South Korea is a powerhouse Asian country that has caught the attention of the world in terms of technology, entertainment, tourism and economy.

Global Classroom students were given insights into Korean pop culture and society by Professor Matthew Jackson on 30 April.

Professor Jackson started his talk with an introduction on Korea’s rising influence in global pop culture over the last 10 years.

The Korean pop culture wave started in 2004, when the Korean television drama series, ‘Winter Sonata’ was aired in Japan. It was a phenomenal ratings hit that was followed up by another Korean drama series, ‘Dae Jang-Geum’.

Korean dramas went on to achieve high ratings in several countries, including China, Singapore and Thailand.

The Korean wave later took on the music industry; ‘K-pop’ became a worldwide phenomenon and was recognised by Time magazine as South Korea’s greatest export in 2012.

Professor Jackson explained that researchers and experts believe one of the many reasons Koreans have gotten so far in the world today—aside from their hard work and dedication—is their strong sense of nationalism. In times of crisis, the whole country will come together for the collective good.

He concluded that the rest of the world should take the spirit of Korean nationalism as a good example of how nations can progress in the future.