In just five decades, South Korea has transformed from one of Asia’s poorest countries into one of its richest and most advanced economies. Once primarily known for exporting ships, cars and electronics, South Korea has blossomed into a cultural powerhouse, with earnings from cultural content now surpassing those from appliances and vehicles.
The Four Seasons Hotel Seoul, located in historic Gwanghwamun, provides me with the perfect base for exploring the capital while offering a clear vantage point of the striking contrast between South Korea’s past and present. From the 20th floor, I gaze down at the World Heritage-listed Gyeongbokgung Palace and then across to Seoul’s towering modern skyscrapers. Walking downtown, the vibrant energy of cool Korea immediately hits me. The neon-soaked streets and alleyways of Euljiro and Myeongdong, the enticing smells of Korean BBQ restaurants, and the unmistakable beats of K-pop pouring from shops and bars, all create an electric atmosphere. The free city-wide Wi-Fi makes navigating this sprawling metropolis – which might otherwise feel overwhelming due to its sheer size – effortless.
The country’s transformation has not gone unnoticed, as Korea’s cultural soft power has made its mark around the world. At a Royal banquet in Buckingham Palace last year, held in honour of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, King Charles III remarked that Koreans have “created a miracle” in their journey from wartime devastation to industrial cutting-edge efficiency. “But it is probably artistic creativity which has brought about the most dramatic shift in Korea’s place in the British cultural landscape,” he continued.
Such recognition is a vindication of the long-standing policy of the Korean government to double down on its cultural heritage and position the creative sector as a key driver of exports, through TV programming, bands and films. This initiative helped give rise to the cultural phenomenon known as ‘Hallyu’ or the Korean Wave. In recent years, Hallyu has captured more and more global attention, thanks to Korean cinema making waves at Western awards ceremonies – such as the Oscar-winning film Parasite – and the country’s dominance in streaming, exemplified by the Netflix series Squid Game, the most popular non-English speaking TV series of all time. And, of course, the stratospheric success of K-pop groups has further amplified Korea’s cultural influence worldwide.
The Korean Wave was also the focus of a landmark exhibition at London’s V&A in 2022, Hallyu! The Korean Wave, which has since travelled to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and, most recently, opened this September at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco.
“As the first non-Western cultural ‘wave’ in modern times, Hallyu offers a chance to understand how Asia is impacting so many aspects of our lives today – rewriting codes of artistry, economics and even diplomacy,” says Jay Xu, Director and CEO of the Asian Art Museum.
The exhibition has provided unique insights for a global audience into Korean pop culture, as well as highlighting the evolution of the electronics sector, including the development of the world’s first commercial MP3 player. It also celebrates iconic cinematic and fashion moments, including Psy’s jacket from the viral Gangnam Style video, costumes from Squid Game and a recreation of the bathroom set from Parasite. And it delves into the fervour of K-pop fandom, displaying original outfits worn by artists and a dance challenge aimed at audience participation.
At Gallery Gwanghwa, on the doorstep of my hotel, I explore K-Drama Spotlight, an interactive Hallyu tourism experience that merges popular K-drama content with augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). I become the protagonist, walking the red carpet under the flash of paparazzi cameras, visiting famous filming locations from shows like King the Land and The Glory, and using a VR headset to enjoy ramen with actor Song Geon-hee. This experience highlights not only the global impact of these series in elevating Korea’s cultural profile but also provides an opportunity to learn more about Korean culture.
Korea’s cultural renaissance isn’t just limited to entertainment, however. Its capital, Seoul, is emerging as a new hub for contemporary art in Asia. In addition to Kiaf Seoul, South Korea’s first international art fair, the city’s art scene gained major traction with the launch of Frieze Seoul in 2022, attracting over 70,000 visitors and numerous international galleries in its first year. Among them was White Cube, which opened its own gallery space in Gangnam in 2023, as part of its deepening presence in Asia.
“In recent years, a general interest in art and a desire to learn about and appreciate art has become important for many in South Korea,” says Jini Yang, Director of White Cube Seoul. “Art appreciation is no longer just for the elites; it’s for everyone. Art fairs have a significant appeal in South Korea, which explains the large number of visitors to the first edition of Frieze Seoul.”
White Cube is also proudly promoting Korean art internationally. The gallery recently featured Lee Jin Woo at White Cube Hong Kong and represents the late Park Seo-Bo, whose final works are being exhibited at White Cube New York until 11 January 2025.
Although Yang points out that, “The acclaim of the Korean art scene has not happened overnight. It is the result of the efforts and dedication of many artists and gallerists who dreamed of expanding the Korean art scene to gain global recognition.”
She adds that even K-pop has had a part to play. “Many K-pop artists are very interested in art, and their collaborations with visual artists have both drawn attention from a diverse range of age groups and resulted in many people who were unaware of the artist or gallery becoming fans who are eager to see their work.”
There is a palpable buzz both inside COEX, the convention centre in Gangnam where Frieze and Kiaf 2024 are held, and across the city, which comes alive during ‘Seoul Art Week’ to coincide with the art fairs. Even the lobby of the Four Seasons has been transformed into a vibrant gallery. Artworks by Hee-kyung Jeon, Se-hyun Lee, Sang-woon Nam, and Youngwook Choi exploring South Korea’s distinct seasons provide a stirring backdrop for guests arriving for the Mid-Autumn Festival, or Chuseok, the most significant holiday on the Korean calendar during my stay. And cultural exchange between Korea and the West is flourishing.
This year, the Serpentine Gallery in London invited architect Minsuk Cho to create its summer pavilion, following in the footsteps of Olafur Eliasson and Zaha Hadid (whose neofuturistic Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul is, coincidentally, one of her greatest works). Cho’s design, a star-shaped shelter organised around a circular void and built largely from natural timber, drew inspiration from the courtyards of historic Korean houses.
Cho, whose father was an architect and worked for the late Kim Joong-Up, the apprentice of Le Corbusier in the 50s, said that, “By inverting the centre as a void, we shift our architectural focus away from the built centre of the past, facilitating new possibilities and narratives.” Indeed, facilitating new possibilities and narratives have been key to the success of the Korean Wave and will likely continue to be so. The question is: what’s next?
One of South Korea’s latest successful exports is webtoons: comic strips designed to be read on smartphones and tablets. Although they remain relatively unknown outside East Asia, the company Webtoon Entertainment, an online platform for the media, was valued at $2.7 billion this July. The popularity of these online comic strips has already led to numerous K-dramas.
With growing numbers of people learning Korean, which overtook Italian in Duolingo’s global language ranking in 2023, moving to number six, Korean literature is also poised to become as popular as K-pop and K-dramas. Min Jin Lee’s 2017 debut novel Pachinko, based on her family history, was a literary hit and was adapted into an equally acclaimed Apple TV+ series, now in its second season.
We can expect to see the rise of Korean idols continue unabated. Netflix is investing $2.5 billion in Korean projects, and Disney and Apple TV are commissioning more Korean shows. K-pop, with annual revenues over $10 billion and streaming numbers exceeding 41 billion on Spotify, has become a major force in the music industry and a vital part of Korea’s economy. This impact was evident in 2022 when South Korea’s GDP dipped following the boy band, BTS’s brief hiatus to pursue solo careers.
International fashion brands are eager to capitalise on this, leading to increasing Korean representation in their brand campaigns. Notable endorsements include Song Hye-kyo for Fendi, Blackpink’s Jisoo for Dior, V from BTS for Celine, and Taeyang of BigBang for Givenchy. This summer, Prada added Karina of Aespa to its roster of ambassadors, following the appointment of all seven members of ENHYPEN in 2023.
In a parallel trend, ultra-luxury brands are recognising the tremendous potential of the booming South Korean market and its discerning domestic consumers, establishing a prominent presence in the country. Among them is Aston Martin, which signed a pivotal importer relationship with local partner Britannia Auto earlier this year, marking the beginning of a new era for the marque in South Korea. The highly anticipated reopening of Aston Martin Seoul this October, the brand’s second dealership following the successful launch of Aston Martin Suwon, has further fuelled excitement surrounding Aston Martin’s growth in the market.
To celebrate this new chapter, Aston Martin hosted a spectacular multi-day event in Seoul, beginning with an exclusive VIP dinner at The Residence of the British Embassy, graciously hosted by the British ambassador. The festivities then moved to the Inspire Arena, the country’s largest multi-purpose indoor venue, renowned for hosting a wealth of K-pop and international stars. Here, Aston Martin transformed the space into a showstopping exhibition of iconic models, including the DB5 Goldfinger, DB12 Volante and DBX707. The highlight of the showcase, however, was undoubtedly the premiere of the all-new Aston Martin Vanquish, which generated immense interest among the media and guests alike.
Korea is known for its smart cities but there is also a drive to make them more sustainable. This year, London-based PLP Architecture won a competition to design South Korea’s first netzero government building, the National Meteorological Center in Daejeon, which aims to lead the way. PLP President Lee Polisano says, “The symbolism behind this net zero government building is actually quite perfect. Because it will be the first one, and the government have picked the building that deals the most with the sorts of issues that touch every person’s everyday life – the weather.”
He continues, “There’s a desire now to have buildings that are thoughtful and push the boundaries, because it’s part of their very innovative way of thinking and evolving culture. There’s always a step in the past which I think is quite nice, but they aren’t afraid to innovate as well, which is refreshing.”
Polisano recommends a stroll around Seoul’s Seongsu-dong neighbourhood, often referred to as the ‘Brooklyn of Seoul’, to experience how the city is evolving. “Spending a few hours in Seongsu-dong reveals the deep connection Koreans have with popular culture and the arts.”
Once an industrial area, it has transformed into a vibrant hub of street art, conceptual retail spaces, trendy restaurants and coffee shops. Following Polisano’s advice, I head to the area and settle into Café Onion, a former metal factory, observing the effortlessly stylish Seoulites. There’s no doubt in my mind that they are the global trendsetters. Later, I return to the Four Seasons for a Korean sauna or jjimjilbang. While witnessing South Korea’s future is exhilarating, there is equal joy in appreciating its rich past and honoured traditions.
