South Korea has proven its ability to make films and series, as part of its quest to highlight the Korean culture, compete with its counterparts in Hollywood and Bollywood, and leave a large mark in the world of entertainment.
South Korea has long been "resentful of its lack of leading cultural exports", and for decades, the country became famous for its cars, mobile phones and electronic devices from companies such as Hyundai, Kia, Samsung and LG, according to the American newspaper "New York Times".
And South Korea began to stand out in the world of entertainment, through films, series and artistic groups, such as pop stars "Black Pink", the series "The Squid Game", and award-winning films such as "Parasite".
In the same way that South Korea has developed its industrial capabilities, with the help of Japan and the United States, directors and producers say they have "studied Hollywood and other entertainment centers for years" to hone their skills and "add distinctive Korean touches" to their work, according to the newspaper.
Producers say streaming services such as Netflix and YouTube have broken barriers between South Korea and the outside world, turning the country from a "consumer of Western culture to an entertainment powerhouse and major cultural resource".
In February 2020, the South Korean film "Parasite" won the Academy Award for "Best Picture", and its director "Bong Joon Ho" won the Best Director award, the first foreign language film to win this award.
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Netflix has introduced 80 South Korean films and series in the past few years, a number "much more" than expected when it launched in South Korea in 2016, according to the company.
It is reported that three of the 10 most popular TV shows on Netflix were South Korean, including "The Squid Game".
The Squid Game has gained the most number of viewers among the Netflix series.
This nine-episode series, in which cash-strapped competitors play children's games with deadly consequences, seeks a prize of 45.6 billion won ($38 million).
South Korea's "cultural output" is still small compared to other major exports, but it has given it a kind of impact that is "hard to measure", according to the newspaper.
In September, the Oxford English Dictionary added 26 new words of Korean origin, including "Hallyu" or the Korean wave.
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