Impact of government policies on the development of the Korean Wave

The Korean Wave has turned into a global phenomenon over the past decade. Whereas the popularity of the Korean Wave was mostly limited to Asia until the end of the 2000s, it started to spread all over the world from the early 2010s and evolved from niche cultural trend status to a global phenomenon. In a world dominated by Western cultural hegemony, South Korea has become one of the few countries that can export many forms of its cultural content globally. This thesis investigates the reasons behind the spread of the Korean Wave, and discusses the role of the South Korean government and Korean conglomerates, as well as the importance of digital platforms. This study also explores the contribution of the development and spread of the Korean Wave to South Korea.