Why is Korean culture and K-pop still so popular? A PR consultant decodes the hallyu wave

From Blackpink songwriter Danny Chung to Brad Pitt’s tattooist Doy, the book ‘Make, Break, Remix: The Rise of K-Style’ sheds light on people shaping Korean culture from behind the scenes

Since exploding on the international scene in the last few decades, Korean culture—and indeed all things Korean, from fashion to food—has continued to fascinate people across countries. This wave of popularity, also known as “hallyu” (or Korean wave) has swept across continents, igniting a passion for Korean dramas, K-pop and Korean celebs.

In her book, Make, Break, Remix: The Rise of K-Style, author and PR consultant Fiona Bae investigates this very phenomenon of why and how the hallyu wave has become a global cultural phenomenon.

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Above Fiona Bae (Photo: courtesy of Fiona Bae)

Bae interviewed 18 creatives who has helped shaped Korean culture across various disciplines in recent decades, including Lia Kim, choreographer and co-founder of 1Million Dance Studio (which is widely popular on YouTube); Hwang So Yoon, lead vocalist of indie rock band Se So Neon; Doy, tattooist to the likes of Brad Pitt; Teo Yang, architect and designer; Danny Chung, songwriter for Blackpink; and Sukwoo Hong, fashion journalist. Interwoven throughout the book are five distinct photo-essays from celebrated photographer Tae Kyun Kim, whose work has been published in several international media publications.

“Korean style is a very eclectic mix,” Bae tells Tatler. “I thought it was important to look beyond the visible stars in the industry and seek out people who were influencing and shaping it from behind the scenes. It’s full of contrast, irony and different cultural influences, that’s why I came up with the title Make, Break, Remix.”

The author explores the reasons behind the meteoric rise of K-culture, identifying technological advancement and global exposure as two defining factors. “You can absorb trends, or whatever is cool out there, whether it’s from Japan or South America or Africa. South Koreans are especially digitally savvy, [social media and technology] have became powerful tools for young Korean creatives.”

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Above Taekyun Kim’s photos in Fiona Bae’s book reveal a fun side of K-culture (Photo: Taekyun Kim)

Bae says that a distinctive “k-style” has evolved as Korean creatives have been able to harness a confluence of global and Korean cultural influences in their works because they’ve been able to get easy access to the rest of the world digitally. “It’s become much easier and cheaper to show your own creation to the world, thanks to digital transformation.”

According to Bae, the appeal of K-culture also lies in its attitude. “The attitude is quite bold and the creators are brave enough to mix things and experiment. Whether you’re doing something Korean or not, this daring attitude is consistent.”

“Most people do what feels real to them. And it’s such a weird mix of different inputs, including Korean influences drawn strongly from [our country’s] traditional roots, reinterpreted to make it contemporary.” Most people Bae interviewed have been born and raised in Korea, so “they feel that it’s [Korean traditional influences] innate to them, they don’t consciously try to highlight it.”

Above Taekyun Kim’s photos in Fiona Bae’s book capture behind-the-scenes moments from K-pop celebs lives (Photo: Taekyun Kim)

But Bae also credits the Korean diaspora for playing a role in shaping k-style and k-culture, and spreading the hallyu wave across borders. She cites the example of Blackpink songwriter Danny Chang, who used to be a rapper in the US. “He’s one of the many Korean Americans who has made Korean pop music relevant to the US audience because he knows how to make it appealing to an international crowd.”

The author also points to the connection that K-pop stars have with their fans. “K-pop is so successful because [the stars] have managed to create their fandom by being very interactive with the fans.”

But the big question is: will the hallyu wave be able to sustain itself or just be a fleeting—albeit impactful—trend? Bae seems positive enough: “I think there are enough new and interesting efforts and initiatives to present something new and different. It has the diversity it needs to last.”

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Topics

Hallyu Seoul K-pop South Korea Korean culture

Tatler Asia

Decoding the Korean craze: Understanding the meteoric rise of K-pop and the hallyu wave from the perspective of a PR consultant