by Naomi Bang ‘23

From Squid Game to BTS, there’s no question that South Korea has been making waves in international pop culture. Hallyu or “Korean wave” is a term to describe the rise in global popularity of South Korea’s pop culture. The country has made its mark in entertainment, cuisine, fashion, technology, terminology, and beauty. 

The recent K-drama Squid Game has earned its place as Netflix’s most viewed original. Garnering over 111 million viewers within a month of its release, Squid Game surpasses the previous number one show Bridgerton, and becomes the first to cross Netflix’s 100 million milestone. The thriller also became a viral sensation on social media with the hashtag ‘SquidGame’ drawing over 22.8 billion views on TikTok. Despite the original production being spoken entirely in Korean, the drama rose to number one in 90 countries across the world with dubs and subtitles in different languages. K-dramas like Squid Game are becoming more mainstream, especially with Netflix’s forty available titles on their platform. 

Global sensation BTS is leaving their mark in the music industry by breaking numerous records on music charts and streaming services. The band enters the 2022 Hall of Fame with 23 Guinness World Records. In addition to becoming the most streamed group on Spotify, BTS achieved the most Twitter engagements for a music group. In 2018, their album “Love Yourself: Tear” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, becoming the first K-pop album to do so. Since then, BTS has charted six total number ones on the Billboard Hot 100, including their single, “Butter”, which holds the record for most viewed music video premiere on YouTube. BTS’s fans, known as ARMY, not only enjoy the band’s smooth melodies but also experience Korean culture through the group’s music and performances. BTS has always embraced their Korean identity whether it be commentating on social issues in Korea through their lyrics or performing at historical sites like Gyeongbokgung Palace.

Aside from pop culture, companies like Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, and Naver Corporation are at the forefront of South Korea’s technology expansion. Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., based in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, is currently a top technology company as one of the biggest smartphone manufacturers in the world. With a revenue of $200.6 billion, Samsung is one of Apple’s main competitors. Though it owns many other subsidiaries, the multinational electronics corporation is commonly recognized for its mobile phones and devices. Its most recent phone products are the GalaxyZ Flip3 and Fold3 5G that both utilize advanced folding technology. 

Other South Korean companies like auto manufacturer Hyundai Motor Company are using their influence to advocate for change. Hyundai is in progress to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045 by focusing its efforts on hydrogen fuel. This zero-carbon fuel uses the stored energy in hydrogen which is obtained through solar and wind power. Using this and other green energy resources, Hyundai aims to run all of its factories completely on renewable energy. The company’s efforts could play a role in the world initiative toward net zero carbon emissions. 

With the rise of South Korea’s influence, Korean terminology is becoming more recognizable. The Oxford English Dictionary recently updated its database of Korean terms. Among the words included in the update are “hanbok” (traditional Korean clothing), “mukbang” (a chatting while eating video), and “daebak” (an adjective or interjection to describe something amazing). This influence over modern English is a testament to South Korea’s reach.

Though South Korea may appear small, the country has much to offer. With a land area hardly equal to that of New York but a population exceeding California’s, the country’s technical innovations and memorable advances in pop culture are making a worldwide impact.