Hallyu and the Traditional Cultural Genes of Korea

Since the year 2000, South Korea has been the propagator of the Hallyu (Korean Wave) that has spread across the world, demonstrating the country’s cultural potential. The subject of Hallyu can be approached from several perspectives, first by identifying its origins, current status, and trends by genre; by looking at its effects and the measures that can sustain the Hallyu phenomenon; and also by examining Hallyu trends by country. This paper analyzes Korea’s traditional cultural genes that affected the creation and spread of Hallyu from a humanistic point of view. The three factors for this analysis are: i) community and courtesy, ii) dynamics and excitement, and iii) intuition and harmony. This study is expected to deepen the understanding of the relation between Hallyu and Korean traditional cultural resources.