II. Major changes in Hallyu by region

We looked at the trends of Hallyu by region, focusing on the countries that showed significant changes in its spread and the increase in the size of communities and numbers of community members.

1. Asia and Oceania

1.1. Northeast Asia

In Northeast Asia, China and Japan are not only historically and culturally close to Korea, but also economically active countries with strong trade ties to Korea.

In 2022, there were 73 Hallyu communities in China and about 84 million community members, an increase of 3 communities and a decrease of 1.1% or 1 million people from about 85 million in 2021. In the case of Japan, the fan base decreased from 50 Hallyu communities with about 340,000 members to 38 communities with about 270,000 members.

China is a country with a large Hallyu fan base, accounting for 64.2% of the total Asian/Oceanic fan base of about 130 million people, and K-dramas such as The Heirs, My Love from the Star, and Descendants of the Sun enjoyed great popularity. However, as Chinese anti-Korean sentiment triggered by the deployment of the THAAD anti-missile defense system in Korea in 2017 and the Korean Wave Ban became entrenched, adverse conditions were formed, such as the Chinese government blocking the Weibo (a Chinese social media platform) accounts of Korean celebrities. In the aftermath of these political and diplomatic conflicts, the prevailing opinion was that Hallyu fandom in China would gradually shrink. For example, in 2020, there were significant cancellation attempts5 in Chinese fandom, sparked by BTS’ remarks in support of Korea-US relations.

However, in January 2022, for the first time in about five years since 2017, the Korean fusion historical drama Saimdang, Memoir of Colors was aired on China’s Hunan Satellite TV, and the ban on Korean Wave seemed to have been lifted. Starting with this, a total of 16 Korean dramas were aired on various Chinese OTT platforms during the year, and the door that had been firmly closed to Korean popular culture was gradually opened. Besides K-dramas, exports of content intellectual properties such as K-webtoons and K-gaming are also actively resuming. The Chinese film Moon Man, adapted from Korean cartoonist Jo Seok’s “Moon You”, took second place at the Chinese box office in 2022, demonstrating the high growth potential of K-webtoons in China in the future. K-gaming is also doing well in an unfavorable environment.6 Even under the Chinese government’s strong regulation of the gaming industry, Korean players are enjoying considerable popularity in for example LPL, a professional league of League of Legends gamers, which is broadcast by platforms such as Twitch. Looking at the current status of Hallyu in Japan, the number of community members has fallen by about 70,000 from about 340,000 in 2021 to about 270,000 in 2022. However, it is too early to conclude that Hallyu is weak in Japan based only on quantitative data. Since Crash Landing on You in 2020 ranked first in the overall Japanese Netflix drama category, various K-dramas have been successful, including Itaewon Class (2020) and Squid Game (2021). Starting from the time when Crash Landing on You, which recorded explosive viewership ratings, aired on Netflix, the number of Japanese Netflix subscribers rose rapidly from 3 million to 5 million as of 2020. At the beginning of 2022, there were a total of eight K-dramas in the top 10 of Netflix’s overall ranking in Japan. In addition, in various cultural areas such as K-pop and K-food, Hallyu is gaining interest from Japanese people.

5) Actions that primarily target celebrities and attempt to cause them to lose their jobs or social status by criticizing and revoking endorsements and the favor of those who believe they have done wrong.

6) Due to the Chinese government’s strict regulations on the gaming industry, even Chinese gaming companies are seeking a way out by entering foreign markets rather than their own. In these circumstances, foreign game companies are struggling.

Considering the facts laid out above, interpreting the decline in the number of Hallyu fans in 2022 as the actual weakening of Hallyu influence in Japan can be a hasty conclusion, and a multifaceted approach is needed to determine the cause of the numerical decrease. For example, the fall in the number of Hallyu fans may be due in part to the uniqueness of fandom culture in Japan. In Japan, fans prefer global community platforms such as Weverse, which allow direct communication with Hallyu stars, rather than Japan-based communities, where only community members can interact with each other. In fact, according to a survey by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Japan, members of a Japanese BTS fan club prefer to communicate through the boy band’s official Twitter account rather than being active on their own club site. In addition, the political and diplomatic situation between Korea and Japan may have been a factor preventing the proper reflection of Hallyu. Considering Japan’s socio-cultural characteristics, anti-Korean public sentiment may have discouraged Japanese fans from, for example, joining a Hallyu community, which is visible to the public, while still actively consuming Hallyu contents. As mentioned above, in order to properly capture and understand the Hallyu fandom phenomenon, it is necessary to understand the socio-cultural characteristics of each country and conduct analysis in that context, rather than relying on a simple quantitative review.

1.2. Southeast Asia/South Asia

In Southeast Asia, Thailand accounts for the largest share of Hallyu fandom. In 2022, the number of fans in Vietnam increased rapidly, forming a huge fan base similar to that of Thailand. First, in Thailand, the number of community members increased by about 2 million from 15 million members in 105 communities in 2021 to 17 million members in 112 communities in 2022, a growth of 13.8%. During the same period, Vietnam saw a growth of 9.2 million community members, up 223.0% from about 4.1 million members in 11 communities to about 13 million members in 20 communities.

As a country where Hallyu is in the limelight, Thailand has the most fans in Southeast Asia. As such, a very positive attitude toward Hallyu as well as community activities were found to have a positive impact on the general Thai people’s perception of Korea. In fact, according to a survey conducted by a research team at Thailand’s Mahidol University in 2022, the country with the greatest soft power influence in Thailand was Korea, which ranked first in the categories culture, fashion/life, and drama/film.7 In addition, as the popularity of Hallyu is high, they show similar enthusiasm for learning Korean. As of 2022, Thailand is among the countries with the largest number of students learning Korean. Even in 2022, consumption of Hallyu content showed growth, and the number of Thai tourists visiting Korea is steadily increasing as the COVID-19 quarantine guidelines have been eased and entry restrictions lifted.

Vietnam is the country with the highest growth rate in terms of community members. This number doubled in 2022, and the main preferred content is K-pop and entertainment. Since early 2020, mainly on OTT platforms such as Netflix, Itaewon Class, Crash Landing on You, and It’s Okay to Not Be Okay have been popular with Vietnamese Hallyu fans. As of November 2022, K-dramas Under the Queen’s Umbrella and Reply 1988 were included in the top 5 Vietnamese Netflix dramas. In the case of light entertainment shows, Running Man, The Return of Superman, and K-Pop Star continued to gain viewers. Vietnam exhibits an applied form of Hallyu by purchasing the rights to Korean-style formats, localizing them, and airing them, going beyond simply screening Korean entertainment shows. In June 2022, the Vietnamese version of 2 Days 1 Night 8 , introduced through its YouTube channel, attracted considerable attention, with the number of channel subscribers exceeding 370,000. In the case of movies, starting with Train to Busan, which received rave reviews from the Vietnamese media and netizens in 2016, Parasite was a big hit in 2019, as was Peninsula in 2020, and Yuksao (6/45) in 2022. The film industry also goes beyond merely importing and releasing Korean films, screening local remakes to suit the tastes of locals, gaining steady popularity with audiences. Vietnamese remake films include Sunny, Scandal Makers, and Extreme Job

1.3. Oceania

Among the few countries in Oceania, the country where Hallyu fandom is the strongest in both size and growth rate is Australia. In 2021, there were 34 communities with about 930,000 members, and in 2022, there were 46 communities with about 2.4 million members, a rapid growth during the year. Australia is a country where various cultures coexist, and in the past, there was a strong impression that Hallyu was a subculture only enjoyed by a few, but after PSY’s “Gangnam Style” became a worldwide hit in 2021, the perception of Korean culture gradually began to change. The increase in demand for Hallyu content was thanks to Squid Game, which was explosively popular around the world in 2021. In particular, as the popularity of K-pop increased, a number of K-pop dance studios opened, and in major cities such as Sydney, many locals are known to enjoy Korean food. In the Australian media, news reports about not only K-pop but also Korean food are multiplying noticeably. In the early days, the

7) Aisylu Akhmetzianova (September 13, 2022) “Thais say Korea has ‘biggest cultural impact’ on their culture”. Korean Culture and Information Service (KOCIS). https://www.korea.net/NewsFocus/Culture/view?articleId=220928 main consumers of Hallyu content were young Asians, but recently it is expanding to include more varied demographic groups.

8) Produced in the format of Korea’s 1 Night 2 Days.

2. Americas

2.1. North America

In North America, countries notable for their Hallyu fandom are the United States, which boasts a huge fan base, and Canada, which has a high growth rate. The size of the fan base in the United States has shrunk by 2.7%, down 500,000 from about 16.7 million members in 46 communities in 2021 to about 16.2 million members in 69 communities in 2022, but it still has the largest number of Hallyu community members in North and South America. During the same period, the number of communities in Canada decreased by half from 28 to 14, but the number of members increased by 3 million from 2 to 5 million, a rise of 154.0%.

The United States is considered one of the countries with the strongest soft power in the world. Even in the United States, the influence of Hallyu content has recently drawn attention. Dr. Sam Richards, a professor of sociology at Pennsylvania State University in the US, said, “The charm of K-content is the clarity of storytelling, issues, and themes,” and predicted the rise of the Korean Wave four years ago.

As mentioned earlier, there are about 16 million Hallyu fans in the United States, which is more than half of the total number of Hallyu fans in the Americas. Considering that the spread of culture usually starts from a place with low cultural barriers, it is impressive that Western societies located on the other side of the globe enjoy Korean content as much as they do. One of the main barriers to the expansion of Hallyu is language, and Hallyu fans are actively working to create an environment where English-speaking viewers can consume Hallyu contents without feeling uncomfortable, such as by voluntarily translating lyrics and scripts into English and producing subtitles, participating in and contributing to the spread of the Korean Wave.

Interest in K-pop in the United States, which began in 2012 when singer PSY’s “Gangnam Style” became a huge hit, has now reached the level of being called a “craze.” In particular, pop groups led by BTS and BLACKPINK are gaining popularity through global platforms such as YouTube. Along with BTS’ achievement of 4 Billboard Music Awards in 2021, Hallyu fans go beyond enjoying K-pop music itself and look for K-pop stars’ interview videos and daily vlogs, which has a great influence on their lifestyle such as fashion and makeup. As the number of passionate K-pop fans grows, the YouTube clips of American fans addressing them are also becoming more diverse every day. They are gaining popularity by creating various K-pop-related derived content such as video parodies, reactions, and lip syncing after watching videos of K-pop singers.

Korean food, Korean movies, and K-drama have also been the focus of attention lately, which can be said to be the result of the 2020 film Parasite directed by Bong Joon-ho. Parasite won four awards, including Best Picture, at the 93rd Academy Awards, gaining a positive response from Americans across cultures and popularity with its uniquely gritty portrayal of class divisions. Following that, the 2021 film Minari became popular, and actress Yoon Yeo-jeong also won the Best Actress Award at the Academy Awards, continuing the trend of Korean film box office success. Minari has won 91 awards both inside and outside the United States, including the 78th Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film, as well as the Sundance Film Festival Jury Prize and Audience Award. The great popularity of the series Squid Game, which aired on Netflix in 2021, contributed greatly to the expansion of interest in Hallyu beyond K-pop to K-dramas. It is analyzed that the reason why these cultural products were able to overcome cultural barriers and become popular in American society is that these contents realistically captured the class divide and conflict that are also prevalent in American society.

North of the United States, Canada also has active Hallyu community activities centered on K-pop and K-drama. BTS and BLACKPINK are gaining popularity in Canada as in the United States, and the popularity of Korean content such as Parasite and Squid Game continues to spread. As a result, interest in various Hallyu content, such as Korean food and the Korean language, is increasing, and a wide range of effects is expected, such as the formation of a positive image of Korea in general. Reflecting this, the number of Hallyu fans in Canada has more than doubled from about 2 million in 2021 to about 5 million in 2022.

2.2. Latin America

In Central and South America, Hallyu fandom is strongest in Argentina and Chile. Thanks to the success of Hallyu content worldwide, the number of fans in Argentina increased by 18.6% or 800,000 people from about 4.3 million in 2021 to about 5.1 million. On the other hand, in Chile, there was a slight decrease of about 1%, or 13,000, from the previous 1.1 million.

Argentina, which is estimated to have about 5 million fans, is one of the countries where Hallyu fandom has grown most rapidly among Central and South American countries. Various types of cultural content such as K-pop, K-drama, Korean movies, and K-food are being discussed in the media, and, in addition, there is considerable interest in gaming and cosmetics. With K-pop at the forefront, Korean films are driving fandom growth.

Looking at K-Pop, since the end of the 2000s, thanks to the influence of social networking platforms such as YouTube and Facebook, the popularity of Hallyu stars such as Super Junior, TVXQ, Wonder Girls, and SHINee has gradually increased. In addition, Arirang TV, the first Asian channel introduced to Argentina in mid-2008, became a platform through which locals could directly experience Korea. Since then, PSY’s “Gangnam Style” has driven the development of K-pop in earnest, and as of 2022, the heyday of K-pop continues, led by BTS. In the case of Korean films, since the mid-2000s, Korean directors have made their names known at international film festivals, providing an opportunity for a fan base to form. After that, the spread of COVID-19 and the development of OTT platforms became the conditions for creating box office success for K-drama along with Korean films.

In the case of Chile, the number of Hallyu fans has decreased slightly, but the drop is insignificant, and as of 2022, the number of Hallyu fans is estimated to be around 1 million. Beginning with BTS’ solo concert in 2017, through Music Bank’s world tour concert in 2018 and an SM Town concert in 2019, performances by K-pop idol groups such as Super Junior, CNBLUE, and SHINee have been held every year. In particular, at the end of 2022, a number of popular groups such as (G)I-DLE and NCT visited Chile for the Music Bank World Tour Concert held as part of the “Celebration of the 60th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between Korea and Chile,” drawing an explosive response from the locals. Based on this, Chile has been reborn as the center of Central and South American K-Pop Hallyu, and, through this, interest in Korean culture as a whole is spreading to K-food, K-drama, Korean movies, Korean language, etc.

3. Europe

The countries with the strongest Hallyu fandom in Europe are Russia, Turkey, and Italy. Russia has seen growth in numbers of both communities (57.1%) and community members (39.0%), which are up from 84 and about 5.7 million, respectively, in 2021 to 132 and about 7.92 million members, respectively, in 2022. During the same period, Hallyu fandom in Turkey achieved a large quantitative expansion in figures for both communities (194.7%) and community members (129.2%), up from 19 and about 1 million, respectively, to 56 and about 2.3 million, respectively. Italy has seen growth from 11 communities and about 750,000 members to 13 communities and about 870,000 members, showing a 14.8% increase of members.

Among European countries, Russia is one that became familiar with Hallyu at a fairly early stage. Russia’s relatively good internet infrastructure compared to other Eastern European countries served as a springboard for the growth of K-drama and K-pop in that nation. Hallyu fans contributed to the quantitative spread and qualitative maturation of Hallyu in Russia by quickly sharing news related to K-pop and K-drama or sharing subtitles in Russian using social networking platforms. Russian Hallyu fans enjoyed Kingdom, Crash Landing on You, Itaewon Class, and Sweet Home, while Squid Game ranked top in Netflix Russia ratings. In addition, Korean films are gaining audience recognition in Russia, with Decision to Leave receiving a special screening at the 2022 Moscow International Film Festival. Popular K-pop singers include BTS and BLACKPINK. Russian Hallyu fans actively participate in K-pop cover dance contests held in Korea and Hallyu festivals in their home country. In particular, as the COVID-19 quarantine measures were lifted in the second half of 2022, many young generations, including students, are also participating in K-pop cover dance events held at cafes and schools.

Turkey is famous for being a country that has a strong affinity for Korea, and it boasts one of the largest Hallyu fan bases in Europe. What is noteworthy is that the number of communities has increased more rapidly than that of community members, and they are mainly active in K-drama and K-pop. Turkish people first encountered K-drama in 2005 when the Korean drama Emperor of the Sea was aired on TRT, the Turkish state-run television station. Since then, not only historical dramas but also ones set in modern Korea have been popular. In the case of K-Pop, fan clubs of Korean celebrities have increased, especially among young people in their teens and 20s, and Hallyu fans in family units, including female homemakers, have also increased due to the influence of dramas aired on TV. The Korean Cultural Center in Turkey, which opened in Ankara in 2011, also played a significant role, holding a variety of Korean cultural events and activities for locals. Through this, interest was formed in various fields such as K-pop, K-drama, Korean movies, traditional music and dance, Korean language, calligraphy, and Korean food, and the number of Hallyu fans increased gradually. This trend is gaining momentum as many Korearelated cultural events were held in 2017 for the 60th anniversary of Korea-Turkey diplomatic ties, in 2021 for the 10th anniversary of the opening of the Korean Cultural Center, and in 2022 for the 65th anniversary of Korea-Turkey diplomatic ties.

Unusually, in the case of Italy, the general public became interested in and learned about Korea through the World Cup rather than Hallyu contents. As Italians’ favorite sport is soccer, the news of Korea beating Italy in the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup was a great shock and an opportunity to deeply imprint Korea at the same time. Among Hallyu content genres, Korean films were the first to be introduced. As examples with outstanding artistry were introduced at the Venice International Film Festival and the Florence Korean Film Festival, interest among locals grew. Recently, director Park Chan-wook’s The Handmaiden and Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite were screened locally and attracted audiences. In addition, Squid Game, All of Us Are Dead, and Suriname are being aired on Italian Netflix, leading the popularity of K-drama. This rising tide of the Korean Wave can also be seen in the increasing number of YouTube subscribers to the Korean Cultural Center in Italy. The figure, which was only about 200 at the beginning of 2020, has increased significantly to about 22,000 by the end of 2022.

4. Africa and Middle East

Africa and the Middle East have the smallest numbers of Hallyu fans among all regions of the world, and are also the regions where the impact of Hallyu content is weakest. In the Middle East, the countries with the strongest Hallyu fan bases are Jordan and Egypt. In Jordan, the number of Hallyu community members increased by 47.9% from about 1 million in 2021 to about 1.4 million in 2022. In Egypt, the number of community members decreased by 12.3% from about 560,000 to 490,000.

In Jordan, until a few years ago, limited access to Korean programs was available through satellite broadcasters KBS WORLD and Arirang TV. Recently, however, it has become easy to access K-pop, K-drama, and Korean movies through Netflix, YouTube, and various social media. Starting with the Netflix drama Squid Game in 2021, a number of popular series such as Hellbound, Extraordinary Attorney Woo, and Suriname in 2022 aroused interest in Hallyu content in Jordan and became popular. In addition, there is a lot of interest in K-pop, such as BTS, centered on young women from their teens to their 30s, and they continue their fandom activities based on Hallyu communities such as Jordan K-pop Lovers. Egypt, which is estimated to have the largest Hallyu fan base after Jordan, started with the Korean drama Autumn in My Heart in 2004, followed by K-drama, Korean movies, K-pop, and recently Korean education, Korean food, and cosmetics. Hallyu is spreading throughout the region. According to a 2021 survey on perceptions of Korea conducted by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Egypt among 1,000 Egyptians, it was revealed that more than 90% of Egyptians had a positive view of Korea. However, the number of responses saying that they do not know much about Korea is still significant, indicating the need for active support for the spread of the Korean Wave.

III. Hallyu in the world, the world in Hallyu

Hallyu is no longer a strange or new phenomenon. Korea’s cultural content consumption craze that started in Northeast Asian countries such as China, Japan, and Taiwan has spread to Southeast Asia such as Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, and has spread to Europe, the Americas, and other parts of the world thanks to advanced technologies such as social networking and OTT platforms. The popular influence of Korean cultural contents has grown to such an extent that the word “Hallyu” is listed as a word in the Oxford English Dictionary. The study of Hallyu is not the exclusive property of Korean scholars, but has become a serious research subject, gaining attention from scholars around the world. There was once an argument over the sustainability of Hallyu, and some commented that it was just a temporary fad, but the Korean Wave is still on the rise. Therefore, the simple factual report that “Hallyu is spreading” is no longer a new discovery, and exploring the impact and aftermath of its spread has become a truly important subject of discussion.

1. Industrialization of Hallyu and Economic Hallyu

As is already well known, Korea’s cultural content is enjoying an unprecedented time in the sun, which can be confirmed from the sensational popularity of Squid Game. Although the Hallyu craze is often regarded as a phenomenon of the spread of preference for Korean cultural products such as music, dramas, and movies, a lot of discussions have continued about whether cultural content consumption will lead to a liking for Korean culture itself and to a preference for Korea’s economic products. In recent years, the Hallyu phenomenon has been divided into cultural Hallyu, a preference for K-pop or K-drama on the one hand, and economic Hallyu, a liking for Korean products such as cosmetics and fashion on the other. It is believed that the spread of Hallyu content could lead to a preference for Korean products.

According to 2022 Global Hallyu Trends, from 2014 to 2021, the preference for Hallyu contents showed a steady increase in all the various fields of drama, movies, entertainment, food, beauty, fashion, gaming, publications, animation, and music. What this overall upward trend suggests is that preference for cultural content can lead to preference for products related to it. Hallyu cultural content is promoting cooperation and convergence in various cultural industries, mainly with K-fashion, K-beauty, and K-food. As the clothes and cosmetics worn by K-pop stars become popular, the fashion and beauty industries are positively influenced by fans who try to imitate them. In the same context, people seek Korean food out of curiosity, from exposure to it in K-dramas or the recently popular “Meokbang (online broadcasts that focus on usually one person eating a large quantity of food while describing it).” In the case of K-food restaurants, there is a trend toward convergence, such as introducing special menus for K-pop fans.

As a practical example, the cosmetic brand Sulwhasoo discarded its “no models” strategy that it had adhered to for over 20 years and entered the global market by selecting actress Song Hye-kyo as its advertising model in 2018. Consumers who became fans of her through her role in Descendants of the Sun showed an explosive interest in “how to do makeup like Song Hye-kyo” and “the cosmetics Song Hye-kyo uses.” Hallyu fandom, which originated from K-drama, leads to consumption of actual cosmetics. As another example, McDonald’s sold BTS sets in fifty countries around the world, and in the case of Indonesia, there was a sales uproar to the point that ten stores were closed due to overwhelming crowds. This convergence creates new industrial fields and plays a major role in supporting Korea’s cultural industry. This is why complex attempts to develop and promote economic products as added value along with qualitative improvement of cultural content are required when producing Hallyu content in the future.

2. Hallyu as a “glocal” culture

British sociologist Roland Robertson coined the term “glocalization,” a combination of globalization and localization. Originally, it was a term referring to the localization of multinational companies to achieve both globalization and localization at the same time, but this is also observed in the process of spreading Hallyu. Korean popular culture has undergone localization in order to adapt to and be grafted into the local culture and context of other regions, countries, and citizens in the process of spreading throughout the world. This process not only changes the content and style of Hallyu products to better suit the preferences and tastes of locals, but also allows them to appeal to local consumers in a friendlier way by incorporating local elements into Hallyu content.

As an example of the glocalization of Hallyu, the K-pop industry is targeting specific countries and regions with their music and performances. K-pop groups often release versions of songs in local languages to cater to their fans. Elements of localization, such as traditional costumes and dance styles, can also be included in music videos and performances. For example, EXO released a Chinese version of their hit song Growl targeting their Chinese fan base; this version became a hit in China. BTS’ Dynamite is also a good example of glocalization. The lyrics written only in English allow English-speaking listeners to approach the song without language barriers, and the visual background of the music video, such as palm trees reminiscent of the southern United States, and the frequently shown image of a donut shop give them a familiar atmosphere. However, its essence is still composed of BTS’ uniquely hopeful and encouraging content, which is said to be the secret of BTS’ popularity.

Another example of glocalization is providing subtitles and dubbing for each country on various platforms so that foreign viewers can watch Korean dramas with more immersion. Not only that, but actors from other countries can be cast to create a story that fits the sentiment of that country. For example, Itaewon Class was planned and aired as a Netflix series with subtitles and dubbing in many languages, including English, with potential viewers all over the world in mind. In addition, unlike the contents of the original webtoon of the same name, this drama features an African-Korean character named Toni Kim to add a storyline about social issues that can be sympathetically received in the international community, including issues such as racial discrimination. Through these adaptations, Korean original content can more easily reach and appeal to local audiences. Lastly, the localization of Korean food is another example of Hallyu adapting to the local situation. Korean food has become popular in many countries, and local restaurants have adapted traditional Korean food to suit local tastes and preferences. For example, Korean fried chicken, which heroine Cheon Song-i (played by Jeon Jihyeon) enjoyed eating in the drama My Love from the Star, has become a popular dish in many countries, and local restaurants have developed unique sauces and flavors to suit the tastes of local consumers.

Content that does not consider the cultural context of the audience cannot overcome linguistic and cultural barriers and can only become popular with difficulty. Conversely, if Hallyu content does not capture the cultural background of Korea, it will not be able to appeal with its unique charm, which will also make it difficult to succeed. Even if it succeeds in the box office, it is difficult for content without a Korean context to lead to a favorable impression of Korean culture itself. What differentiates glocalization from both localization and globalization is that the attempt is focused on adapting to a different locality while spreading Korean culture at the same time. If we remove the unique characteristics of Korean culture in order to make it easy for those who are not familiar with it, this cannot be a desirable direction for the development of the cultural industry in the long term.

From this point of view, a localization strategy that uses only local backgrounds and actors can be a profitable strategy in the short term, but it is not a desirable one for the long-term cultural industrialization of Hallyu. In fact, some Korean dramas have become popular in many countries, and local production companies have taken advantage of this trend to adapt Korean dramas to local audiences. For example, the popular Korean drama She Was Pretty was remade by local actors and content creators in several countries including China, Japan, and Vietnam. In addition, entertainment programs such as 1 Night 2 Days are remade and popular in Vietnam and elsewhere. However, even though this popularity can generate immediate profits, it has less of an effect that leads to a preference for Korean culture itself, and it is difficult to expect a synergistic effect from cultural to economic Hallyu. Similarly, in Korea, the Korean version of Boys Over Flowers, based on the Japanese drama Boys Over Flowers, was very popular, but it did not lead to Korean interest in Japan. In the Korean version of the remake, there was no content related to Japan, so the positive awareness of other cultures of Japan and the publicity effect of the musical soundtrack and product placement appearing in the Japanese version were relatively insignificant.

Furthermore, when considering the future of Hallyu, there are many things to carefully consider in product placement and investment distribution for Korean dramas and movies. In reality, it is difficult to resist the fact that content is produced with investment from other countries due to financial reasons, and that the work is produced in a tone favorable to the country in terms of content. However, we should always pay attention to that level and be vigilant not to overdo it. This not only hinders viewers’ immersion, but can also bring confusion to Korea’s image in the international community. Therefore, for the continued longevity of Hallyu, when producing cultural content, it is necessary to pursue harmony that seeks ways to be accepted in other cultures while not losing the Korean color.

A typical example of such efforts is BTS. While BTS released English songs for English-speaking fans, the song IDOL included traditional Korean chu-im-sae (rejoinder interjections) such as “eolsu johda, jihwaja, johda,” moving foreign fans to write down the lyrics in Korean and sing along. Also, the Korean word “love” that appears in their music video aroused curiosity about Hangeul letters among overseas fans and had the effect of encouraging them to study the Korean language and Hangeul. This glocalization of Hallyu suggests a wide possibility that Hallyu fandom will develop into love for Korea itself, not just economic gain. This is also the reason why it is necessary to find a way to harmoniously reflect the Korean context and the world environment when producing Hallyu content.

IV. Conclusion

In 2012, when the survey on the current status of Hallyu communities was conducted for the first time, a total of 85 countries were surveyed: 19 in Asia and Oceania, 21 in the Americas, 27 in Europe, and 18 in Africa and the Middle East. In 2022, 11 years later, the number of countries surveyed increased by 24 to a total of 109. Absent in 2012, 4 countries in Asia and the Oceania, 8 countries in Europe, and 12 countries in Africa and the Middle East were newly included in the survey. The fact that the number of countries surveyed has increased means that the administrative basis to capture the activities of Hallyu communities has grown, and at the same time, Hallyu is constantly expanding geographically and culturally. Also, comparing the amounts of community members between 2012 and 2022, the number of Hallyu fans around the world increased by about 19 times from 9.26 million in 2012 to 178 million. The number of communities around the world also increased. Compared to 2021, the previous year, the number of communities and community members increased at a similar rate by 15% and 14.2%, respectively, suggesting that Hallyu fandom is expanding and strengthening at the same time.

Unlike the past, when there were many doubts about the phenomenon itself, Hallyu is no longer something that needs to be proven. What will be important in the future will be a consideration of what can sustain Hallyu from a practical point of view and what direction Hallyu should move in the future. In order to continue to produce positive cultural and economic effects in various areas of Hallyu without losing Korea’s unique color, analysis of potential risk factors that can hinder the maintenance and solidarity of Hallyu fans online and offline and a strategic response plan should be established. In addition, it is