When people think of commercials produced by South Korean pop culture industry, they often think about the poppy yet clean visuals for Korean cosmetics, featuring essentially goddesses that promise the key to aesthetic enlightenment. Or perhaps talent game shows that have the production value matching those of the top sphere of some America’s top acts. The Korean pop culture industry is full of indulgent optimistic flair that obscures what it means to live in a society with such a high bar for beauty standards. Is Korea’s overstatement of beauty standards indicative of what makes a woman valuable? And are those ideals of female value shifting?

For instance, champion Korean beauty brand, Hera, just last year produced a commercial prominently featuring Jun Ji-Hyun, a contemporary Korean pop culture icon. Ji-hyun has acted in many famous films such as My Sassy Girlfriend. In the name alone, Hera reinforces the high standards of beauty that Korea is known for. Hera, the Grecian goddess of fertility and marriage, in this instance indirectly reinforces the eastern values of beauty as a means to meet a man, marry and carry children. Assisted through the presence of attractive icons of Korean pop culture makes the product promising in achieving that goal, considering that those actresses and entertainers are heavily sought after by the general male audience.

Some may argue, pop culture industry employ these elements to create a sense of fantasy for their audience. However, “popular culture is often denigrated but it’s critical for appearing to offer not representations of the world but avenues of escape from it, ‘mere escapism’ is also an easy way of dismissing popular culture for the critical agenda” (John Fiske, 544). Therefore, to write off a main component of their marketing would be a disservice to understanding the values and flaws of Korean culture. By propagating these almost impossibly beautiful and slender women, all with beautiful spotless skin to star in their commercials, they are not just portraying fantasy, but are the root of Korean beauty fantasy in the society.

Although it is true that advertisements are designed to make sales and using physically attractive people would work to this advantage, it is also important to recognize the consequences of having such stringent societal standards, but it has been slowly working upon loosening those standards. There has been an increase in Korean TV shows that discuss various social issues, such as feminism and body acceptance. For example, a K-drama called “It’s OK to Be Sensitive,” talks about difficult encounters where the main actresses are told that they are just being “too sensitive” by men who unwarrantedly discuss their bodies and intrude upon their lives regardless of consent. And throughout those encounters, the actresses learn that it is alright to put your priorities first and say no to unwanted advances despite potential difficulties. These depictions of women are more nuanced and shows a shift in priorities within Korean pop culture industry, rejecting the idea that women are only as valuable as the men and institutions who place value on to them. Even the increasing portraying of women in commercials as mentioned before have been making strides in the growing and empowering representation of Korean women, portraying them as people who transcends traditional female roles, such as working or business women.

The shift in Korean pop culture from “pure” fantasy into more nuanced depictions of the everyday women indicates a greater cultural movement within Korea. Considering that “the culture industry fuses the old and familiar into a new quality. In all its branches, products which are tailored for consumption by masses, and which to a great extent determine the nature of that consumption, are manufactured more or less according to plan” (Adorno 12), shows a greater desire to appeal to the everywoman of Korean culture.  Korean women are more present in politics, opening businesses, and are a growing part of Korea’s workforce. While, yes, the Korean pop culture industry fuels consumption through the sale of fantasy, ultimately, considering that the public is seeing more programming and advertisement depicting the everyday people, shows that there could be a desire to see women grow and thrive as a population.

After decades of the Cold War separation of the Korean peninsula, there are many differences between the polar nations. South Korea is now a country of global influences with a fast growing economy. Contrarily, North Korea is isolated, impoverished, and heavily armed. Putting aside economic political systems of the two starkly different countries, it was only years prior that South Korea was in a destitute position. So what was the determining factor in which South Korea went from a conflict ridden American proxy state into the country with the eleventh greatest economy in the modern era? I believe that one of the main reasons South Korea is able to develop and rise from its economic hardships was the South Korean government’s decision in liberalization of its cultural output.

For the majority of the popular culture landscape, Korean entertainment was completely overshadowed by Japanese culture in all manners. However, during the 1990s with the U.S’ increasing pop culture influences with regard to hip hop and Hollywood cinema began to surface into South Korea’s bubble did Japanese influences begun to decrease. At this time, the South Korean government also abolished many censorship laws which gave a rise to greater artistic freedom to artists who then greatly promoted a wide range of subject matter to discuss. As a result, in the 1990s, the world experienced Hallyu, or Korean wave, interpreted by Lee, Hye-Kyung as

“A transnational demand for, and passionate consumption of South Korean popular culture,” with K-Pop being a primary cultural export (Lee, Hye-Kyung, 185).

The government witnessed the success of South Korean music and cinema overseas, thus furthered the removal of censorship policy and additionally began to double down on its cultural exports by announcing it as a top priority to fund cultural institutions.

The government’s decision on the staying power of Korean popular culture was successful. However, nowadays, South Korea has such an attraction toward the global popularity that thousands of people are willing to travel, study, and even relocate there. For example, in the case Paulina Bonnevier, a 22 year old Swedish student currently studying at the Seoul National University, she stated that she would have never even thought about getting to know South Korean let along study there if it won’t for K-Pop. For her, and many others who are influenced by K-Pop, K-Pop was the key that opened a door to unique experiences of South Korean music, language, and culture. According to Martin Roll in his article, Korean Wave (Hallyu) – Rise of Korea’s Cultural Economy and Pop Culture, as result the of the Korean cultural Wave, it was projected that Korea had earned “USD 15.2 billion from tourism, attracting a total of 13.2 million tourists,” and it is seems to only continue growing with the rise of social media platforms (Roll). Today, there are at least 115 active K-pop groups, all equipped with online presences, particularly the explosively popular boy band BTS. According to a report by the Korean Foundation, there were 35 million hallyu fans in 86 countries in 2015. Most of whom, are not only buying their favorite K Pop band’s music and merchandise, but is beginning to investigate in South Korean cultures and traditions such as foods, and language. According to a K-pop fan from Malaysia, “K-pop and dramas have definitely motivated me to learn Korean” and he is now able to read and write basic korean and appreciate the Korean culture more (Lee, Sangjoon, 7).

Not only does the increase in cultural popularity increase Korea’s cultural profits, but many other industries are able to gain from the benefits of a rising Korean culture. For instance, with the international tourist numbers “hitting 1.1 billion in 2014 and international tourist growth forecasted at an annualized rate of 3.3% to hit around 1.8 billion by 2030” (Roll). South Korea, in a sense, utilized its culture not only as a means to spread its culture, but to also attract international consumers into buying Korean goods, practicing Korean traditions, and travel to or even potentially work in Korea. All factors of which are wholly beneficial to the economy of Korea, making South Korea not only the one of the countries with the strongest or fastest growing economy but also one of the most interesting as well.