The Korean thriller “Squid Game” (Squid Game) has quickly become popular since it aired on Netflix, and it has become a hot topic of discussion after dinner.
Even if you haven’t watched “Squid Game”, you may have chased other Korean dramas, or liked Korean pop music K-pop; or, have tasted Korean cuisine and tried Korean cosmetics.
All in all, the “Korean Wave” has spread from Asia to Europe, America and the world. Korean culture is quietly affecting the lives of many people around the world.
The influence of the Korean Wave is so great that the “recognized English authority” British “Oxford English Dictionary” (OED) has included and added 26 Korean words in one go in its latest edition.
OED said in a statement: Adding these words will enable “all of us to ride the Korean Wave.”
Korean cuisine and culture
Many of these Korean words included in the Oxford English Dictionary are related to Korean cuisine, including:
- Banchan, a noun,-Korean side dishes, refers to various side dishes in traditional Korean rice meals.
- Bulgogi, noun,-Korean roast beef (or pork) in Korean cuisine. Thinly sliced beef or pork is marinated and grilled or fried.
- kimbap, noun,-Korean seaweed rice roll
Following the international success of “Squid Game”, “Parasite Upstream” (also translated as “Parasite”) and South Korea’s most popular band group, the Korean Bulletproof Boys (BTS), some words representing Korean culture have also entered Oxford dictionaries, such as the following:
- Hallyu, a noun,-Korean Wave, is the Korean culture that is popular around the world represented by Korean music, movies, TV, fashion and food.
- K-drama, noun,-Korean drama.
- manhwa, noun,-Korean comics, often influenced by Japanese comics.
- mukbang, a noun,-eating and broadcasting, especially referring to live broadcast of Korean eating and broadcasting programs.
OED said that the inclusion of so many Korean words is a recognition of the language change of English users.
Korean producer “Global Vision”
Dr. Hye-Kyung Lee from King’s College London said that the success of Korean cultural output such as “Squid Game” and “Parasitic High” should be attributed to the global thinking and vision of Korean film and television producers.
Dr. Lee, who specializes in culture and art, said that more than 10 years have passed since the early success of K-pop, and Korean film and television producers already have a global vision.
She said that despite geographic and linguistic differences, the characters in these Korean dramas can resonate with audiences in the UK and around the world. “These characters don’t have much hope. They have no future and struggle to survive every day,” she said.
“These Korean dramas or movies are entertaining, but they also have unique things that resonate with people all over the world.”
Dr. Li also said that the criticisms made by the characters in the play on the social and socio-economic conditions are also empathetic.
Li Huijing said that South Korea has caught up with the West in terms of cultural industries and believes that it will continue to grow.
At the same time, she also added that South Korea is in a leading position in terms of technology and talent, and they have a strong ability to produce high-quality works.
K-POP band is popular all over the world
The term “Korean Wave” was first used by the Chinese media and later used to refer to the successful export of Korean cultural industries.
The success of Korean cultural export has been going on for many years. It is no surprise that it has been following Korean dramas, using Korean cosmetics, traveling to Korea, and having plastic surgery throughout Southeast Asia, including China, Japan, Thailand, Singapore and other places.
However, the popularity and popularity of Korean culture in European and American countries is also related to the 2012 song “Gangnam Style” by Korean singer Park Jae-sang (Psy, known as Uncle Bird).
“Uncle Bird”‘s “Gangnam Style” has taken the world by storm, making him the first Korean pop singer to top the UK singles chart. At the same time, the song became the most watched song on the YouTube video site, with a click rate of more than 400 million believed to be more than 400 million, and horse-buying is popular all over the world.
In recent years, K-pop bands such as BTS and BLACKPINK’s Korean girl singing group have further promoted the momentum and popularity of Hallyu in Europe and the United States.
The English single Dynamite, released by BTS in August 2020, had more than 100 million views on YouTube on the first day after it went live.
This single not only broke the YouTube premiere record, but also made them the first K-pop band to top the Billboard 100 singles chart.
Streaming media fuels the flames
If K-pop has played an indispensable role in the Korean Wave’s penetration into European and American countries, then the emergence of streaming media like Netflix has contributed to the Korean Wave’s popularity in the West.
Streaming media makes Korean dramas more international. It is believed that “Squid Game” is expected to become the highest-rated TV series in Netflix’s history, with 95% of its audience coming from countries other than South Korea.
Another reason for the popularity of Korean dramas is the successful screenwriting and narration. As the American Korean director Lee Isaac Chung put it, the story of a narrative person transcends race, skin color, and a specific type of film culture.
In addition, Korean dramas also provide people with opportunities to appreciate the latest Korean fashion and fashion, as well as exquisite makeup and art settings.
At the same time, in recent years, Korean dramas have focused on the lives of ordinary people suitable for all ages in the selection of materials, and the design of lines has also been as close as possible to the real lives of ordinary people. These are the reasons why Korean dramas are so popular.
For example, the black comedy “Parasitic High” (2019), which reflects the disparity between the rich and the poor in South Korean society, received close to 250 million U.S. dollars (approximately 1.6 billion yuan) at the global box office. The film also won the 2020 Oscar for Best Picture, and it is also the first non-English film in history to win the Oscar for Best Picture.
The Hallyu, which is sweeping the world, is still gaining momentum. Perhaps, more Korean words will enter the Oxford dictionary in the near future.