Hallyu Wave Speech

Sweat pours down your back. Your neck aches from craning to see the stage better. The seven- hour wait for tickets was grueling, but here you are; watching. Waiting. As you hold up your light stick, you wait with the rest of the stadium in tense anticipation. You have screencaps of their faces from your favorite MVs. Photo cards of their best selcas in your wallet. And their newest album in your bag, ready for signing during the fan meet. Every peso is worth it, just to breathe the same air they do. The air shifts--- suddenly it’s all screams. Voices; high, low, shrill, throaty, scream from all around the stadium as the lights come on and the first beats of electronic music ring out from the speakers. Your own throat aches with its first scream
The propagation of their culture beyond the borders of their country has given the nation a new global identity; one that does not live in the shadow of its war-torn past. Hallyu has created a more positive image for the nation through its booming and trendsetting entertainment industry. The new image gained from the Hallyu Wave has also paved the way for smoother global transaction and relation. (Lee, Sue Jin 2-3) This new image embodies the more positive yet intrinsic qualities of the Korean spirit: A spirit of industrialism, passion and innovation for their work. The Korean government has also recognized the potential of the Hallyu Wave as the nation’s prime export. Hallyu has been deemed as the nation’s ‘soft power’ due to its stellar success and capacity to reach global audiences. State support is given through promoting the projects that their local talents engage in, such as tourism materials for neighboring countries, China and Japan. (Ravina, 3-9) More than just a prime export, Hallyu has also opened new opportunities for its government to build rapport with international
While many see the movement as a sign of progressiveness in Korea, some claim that K-Pop is simply rebranded “American” or Western pop music geared towards an Asian audience. Other criticisms come from K-Pop stars themselves such as veteran idol PSY, whose song “Gangnam Style” allegedly mocks the culture of excess, materialism and superficial beauty that the industry has promoted to new heights since the surge of Hallyu. (The Economist, 2015.) With K-Pop as the prime export of the nation, the idols are at the very center of the culture of materialism that PSY has mocked in Gangnam Style. The song’s mockery of materialism pokes fun at excess, a key characteristic of the K-Pop genre which is known to be over-the-top and quirky. Despite these criticisms, many fans still hail the genre as a pinnacle of the Korean spirit of industrialism and innovation due to its meticulous and dynamic nature. However, it is these same values that fuel the materialistic and commercialized reality that haunts K-Pop idols once they enter the