Hallyu is a key word for understanding currents in global popular culture. Following new Korean cinema in the late 1990s and TV drama in the 2000s, K-pop took over as the flagship of hallyu fandom in the 2010s. The growing fandom of K-pop in Europe and other parts of the world disputes the skeptical view of the transnational consumption of South Korean popular culture as a short-lived, regional trend led by middle-aged, (new) middle-class women across Asia. Hallyu in 2011 attracts a wider spectrum of audience regardless of gender, age, or region. The male star-led popularity of hallyu dramas has also changed. From this perspective, the new stage of Korean Wave, “sin-hallyu,” led by K-pop, requires a new, critical inquiry into the radically shifting trends of hallyu consumption and the political economy of the idol industry, its globalization strategy, and the institutional support of the government in national...
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
