Halloween was virtually nonexistent in South Korea until about a decade ago. But commercialization is taking popular holidays to unlikely places across the globe.
Installation image of exhibition introduction with PSY S Gangnam Style at Hallyu The Korean Wave at the V A Victoria and Albert Museum London.
V&A
Starting in the late 1990s, South Korea’s promotion of its cultural exports abroad has made it a major power on the international stage.
Visitors take photos near a model of the doll Younghee featured in ‘Squid Game,’ displayed at the Olympic park in Seoul, South Korea, on Oct. 26, 2021.
(AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
Squid Game alludes to anti-worker violence that has permeated South Korean labour history, and reminds viewers of the need to overcome real inequalities.
The commentary made by the hit show may seem absurd, but it’s uncomfortably close to the truth.
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The unanticipated popularity of the Korean show ‘Squid Game’ highlights our relationship to debt and capitalism, but the contradictions extend beyond the show itself.
Within a month of its release, South Korea’s ‘Squid Game’ has become Netflix’s most-watched original, breaking the record previously held by ‘Bridgerton’.
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Just because Asian content is currently trending, doesn’t mean anti-Asian racism and discrimination aren’t. Let’s support Asian people in accessing mental health services.
As the popularity of Squid Game continues to grow globally, there have been debates over the quality of the English subtitle translation - but critics are missing important context.