BBC "Squid Game, the Latest Wave of the K-Culture Tsunami"

'Squid Game' Characters Appear at the Largest Entertainment Expo in the U.S.

(New York AP=Yonhap News) On the 8th (local time) at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York, participants dressed as the guards from Netflix's Korean drama 'Squid Game' posed at 'New York Comic Con 2021.' New York Comic Con is the largest entertainment expo in the U.S., where new works in comics, games, movies, and characters are unveiled or exhibited, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.
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[Asia Economy Reporter Junhyung Lee] The British BBC broadcast evaluated on the 15th (local time) that the global craze for the Netflix drama 'Squid Game' is the result of the long-term development of Korean dramas.

On the same day, the British BBC broadcast covered the phenomenon of Korean dramas gaining worldwide popularity in an article titled "Squid Game - The rise of Korean drama addiction." The BBC stated, "BTS and Blackpink have become household names in the music industry, and 'Parasite' and 'Minari' shook Hollywood by winning Oscars," adding, "The popularity of Squid Game is the latest wave of the 'Korean cultural tsunami' that has spread to the West for several years."

The BBC analyzed the factors behind the popularity of Korean dramas from various perspectives. First, it pointed out that Korea underwent a wave of political liberalization in the 1990s, which led to massive investments in the entertainment industry.

Additionally, the BBC evaluated that China's rapid growth during a similar period was also a cause of the rapid rise of Korean culture. It analyzed that for Chinese people, Korean dramas felt more affectionate than American TV programs and were also morally appropriate.

The spread of internet streaming companies such as Netflix was also credited with expanding the Korean drama market. It explained that global viewers were able to watch Korean dramas legally through Netflix and others, thereby securing a larger audience base.

COVID-19 also became an opportunity. After the pandemic, the Western entertainment industry experienced a "shutdown." In contrast, Korean dramas were steadily produced and gained popularity, according to the analysis. In fact, Netflix Korean content viewing in Asia increased fourfold in 2020 compared to the previous year.

Various storylines were also pointed out as an advantage. British writer Dailer Dior Rumble, a fan of Korean dramas, said, "The most popular K-dramas are usually extremely stylised and glamorous, completely detached from reality," adding, "So they are very good for escaping reality."

The "level of expression" in the content was also cited as an advantage. The BBC noted that along with the success of the film 'Parasite,' global interest in Korean content has grown, and factors such as unexpected storylines, good production environments, and filming locations were also strengths of Korean dramas.