SAM KIM

US ASIA JOURNAL

If you are into Korean culture or K-pop stars, you can enjoy both of them while participating in MOKKOJI KOREA! MOKKOJI KOREA is the global Hallyu festival hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) and organized by the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE). ‘MOKKOJI’ is a Korean term that refers to the gathering of many people for games, parties, and various other occasions. It is organized as a platform through which people from all over the world who love Korean culture can gather together to experience and communicate each other’s excellent lifestyle and culture by means of play.

MOKKOJI KOREA presents various content categories featuring K-lifestyle such as web dramas, webtoons, and webzines. All content is provided in English. Also, online games, contests and social media events have also been prepared for viewers to have a chance of winning special prizes.

It has selected some countries to focus on and create opportunities for bilateral exchange of each culture and lifestyle. Focusing countries for this year are Russia, India, and Indonesia. Having amicable relations with Korea, the three countries are known to have an outstanding lifestyle and culture, based on their long history. Each Focus Country Week will be held online from September to November, which includes special programs for local Hallyu fans including performances with a total nine K-pop stars (Monsta X, CIX, AB6IX, Pentagon, and so on), interactive talks, and online exhibitions.

Needless to say, Kakao Entertainment has teased the idea of going global and riding the rising Hallyu Wave. Thanks to the growing popularity of K-pop and other forms of entertainment such as film and television, webtoons have also made a place for themselves in the U.S. market.

Kakao Page, specifically, sets itself apart from the likes of its competitors by giving readers the option to either purchase chapters of a webtoon as soon as they are released or wait a few days after publication to read for free. After merging with the talent agency, Kakao M, they as a whole became Kakao Entertainment to encompass multiple forms of entertainment.

With the continuous rise in popularity of Korean dramas, many fans have also been exposed to webtoons as many of their favorite shows are actually based on popular webtoons from South Korea. One of the most recent fan favorites has been “True Beauty,” starring powerhouse actors Moon Ga-Young, Cha Eun-woo and Hwang In-yeop. The plotline was directly derived from the webtoon of the same name, which already garnered international recognition from young readers all over the world. “Itaewon Class” is another prime example of an immensely popular Korean drama based off a webtoon of the same name. Even V from global sensation group, BTS, has given a shout-out to “Itaewon Class,” saying he enjoyed reading the webtoon very much and related to the main protagonist of the story.

The success of dramas and movies based off of webtoons has encouraged both the entertainment and publishing industries to continue expanding into different, especially into the U.S. According to Statista data from 2020, 19.3% of respondents have confirmed that webtoons are widely popular with the general public and 29.5% of respondents have answered that webtoons are just widely known to the general public.

With Kakao Entertainment planning to set foot into the U.S. market by establishing a headquarters in New York City, many can expect new and exciting content that goes beyond the current webtoon ecosystem.

Julie Kim

Asia Journal

YG Entertainment said the South Korean rapper has also finished filming the accompanying music video.

Singer Psy (Youtube)

The rapper-producer became a global sensation with his track “Gangnam Style” in 2012. Psy also gathered popularity with other songs including “Gentleman,” “Hangover” and “Daddy.”

The music video for “Gangnam Style” boasts more than 2.7 billion views on the popular video-sharing website YouTube.

Hyolyn has become the first K-pop singer to sign with the company, the agency said in a statement.

“Her collaboration with Justin Oh will be released globally in March,” Starship Entertainment said. Oh is a Korean DJ and producer who has garnered international fame and is also signed to Spinnin’ Records.

Hyolyn will be featured in Oh’s debut single “Jekyll & Hyde,” set for release on March 10.

Hyolyn (Starship Entertainment)

The singer previously announced she will be participating in the music festival South by Southwest in Texas, US this March, and also tour clubs in the LA and New York areas.

The singer has been participating in various high-profile international collaborations, working with hiphop team Far East Movement and Italian DJ Giorgio Moroder.

Actor Lee Min-ho receives the grand prize at the 2017 National Brand Awards held in Seoul on Wednesday. (Yonhap)

“I traveled around the globe so many times over the past few years. I was so touched to see people (overseas) trying to write or speak Korean to me,” he said at the acceptance speech. “I will further try to contribute to Korea’s brand image.”

The National Brand Awards recognize individuals and corporations for their contributions to enhancing the country’s image. In 2015, actor Kim Soo-hyun and figure skating champion Kim Yuna won the grand prizes.

Lee won the prize in the culture sector for boosting Korea and the Korean Wave to the world with his work. He recently starred in SBS drama “The Legend of the Blue Sea” and is a goodwill ambassador for the “2016-18 Visit Korea Year” promotion.

Golfer Park In-bee, the women’s golf gold medalist at last summer’s Rio Olympics, won the grand prize in the sports sector, with pianist Paik Kun-woo winning the grand prize in the arts sector.