Indian Millennials Riding the Korean Wave

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The first pandemic lockdown turned into a second, and life as we knew it came to a screeching halt. Immersing in new activities – baking, cooking, watching movies, listening to music, etc., we escaped the tormenting times. But one thing that captured all the millennial minds during the lockdown was the advent of the Korean Wave in India.

If Spiderman and Superman transcended Hollywood to become a cultural reference across the world, including India, now there is a whole new band of icons that have overtaken the imagination. From Ramyeon and Kimchi to BTS, Crash Landing On You and What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim, India slowly became the hub of K-Fever.

Hallyu, ‘Flow of Korea’, refers to the increasing popularity of Korean culture all around the world, especially in India. It has been pushing boundaries of its interest since the early 2000s in the North-East region and now, it is spreading rapidly all over the country. The major reason behind the increasing popularity of the Korean wave in India is the youth’s interest in K-Pop and K-Dramas, eventually leading them to other aspects of the culture. It is also expanding its roots in areas of food, literature, language and culture among the enthusiasts.

Thanks to the pandemic that the number of Hallyu Enthusiasts is increasing rapidly in our country and Indians have added a new “K” in their lives and that’s K-Pop, K-Drama and K-Culture.

K-Dramas are the new fad in town!

Koreaboos who have watched enjoyable Korean dramas such as ‘Descendants of the Sun’, ‘Crash Landing On You’, ‘Gangnam Beauty’ and others, have developed a wanderlust of travelling to Korea. K-Drama is now a genre among Indians. Social media apps like Instagram are filled with pages dedicated to Korean content.

People mostly like the limited number of episodes that intrigues them to watch more and more in a short span of time. Filled with many genres, Korean Dramas aren’t a type of entertainment that you consume with your eyes and ears, it makes you tempted to live the life those characters are living, eat the food that they are eating and feel connected with the characters in many different ways.

K-movies are the new buss

Korean movies and Korean filmmaking that grabbed the attention of many also came to the country as a part of the Korean wave. Bollywood is adapting Korean movies which are hitting the blockbusters list. Movies such as Salman Khan’s ‘Bharat’ is an adaptation of the famous Korean movie, ‘Ode To My Father’, John Abraham’s ‘Rocky Handsome’ is a remake of ‘The Man from Nowhere’ and ‘Randeep Hooda’s ‘Do Lafzon ki Kahani’ was also adapted from K-Movie ‘Always’.

Social Samosa

Move Over to K-pop

The K-pop lovers in India are nowadays listening to their favourite groups/singers and making & breaking records. We can witness a major fan following of popular K-pop groups like BTS, Blackpink, EXO, etc. among teenagers. They not only listen to their favourites but also cover their choreography and cosplay their concepts. This helps the artists to achieve big in music streaming charts.

Korean’s the new Chinese?

The rise of Korean content has given a new and thriving business opportunity for Korean packaged food brands in India.

Ramyeon (Korean noodles), Tteokbokki (rice cakes), Mandu (dumplings), Kimchi and Soju (alcohol) have also become widely popular in the country.

K-beauty: A Skin-Deep Obsession

The K-beauty trend has become massively popular in the country. The no-makeup look of the South Koreans has fascinated many Indians. The trend has considerably influenced beauty and makeup routines. It has even introduced new and inventive skincare formats like sleeping masks, serums, and sheet masks.

Why India can’t get enough of the Korean Culture?

When Spotify was launched in India on Feb 26, 2019, it triggered the whole country. Inadvertently setting off the Hallyu, Spotify was itself taken aback by the reception that K-Pop enjoyed among the Indian masses.

India is a country that has long obsessed over aping the West. The Korean wave came as a breath of fresh air and a sign of breaking away from the stereotypes associated with the Far East. It will be interesting to see how the subculture which has something in store for everyone, progresses from here. However, one thing’s for sure, Hallyu is here to stay!

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