Does "Hallyu" Or The "Korean Wave" Need A Makeover?

Is it time for Hallyu.. or the 'Korean Wave' to get a makeover Maybe so as a recent survey showed that many foreigners believe that the popularity of Korean pop culture will not last long.
With more on this Connie Lee joins us live from the newsroom.
Hi Connie.

[Reporter : CONNIE] Hey guys.
So many of us are familiar with Hallyu.. or the Korean Wave. It refers to the popularity of Korean entertainment and culture, not just here in Asia, but across the globe.
And Hallyu has seen a recent boom in popularity..BUT is it going to last
Hallyu or the Korean Waveis riding the waves smoothly, captivating the hearts of Koreans and foreigners worldwide
Or is it A recent survey by the Korea Foundation for International Culture Exchange shows that 60-percent of the 36-hundred foreigners surveyed say they don't think Hallyu will be as popular in the next 4-to-5 years.
The people surveyed were from nine different countries, including Thailand, the U.S. and France.
How is this soFor example, exported sales of music reached more than a 100 million U.S. dollars last year-- that's more than a 110-percent increase from the year before.
The Culture Minister of Korea says that the results of the survey are subject to debate because everyone has a different view of what is considered as Hallyu.

[Interview : Choe Kwang-sik, Culture Minister Ministry of Culture and Tourism ] "The meaning of Hallyu is different depending on the person. For those who think Hallyu will die out in a few years, are probably those who relate Hallyu to Korean music and TV shows. Hallyu may have started from those things, but right now, it is much more than that. Hallyu includes Korea's animation or game industry, fashion, and Korean food. So I think Hallyu is bound to expand".

The Culture Minister stresses that Korean traditional culture like its food and language may have a more lasting effect on people worldwide.

[Interview : Choe Kwang-sik, Culture Minister Ministry of Culture and Tourism ] "Our strategy right now is to shift the focus from K-Pop to 'K-Culture'. K-culture includes traditional and contemporary Korean culture and arts. The popularity of Korean entertainment can vary, depending on trends, so I think there's more variety and sustainability in promoting Korean traditional culture".

He suggested combining traditional Korean and modern elements will help sustain Hallyu for years to come.

[Reporter : CONNIE] So an example of combining the traditional and modern the suit that he was wearing during the interview he said it's a tailored suit, made out of material used for "hanbok"-- or the traditional Korean dress.
So he said through mixing the traditional aspects with the contemporary, Korea can further promote its traditional culture and make it more accessible to foreigners.

Right.. so it's interesting that in the survey results, most of the foreigners, more than half of them, didn't think Hallyu would last for a long time. And just last week didn't we have a large Hallyu fan club from France come to Korea

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[Reporter : CONNIE] Yeah- they did! They came to explore Korea, and learn more about the country besides its celebrities and movies.
So after hearing from foreigners about Hallyu I then became curious as to what local Koreans and others . thought about Hallyu and its possible lasting effects.
Let's hear what they had to say:

Reporter : connie@arirang.co.kr