Squid Game Wave
Have you watched Squid Game?
This was the one question on everyone’s mind as the South Korean series topped the trending list in more than ninety-four countries. The show has made history by becoming Netflix’s most watched series and its unique storyline has taken the world by storm. It revolves around the most debt ridden members of Korean society who participate in children’s game in order to win a large amount of money, however the stakes of the games are very high. Despite the dark plot and a somewhat negative portrayal of Korean society, Squid Game was extremely well received across the globe. It has taken Hallyu or the Korean Wave to the next level.
Hallyu refers to the global popularity of Korean culture including music, dramas, beauty, cuisine, etc. The Korean Wave has seen a rise in Korean language learning by numerous people from all over the world and Korean universities have also gained an increasing number of foreign students.Hallyu is paving the way for South Korea to develop its soft power, which is seen as a more persuasive approach to international relations as opposed to hard power, which deals in military might.
Pakistan, a country with a rich culture and history as well as immense potential, has much to learn from the rise of Hallyu. South Korea was not a well-off country by any means during the late 1900s but the success of the Korean Wave has seen it become the world’s twelfth largest economy. Hallyu gained traction primarily in its neighboring countries of China and Japan before also conquering Southeast Asia. With the creation of more K-pop groups and their global tours, it continued to grow all across Asia, and today has spread throughout Europe as well as North and South America.
There were certain factors which contributed to the growth of Hallyu. During the Asian financial crisis, President Kim Dae-Jung decided that technology and popular culture would become Korea’s main exports. Moreover, in 1996, South Korea removed censorship bans which had previously limited creativity of artists and filmmakers when it came to discussing controversial issues within the country. Famous Korean companies, such as Samsung and LG, also began to focus on branding, design and quality and their products have become globally popular today. Furthermore, Korea’s mostly young population gained many opportunities in art, film, and music due to government support and an overall environment which promoted creativity. Korea’s Ministry of Culture, with it’s massive budget of over 5 billion USD, has continued to support and promote all forms of Korean art, film, fashion, skincare, comics, and much more. Besides Squid Game, the South Korean movie Parasite also won at the Oscars. K-pop groups like BTS and BlackPink have also attained a global following.
What can Pakistan learn from the Korean Wave? The answer is simple. Soft power should not be underestimated, especially during this age of globalization, as already witnessed by the immense prevalence of Bollywood as well as Hollywood, prior to Hallyu. What Pakistan can do is to also make soft culture a priority if it wishes to follow in Hallyu’s footsteps.
The first step would be the government’s attitude towards developing its popular culture and then fully supporting them through eliminating censorship which limits creativity and by creating a better environment for our art and film industries to flourish. Moreover, proper planning, promotion, and budgeting would see our cultural exports rising. If Pakistan begins to tap into its people’s immense potential and produces quality films, dramas, art, books, and comics, and if such a culture is created in which these professions are considered honorable and worthy, then Pakistan would surely see results.
Pakistani cultural exports should first be promoted in neighboring countries with similar cultures, such as India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka to name a few. A study of our target audiences could take Pakistani pop culture’s rise to the next level. Above all, government support, strategy and consistency could see Pakistani cultural exports become globally popular a la Hallyu.
Hallyu, by enchanting everyone’s hearts to make them fall in love with Korea and its culture, has proved that if countries promoted positive things like film and art as opposed to spending only on weapons and warfare, the world would be a much happier place.