July 15th was a music milestone. Ten years ago in Summer 2012, the release of “Gangnam Style,” catapulted South Korean singer and rapper, PSY to stardom as the song instantly became a global hit. Captivating listeners with catchy lyrics and an animated music video featuring the iconic horse-riding dance, Gangnam Style hit the unprecedented 1-billion views mark on YouTube just 159 days after its premiere. The song’s immense popularity and rapid global reach quickly thrust Korean pop culture into the international spotlight, a phenomenon known as the “Hallyu” or Korean wave movement. The phrase emerged to encapsulate South Korea’s influence in exporting its popular culture, media, and even cuisine into the global cultural economy. U.S. President Barack Obama even referenced the Korean Wave in a 2012 state visit to the East Asian nation. Hallyu Gains More Momentum Amid Work By Plenty Of Korean Creatives And Innovators Plenty of Korean artists continue to follow in the footsteps of PSY in shifting the global music scene. K-Pop acts like BTS and Blackpink remain massively popular and are considered positive examples of South Korea’s cultural exportation. In early August 2022, Blackpink announced details of their performance in Abu Dhabi in early 2023 as part of its “Born Pink’ world tour. Hallyu’s also made waves within gaming. Some may even argue that games built the foundation for the Korean Wave due to the popularity of Korean g...
