Reading the ‘Korean Wave’ as a Sign of Global Shift
This article uses discourse analysis of newspaper and magazine articles during 2001 as well as fieldwork to reveal how the Korean Wave allowed Koreans to develop a different perspective on globalization. It identifies three perspectives that emerged from analysis: a cultural nationalist perspective, which emphasized pride in Korean culture, an industrialist and neoliberal position, which emphasized culture as an industry and focused on the sale of Korean products, and a postcolonial perspective, which emphasized the Korean wave as only the product of capitalism. The Korean wave has continued to grow, sparking a second Korean wave that generated less ideological and more information-based discourse.
Cho Hae-Joang
Korea Journal. 45.5 (2005): 147-182
Manufactured Creativity: Production, Performance and Dissemination of K-pop
K-pop represents a unique and distinct Korean system of “manufacturing creativity,” which involves utilizing global music talents. <br /><br />This article documents K-pop a mode of manufactured creativity, explains the term, and examines how K-pop engages in manufacturing creativity. K-pop’s business model is based on talent and represents a blend of U.S. music strategies, which favor consistency and long-term popularity, and Japanese strategies, which favor quick-selling hits. K-pop embodies creativity and longevity. It outsources creativity but also reprocesses those creative ideas internally. Such manufactured creativity is exemplified by SM Entertainment, which has been global since its start. It expanded its business network globally but also emphasized the internal process of finishing songs, which also involves creative skills and talented performers. As a result, global for K-pop is a combination of global and local.
Gil-Sung Park
Korea Journal, 53.4 (2013): 14-33.
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