2023, Vol.13, No.3

Asia Review 2023 KCI Impact Factor : 0.86

pISSN : 2234-0386
https://journal.kci.go.kr/asiareview

Asia is the region where Hallyu originated and has had a strong influence for a long time. In East Asia in particular, Korean popular culture, as well as Korean products such as cosmetics and food, are widely consumed, and the rise of social media and global platforms has further increased the popularity and reach of Hallyu. However, there is a perceptible decline in scholarly attention towards Hallyu within Asia, as the phenomenon gains traction in diverse regions beyond the continent. To explore the academic discourse on Hallyu in Asia, this study conducts a meta-analysis of domestic studies focusing on Hallyu in Asia. By examining research spanning a 20-year period and analyzing keywords, countries studied, and fields of study, this research aims to discuss the current limitations and future directions of Hallyu Studies in Korea.

The Korean Wave in Japan takes on a characteristic as a cultural history that has been gradually established in the Japanese society, while expanding its social classes enjoying K-culture amid negative Korea-Japan relations. Having noticed the fact that after the fourth Korean Wave in 2020, the Korean Wave in the Japanese society is no longer subordinate to the title, ‘the Korean Wave’ we commonly say, this study aimed to examine concrete aspects of ‘K-culture in Japan in process of post-Korean Wave. Until recently, the Korean Wave in Japan had a strong characteristic of ‘Cultural Acceptance’ that the Japanese society was getting to understand the Korean contents and culture more and more. At present, however, the Japanese society is entering a new phase named ‘Cultural Convergence’, where they started recognizing K-culture as a creative element and connecting it to the Japanese social and cultural systems. Therefore, we should pay more attention to such aspects of ‘Cultural Convergence’ between K-culture and J-culture from the perspective of exchanges in the Korea-Japan cultural history.

This study aims to analyze how the recipient countries of the Korean Wave not only adopted the Korean Wave but also performed as a recipient country through the case of Indonesia, while focusing on aspects that have been previously neglected in previous Korean Wave studies such as the situation, strategies, policies, attitudes, and perceptions of the recipient countries of the Korean Wave. In Indonesia, the Korean Wave is currently at its most advanced stage of popularization and growth as K-pop, entertainment, K-food, and publishing have steadily risen in popularity since the airing of the first K-drama in 2001. The largest internal changes in Indonesia’s situation as a recipient country of South Korea have been democratization and globalization. The most pronounced performative strategies of Indonesia for the reception of the Korean Wave are the establishment of creative economy policies and its choice to engage in closer exchange and cooperation with South Korea. Moreover, the interpretation of the cultural impact of the Korean Wave in Indonesia is itself controversial. Recently, Indonesian society has even seen the rise of the negative discourse of “Korean wave’s invasion to Indonesia.” However, this study believes that the continued acceptance and spread of the Korean Wave in Indonesia despite its controversial nature should be interpreted as a meaningful phenomenon in itself. In the end, the Korean Wave in Indonesia should be interpreted as a fluctuating cultural and economic phenomenon in the context of the Indonesian people’s choice, acceptance, and autonomous performance.