From Squid Game to Blackpink, how South Korea became a culture powerhouse

BBC quotes Hye Seung Chung in an article about how K-pop and K-drama make South Korea a superpower. After South Korea’s military dictatorship ended in 1987, censorship was loosened and numerous TV channels launched. Soon, there was a generation of creators who had grown up idolizing Hollywood and hip-hop, explains Chung. Around the same time, South Korea rapidly grew rich, benefitting from an export boom in cars and electronics. And money from conglomerates, or chaebols as they are known, flowed into film and TV production, giving it a Hollywood-like sheen. They came to own much of the industry, from production to cinemas. So, they were willing to splurge on making movies without worrying much about losses, Chung said.