Research Project

Engaging in complex interdisciplinary research to map, measure and
forecast the global impacts of Hallyu, the Korean Wave

Mapping Global Impacts of Hallyu

Mapping Global Impacts of Hallyu, The Korean Wave, is a large-scale interdisciplinary research project, co-funded by the Korea Foundation in 2024. The project advances policy-oriented studies on Hallyu, or the Korean Wave, that refers to the current global spread and impact of creative industries products specific to South Korean popular culture on different parts of the world. Led by Dr Natalia Grincheva, the international team of researchers explored the Korean Wave as a highly complex global phenomenon that has different layers of manifestations across multiple stages of its existence from production to consumption in transnational contexts. The project employs data-driven and machine learning approaches combined with traditional qualitative research to measure, map, and predict the spread, reach, intensity and impacts of the Korean Wave across different geo-locations to benefit a more informed, strategic, and evidence-based approach to Hallyu national policy and international diplomacy.

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Hallyu Tracker

Hallyu Tracker is an AI-enabled data visualization tool designed to map the global dissemination of the Korean Wave over the past three decades. By analyzing more than 300 datasets across diverse variables, the application offers a platform for comprehensive exploration of Hallyu's appeal and target export in correlation to consumption patterns in various geographic locations. Employing the Data To Power application, Hallyu Tracker is designed to reveal a complex network of data points, each one a thread connecting Hallyu's origins to its far-reaching impacts, charting the rise and fall of Hallyu's influence in cities and countries around the world. By considering local challenges and opportunities, this map offers a more nuanced understanding of Hallyu's global reach as well as potential and actual impacts around the world. This geo-visualisation work goes beyond simple measurements, delving into the cause-and-effect relationships that drive cultural influence across borders.

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Events

International Symposium 'Mapping Global Impacts of Hallyu, The Korean Wave' in Singapore

December 6, 2024:
International Symposium "Mapping Global Impacts of Hallyu, The Korean Wave" in Singapore

The International Symposium: Mapping the Global Impacts of Hallyu took place on December 6, 2024, at LASALLE, University of the Arts Singapore.The symposium brought together scholars from around the world to present and discuss the findings of the interdisciplinary research project on mapping global impact of Hallyu. This symposium launched the Hallyu Tracker application, an AI-enabled data visualization tool designed to map the global dissemination of the Korean Wave over the past three decades. Attended by over 200 registered participants on site and online the symposium offered a platform for interdisciplinary discussions across three trajectories: geovisualization of the Korean Wave through the perspective of data-driven research and cultural mapping; geopolitical implications of Hallyu exploring it through the prisms of cultural policy, international diplomacy and global urban infrastructure consumption; the planetary power of Hallyu fandom and its economic and social implications.

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Hallyu Mapping Forum in Seoul

May 23, 2024:
Hallyu Mapping Forum in Seoul

The "Mapping and Theorizing Hallyu" conference at Seoul National University hosted the preliminary presentation of the Hallyu Mapping project. The event showcased the project's innovative methodologies, including the development of a Soft Power Visualization Map and offered a platform for the research team to share their Hallyu studies developments. Following the conference, the research team engaged with key stakeholders, including government officials and industry leaders, to discuss the implications of data-driven research for Hallyu policy and development. These interactions provided valuable feedback and highlighted the potential of the project to contribute to a deeper understanding of the Korean Wave's global impact and inform future strategies for its growth.

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Media Coverage

  1. Grincheva, N. (2024). The Korean Wave: A global phenomenon demystified. The Academic. December 20.
  2. Grincheva, N. (2024). Have you been taken by the Korean Wave yet? Pursuit. December 4.
  3. Grincheva, N. (2024). Harnessing the Global Power of Hallyu: Advancing Public Diplomacy Evaluation. International Cultural Relations (ICR) Research. July 5.
  4. Grincheva, N. (2023). Cultural analytics: Machine learning and understanding the Korean Wave (Hallyu). The Academic. September 19.

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