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The next Korean Wave

Posted February. 02, 2012 08:28,   

한국어

Korean pop group Girls’ Generation recently appeared on three major TV talk shows in the U.S.: CBS’ "Late Show with David Letterman," ABC’s "Live with Kelly," and NBC’s “Extra TV.” The host of “Live with Kelly” described the reaction of fans from around the world by saying many are Tweeting about Girls’ Generation being on the show. There is no doubt that the Korean Wave has expanded beyond Asia to reach American shores, serving as an effective bridge-builder between Korean and U.S. culture.

Last year’s K-pop concert in Paris drew fans from all over Europe, who buzzed with excitement and sang Korean songs that even Koreans have a hard time memorizing. In response, American fans asked for K-pop concerts to be held in the U.S. Korean singers swept 12 honors at Japan’s Gold Disc Awards last year, with another Korean girl group Kara taking five and Girls’ Generation three. The Asian Artist award was set up by the Japanese awards organization out of fear that Japanese singers would get fewer awards.

While many around the world still associate Korea with war and demonstrations, a major shift in image of Korea and Korean products has occurred in recent years thanks to the Korean Wave. A traditional trait of Koreans is that they enjoy singing and dancing and have nice appearances. Coupled with a unique training system, this has helped give K-pop stars exceptional singing and dancing capabilities. Fans around the world watch K-pop concerts on YouTube. Last year, K-pop videos were viewed nearly 2.3 billion times in 235 countries on YouTube. K-pop singers are pioneering “culture technology Korea” by embracing the trends of the world’s younger generation. The popularity of Korean dramas has weakened a bit in Japan, but K-pop`s globalization is poised to flourish further. More efforts are needed to revitalize the Korean Wave in dramas.

The Korean wave in the medical sector is also expanding. Korea posted a net surplus in medical tourism for the first time last year, as foreigners spent more than 100 million U.S. dollars for treatment in Korea. In the past, foreigners visited Korea primarily for cosmetic surgery and skin care but more with serious illnesses such as cancer, brain and vascular ailments, and heart disease are coming for treatment. Against this backdrop, the regulations for private capital investment in Korea’s medical market should be eased while language barriers should be lowered for medical tourism to further grow. Just as Girls’ Generation and medical tourism have paved a new road for Korean cultural exports, other sectors will also have to take on bolder challenges.