian film studios. A few significant production houses exist.

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