Session 3

Mapping Global Hallyu Fandom

Keynote Presentation

Associate Professor WoongJo Chang WoongJo Chang

Associate Professor of Arts and Cultural Management
Hongik University, South Korea

Hallyu Dynamics:
Unpacking Cultural Hybridity through Compressed Modernity

In this Keynote speech, Dr. WoongJo Chang explores the global phenomenon of Hallyu (the Korean Wave) through the lens of Korea's unique historical and cultural development, particularly its experience of "compressed modernity." Dr. Chang argues that Hallyu's appeal lies in its ability to reflect and resonate with the complexities of digital modernity, characterized by a blend of traditional Korean values and modern global influences. Using analogies like Bibimbap and fermentation, he illustrates how Korea's rapid modernization has created a transgenerational cultural hybridity, which fuels the global success of Hallyu. The speech also highlights the importance of managing this cultural fermentation carefully to sustain Hallyu's vitality and address the challenges posed by Korea's evolving societal dynamics, including the tension between democracy and autocracy. Dr. Chang concludes by suggesting that Hallyu's future success will depend on its ability to maintain a delicate balance between innovation and tradition, global appeal and local identity, while fostering a cohesive yet diverse cultural expression that continues to captivate audiences worldwide.



WoongJo Chang is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Arts and Cultural Management at Hongik University, Seoul, Korea. Before joining Hongik, he taught in the Arts Leadership Program at Seattle University and earned a Ph.D. in Cultural Policy and Arts Administration from the Ohio State University after studying performing arts at Seoul National University. Chang's research focuses on entrepreneurial practices of small arts organizations and ways to support them. Chang currently serves as Chair of the scientific committee of the Korean Society of Arts and Cultural Management, further solidifying his leadership in the field. He has also contributed to The Journal of Arts Management, Law and Society, where he's a consulting editor. Chang has a special focus on Hallyu, particularly the global cultivation of its fandom. His current interest in Hallyu emphasizes its transgenerality and transnationality, reflecting Korea's compressed modernity.

Panellists

Nora Samosir Nora Samosir

Lecturer (Theatre - Voice)
LASALLE, University of the Arts Singapore

Consuming the Soft Power of Hallyu

The main vehicles for the Korean Wave's soft power success are music videos ("K-pop"), serials ("K-dramas"), and films ("K-films"). Other aspects of South Korean culture can also be implicated especially if, as in the case of fan tourism, particular locations that have been featured in K-dramas or K-films go on to spike interest in visiting them.

We argue that Hallyu works as soft power because the creative industries enjoy artistic autonomy from the state. Thus, fans who consume Hallyu products can feel assured that any messages or impressions conveyed about South Korea in songs, films or drama series are motivated by artistic and entertainment considerations as opposed to being political propaganda. Hallyu is a form of artistic citizenship (Elliott, Silverman, and Bowman 2016), where members of the creative industries are proud to enhance in their own various ways the country's image - though this is not explicitly demanded by the state.

Lionel Wee Lionel Wee

Provost's Chair Professor in the Department of English, Linguistics, and Theatre Studies
National University Singapore

Consuming the Soft Power of The Korean Wave/Hallyu

The main vehicles for the Korean Wave's soft power success are music videos ("K-pop"), serials ("K-dramas"), and films ("K-films"). Other aspects of South Korean culture can also be implicated especially if, as in the case of fan tourism, particular locations that have been featured in K-dramas or K-films go on to spike interest in visiting them.

We argue that Hallyu works as soft power because the creative industries enjoy artistic autonomy from the state. Thus, fans who consume Hallyu products can feel assured that any messages or impressions conveyed about South Korea in songs, films or drama series are motivated by artistic and entertainment considerations as opposed to being political propaganda. Hallyu is a form of artistic citizenship (Elliott, Silverman, and Bowman 2016), where members of the creative industries are proud to enhance in their own various ways the country's image - though this is not explicitly demanded by the state.

Gangsim Eom Gangsim Eom

PhD Candidate, Department of Anthropology
Harvard University, USA

The Undercurrents of Hallyu Fandom in Indonesia

Korean pop culture features prominently in Jakarta's sensory landscape. Pervasive references to Hallyu or the Korean Wave create an affective matrix which informs various aspects of public life: from hangul characters adorning merchandise to life-sized images of Korean celebrities, with whom youth eagerly line up to strike a pose. Korean pop culture even extends into unexpected arenas like political campaigns. Although Indonesia emerged as the world's largest consumer of Hallyu (KOFICE 2021), we still lack an understanding of how Hallyu shapes notions of belonging. Drawing on ethnographic research in Indonesia, this paper examines discourses of cultural intimacy cultivated by Indonesian fans and how they percolate into the broader social fabric. It pays special attention to social media influencers as well as cultural agents like volunteers and parents who, though often overlooked, have long played a crucial role in the production and consumption of K-wave and its creative industries.

Josephine Choi Josephine Choi

Research Assistant
Friedrich-Naumann-Foundation for Freedom, South Korea

The Power of BTS "Love Myself" Campaign:
Digital fandom in China, Singapore and the USA

This study explores K-pop idol BTS's "Love Myself" Campaign. Launched in 2017 with UNICEF, BTS's "Love Myself" campaign is a global movement that promotes liberal universalism, targeting self-acceptance and well-being for youth. It tackles bullying and violence by encouraging young people to find self-worth and love. BTS leverages its music and influence to spread the message, with a portion of its album and merchandise sales directly funding UNICEF programs that benefit children and teens worldwide. Social media engagement with hashtags like #LoveMyself and #ENDviolence helps raise awareness and connect youth in a global community focused on positivity and mental well-being. This study will examine fandom activism inspired by the "Love Myself" campaign across China, Singapore and the USA. The study will analyse three countries' most popular social media platforms to reveal fandom operations and discussions. It will also compare fandom activism across three countries and determine if they reflect liberal universalism values, social norms, and mental frames influenced by the campaign.

Wee Yang Soh Wee Yang Soh

PhD Candidate, Department of Anthropology
University of Chicago, USA

"K-pop" ≠ "Korean Popular Music":
The Politics of Branding Korean Culture

This presentation explores the ontology of the "K" in "K-pop" and its broader application across Korean culture as a branding tool for global export. The "K" has become a means of marketing cultural products -such as K-Literature, K-Beauty, and K-Film- by highlighting their "Korean" identity and embedding them within a global consumerist framework that leverages the "Korean" brand. However, the widespread imposition of the "K" label has sparked concerns within South Korea about the oversimplification and commercialization of diverse cultural artifacts. Within K-pop, an ongoing debate questions whether the "K" restricts artistic identity, with major entertainment companies aiming to break free from the label, while indie artists feel it misrepresents their work. This presentation will examine the politics of cultural branding, revealing how the debate over the "K" reflects deeper anxieties about the status of Korean culture and whether a globalized "Korean culture" can authentically represent or preserve Korean cultural heritage.

Expert Panel Discussion

J. Patrick Williams J. Patrick Williams

Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences
Nanyang Technological University

J. Patrick Williams is Associate Professor of Sociology at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. He studies the interactions and experiences of individuals who self­identify or are identified as distinct from mainstream culture. He has published research on various underground and popular music-based identity groups including punk, straightedge, and K-pop and C-pop fandom, and is particularly interested how members of such groups socially construct notions of authenticity. He has authored or edited several relevant books, including Authenticity in Culture, Self, and Society (Ashgate, 2009), Subcultural Theory: Traditions and Concepts (Polity Press, 2011), Studies on the Social Construction of Identity and Authenticity (Routledge, 2020), and Interpreting Subcultures: Approaching, Contextualizing, and Embodying Sense-Making Practices in Alternative Cultures (Bristol University Press, 2024).

Dr Seowon Chi Seowon Chi

Convenor for the Korean Language Programme
National University of Singapore

Seowon Chi has been teaching Korean language to foreigners since 2000 and joined in 2007 at NUS. As the founder faculty member and convenor of the Korean language program, she has dedicated herself to fostering a comprehensive learning environment.Her commitment to excellence in teaching has been recognised with a prestigious teaching award from NUS. Her research areas include Korean education and intercultural competence, where she strives to bridge cultural gaps and enhance language learning experiences.

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