When scouring the news for languages and cultures that are hot right now, it is easy to find plenty of articles discussing the importance of Chinese, Arabic and Spanish to the U.S. economy. Being the 10th largest economy in the world, according to Wikipedia, Korea has a lot of potential for producers of media and content. If Korea chooses to make Hallyu more of a two-way street, its avid consumers of pop culture and online media will be readily open to what U.S. marketers have to offer.

 TV dramas have become South Korea's hottest export since cell phones, female golfers and kimchi. The Korean craze, which includes music and film, has swept through Japan, China, the Philippines, Singapore and most of Asia, and is now making its way across the United States.

From Wikipedia: The term "Korean Wave" is a Chinese pun that also translates directly into Korean. Both 寒流 ("cold front") and 韩流 (Korean Wave) are pronounced "han2liu2" (or "halliu" in Korean).

Initially, many Asian television companies broadcast Korean shows because the productions were impressive-looking but cheap to purchase. As their exposure increased, they resonated with audiences and their popularity grew; by 2000 the Wave was in full swing. Today, observers generally agree that the most likely explanations for the popularity of South Korean shows, singers, and movies throughout Asia is due both to South Korea's high income levels and to the closer cultural affinity they can share as Asian countries.[2]

South Korea is now the 10th largest economy in the world, and its entertainment companies are able to finance shows and movies with production values much higher than in much of Asia. Korean pop singers' performances are slickly produced and often feature spectacular laser and fireworks shows.

Tags: Hallyu | Korean | Asian | culture