Film & Drama Regional Film & Drama This topic plans to go over the rise in popularity of Korean dramas and films and the role the media plays on both domestic and international stages. How does this media affect native Koreans? How does it affect international viewers? What locations are these films coming from, and how does the regional location of the film affect the viewer? South Korea planned for the growth of the Hallyu Wave since the 90s. After slowly growing to popularity in Japan and China, popularity skyrocketed from films like Parasite and K-dramas like Crash Landing on You. However, there is a distinct difference between the themes in Korean films and Korean dramas; in addition, the location of the media is related to the dialect, food, and history of the city or province. There is also a difference in reactions from international viewers and domestic viewers. I plan to tackle all of these issues in the subtopics below. This documentary goes into the overarching themes of Korean film and dramas that I plan to present in the following subtopics. The Rise of the Hallyu Wave (the 1990s): Its Beginnings and Inspirations In the mid-1990s, South Korean media made its mark in Asia–specifically in China and Japan. Although not reaching global success yet, dramas like 사랑이 뭐길래 (What Is Love), a 1997 drama that gained popularity in China, and 겨울연가 (Winter Sonata), a 2002 drama that gained popularity in Japan, brought attention to Korean media outside of Korea. Due to the 1997-1998 Asian Financial Crisis, businesses turned from the manufacturing sector to the entertainment sector. This influx of workers and the need to contest the popularity of Japanese media at the time led the government to create 300 cultural industry departments in colleges and universities nationwide. The investment of the government and the dedication of new workers are just the beginning of film and media in South Korea. The Hallyu Wave Planned for Decades Even though the Hallyu Wave is just now reaching the West, this video reveals that government interest in media production began in 1994, after the presidential advisory board on Science and Technology reported that the film revenue of Jurassic Park was equivalent to that of selling 1.5 million Hyundai cars. The Cultural Industry Bureau was then created. From Political Turmoil to International Popularity After Korea was colonized by the Japanese until 1945, control over Korea simply moved from Japan to the United States and the Soviet Union. After the Korean war ended in 1953, South Korea still struggled with leadership, dealing with political protests, regimes, and more. In 1987, democratic elections were allowed for the first time in Korean history. This history is important to show how its history of brutality and censorship is translated into Korean films and dramas, from the 90s to today. Why Hallyu Wave? Director’s Standpoint Yoon Seok-Gu, the director of many nostalgic Hallyu dramas such as Winter Sonata, explains the reason why foreigners have fallen in love with Hallyu dramas. He acknowledges the success to be partly due to the fact of the beautiful scenery in the city of Andong, South Korea, the location where he filmed the dramas. Modern Korean Film and Drama on an International Stage South Korean film hit the international stage after Parasite (2019)–a satirical commentary on modern-day wealth and societal gaps–became the first South Korean film to receive Academy Award recognition. After Parasite came Squid Game, a Netflix original TV series that shows the absurdity of wealth and power. This series amassed a total of 1.65 billion watch hours worldwide. However, aside from reaching critical acclaim from critics, Korean dramas have garnered a strong following in places such as the United States and Japan. Shows such as Descendants of the Sun (2016), Goblin (2016), and Fight My Way (2017) kept fans wanting more from actors such as Song Joong-ki and Park Seo-Joon. Effects on Small-Town Businesses This video is a Netflix video showing the actors of Squid Game eating Dalgona, but the first minute shows a professional creating the Dalgona from scratch. The boom in the popularity of Dalgona makers in Korea is just one example of how Korean film has a positive effect on different sectors in Korea, both big and small. The Critical Acclaim of Squid Game This Wikipedia page shows a list of nominations and awards that the show Squid Game has achieved. This show received multiple Emmys, Screen Actors’ Guild Awards, and more, proving the international success of this Korean series. Effects on Tourism in Other Countries Although films such as Squid Game and Parasite received massive critical acclaim from around the world, Hallyu fans have been around much longer before those films’ success. Their loyalty specifically to Korean dramas is shown in this video. Locations in Switzerland that were filmed during the hit K-drama Crash Landing on You have received a high influx of tourism due to fans visiting the spots. K-Films vs. K-Dramas Although Korean films and series have amassed international attention, Korean dramas, or K-dramas, have garnered a loyal fanbase throughout the years. Accompanied by top-notch visuals and cliche storylines, K-dramas focus on mainly lighthearted issues such as high school sweethearts (ex: School anthology series) and making college dreams come true (ex: Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo). However, since the success of Korean films such as previously mentioned Parasite, which covers heavier topics such as socioeconomic inequality and the unfair power of the rich (which are common themes found in Korean films), K-drama directors have widened the variety of Korean drama topics. For example, Extraordinary Attorney Woo Young-Woo covers the life of an autistic attorney. A story like this would not have been able to be produced 10 years ago due to the narrow opportunities of K-dramas, but through the influence of Korean movies and short series, K-dramas are covering serious topics just as Korean Films are. The International Competitiveness This paper discusses the origins and methods of the Hallyu Wave; however, it also discusses the international effect of k-dramas and the international effect of Korean films. Korean films are found to be more globally acclaimed than Korean dramas. Extraordinary Attorney Woo The Trailer of Extraordinary Attorney Woo shows a lighthearted woman who continues to carry the day despite her disability and the hardships that come along with it (bullying, discrimination, not being taken seriously, etc.). This topic may be a serious issue to talk about in a TV show, but this k-drama takes a lighthearted approach, as shown with the gleeful music in the background. Parasite The trailer of Parasite exudes humor and irony, but the color grading and background music are dark and eerie, conveying a feeling of uncertainty and suspense to the viewer. This method shows that the topics at hand will be taken seriously, thus this film must be taken seriously. Regional Dialects in K-Films and Dramas Although many dramas and films use the Gyeonggi dialect (a.k.a. the Seoul dialect), there are six different dialects spoken in Korean; the Gyeonggi dialect is the dialect that most people would associate as the “standard dialect.” The dialect that is most distinct from any other Korean dialect is the Jeju dialect. This language barrier, in addition to the physical land barrier, can cause a disconnect between Jeju Island and the rest of Korea. However, popular films such as My Mother, The Mermaid connect the Island with mainland Korea. Outside of Jeju Island, cities such as Busan and Gwangju have gained footing in the film industry, proving that cities other than Seoul can produce high-quality media. Bridges Between Jeju Island and Mainland Korea This is a short clip from the film My Mother, The Mermaid. Here, there is a distinct difference between the dialects spoken by the male lead and the female lead. The background of the scenes also shows what life is like on the island, as there is a scene of boys playing around outside as the male lead bikes away. Busan Film Festivals The Busan International Film Festival aims to introduce films and upcoming directors from all across Asia. This festival brings tourism and interest to the city of Busan. Regional Historical Significance The film “화려한 휴가” (May 18) Shows the historical significance of the Gwangju massacre that occurred in 1980. Albeit the main characters are fictional, the setting of the film sheds light to not only the city of Gwangju but also the importance of remembering the history of Gwangju. Effects on International vs. Domestic Viewers Although Korean dramas and films are loved by many international fans and critics, there is a slight disconnect between domestic Korean viewers and international viewers. International viewers and domestic viewers take offense to vastly different issues. For example, when Kim Jisoo (actor) was accused of severe bullying allegations, his career in Korea was considered gone overnight, as he was attacked by K-netizens. However, international fans did not agree with these actions, as they tried to defend the actor. Another disconnect is shown when the actor Park Eunseok wore an appropriative costume mocking black Americans in the well received series Penthouse. International fans took offense to this mockery, leading to a well-deserved apology from the actor. This situation sparked a series of discourse regarding the way culture appropriation is viewed in Korea. International viewers and domestic viewers interpret media through many different perspectives. School Bullying This article covers the accusations that the actor Kim Jisoo was facing by the victims, and the comments show disapproval of Kim Jisoo receiving punishment for his actions. Comments such as “Here we go again…this is getting to the place of the boy who cried wolf” and also these articles are getting boring. now everyone is a bully” show the disconnect between international viewers and Korea’s issues with bullying. Two types of viewers This is the apology video that actor Park Eunseok uploaded on his TikTok. The English comments range from acceptance to continuous disapproval (ex: you played a character that showed harmful stereotypes of the black people. he wasn’t “appreciating” a culture even if that’s what it was supposed to be. so yeah not it sir, do better). However, Korean comments defended him by saying that there was a possibility that he didn’t even know about cultural appropriation. This again shows the disconnect between the two types of viewers. Korean Forum Show This comment from a Korean forum shows the tension between international fans and domestic Korean fans. International fans would call Korean fans “K-netz,” while domestic fans would call international fans “I-roaches.” Albeit there are stark differences between Korean films and Korean dramas, no matter the location in Korea, Korean media manages to garner attention from both domestic viewers and international viewers. This growth in popularity was not a fluke and had been planned since the early 90s. Although there may be differences in opinions from international and domestic viewers, film critics and drama fans will still tune in to appreciate the cleverness of Korean films and the lightheartedness of Korean dramas.