HALLYU PRODUC T I ON .
To help it develop, the government subsidised arts industries, providing funding and benefits to conglomerates as an incentive to promote dramas, films, entertainment, video games and music. Two decades later, in 2019, Korean cultural exports netted $10.3bn, an 8.1% increase from 2018. This was undoubtedly bolstered by the increasing popularity of K-dramas on streaming services like Netflix, which is available in over 190 countries. Before streamers, K-dramas expanded outside of Asia, most notably with the success of 2003 historical series Jewel in the Palace . The global sensation harks back 500 years to the Joseon dynasty, based on the true story of a girl named Jang-geum. She was the first female, supreme royal physician in a time that boasted a rigidly hierarchical, male-dominated social structure. Tackling the country’s own political turmoil and ideas of gender, the series sparked interest in other historical K-dramas, such as Empress Myeongseong . Then, in 2021, Squid Game landed. Luring in 111 million fans a month after its debut, the dystopian thriller became one of Netflix’s most popular series to date. Underneath all the hype, it resonated deeply for its takedown of capitalism. In the series, indebted people play children’s games for the chance to Did you know? As well as taking home the Academy Award for best picture, Parasite also won the Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival.
RIDING HIGH Historical fantasy epic Arthdal Chronicles is one of the top-rated Korean dramas in the nation’s recent history
“In more isolated parts of the world like North Korea, bootleg copies of South Korean dramas are increasingly smuggled into the country”
win a cash prize, and are killed if they fail. It satirises our money-obsessed society, a theme also powering the plot of multiple-Oscar-winner Parasite . The 2019 black-comedy thriller, depicting the desperation of poverty in Korea, made movie history. It took home the award for best picture, alongside best original screenplay, best international feature and best director. COMPELLING CONTENT Despite political roots, it is the engrossing storytelling of Korean cultural exports that have contributed to their longevity. Taking on socio-economic issues and universal themes of family, friendship and love, K-dramas and K-films offer parallels that echo across geographical borders. Jewel in the Palace , with its lack of sex and violence, even made it to Middle Eastern countries such as Egypt, Turkey, the UAE, Iraq, Qatar and Saudi Arabia – which often reject Western programming for its explicit content. Similarly, in more isolated parts of the world like North Korea, bootleg copies of South Korean dramas are increasingly smuggled into the country. And, as expected, hardly a day goes by without Kim Jong-un or state media railing
against “anti-socialist and non-socialist” influences spreading into his country. But at a time when the North’s economy is struggling and diplomacy with the West is “spurious”, it’s likely this act of censorship is nothing more than a paddy to instate some authority over its youth. Minari , which also addresses the failures of capitalism by confronting the elusive American dream, received critical acclaim comparable to Parasite . It didn’t take home best picture at the Golden Globes following a controversy around classification, but did win best foreign film. At the Oscars, Minari ’s cheeky, but wise grandmother Youn Yuh-jung won best supporting actress – the first-ever Korean acting winner. Writer-director Lee Isaac Chung was overflowing with praise for his cast, which included The Walking Dead ’s Steven Yeun, as well as the less-recognised eight-year-old actor Alan Kim, who will win over your affection in his role as David. For Chung, it was Han Ye-ri – who plays Monica, the anxious wife of Yeun’s fervent Jacob – that offered the most understated performance. Han navigates the tricky, emotionally nuanced territory of being an immigrant in the US, grappling feelings of guilt and identity
LAVISH Following in a line of recent high-budget series, Arthdal Chronicles cost around three billion won per episode
19. MARCH 2022
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