한국 영화산업의 영향력과 의의 - 강성유 (Alexander Kang)

Alexander Kang: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUx-rXoXktU

Alex FINAL.docx

The Impact of South Korea’s Filming Industry

Alexander Kang

Within recent history, South Korean films, TV shows, dramas, and more have been raging all over the internet and widely appraised and viewed by thousands of people all over the world, particularly in the United States.

According to a survey, 1 in every 4 Americans claimed to have watched Netflix’s recent hit show “Squid Game''. In fact, Squid Game is the biggest series launch in Netflix’s history, reaching 111 million viewers within days of its release.

However, this massive surge of popularity in South Korean shows is only the tip of a large iceberg of a number of films originating from South Korea that has received the spotlight throughout the years. One of the most notable of these is “Parasite”, which has won several awards, including the Academy Award for Best International film at the 2020 Oscars.

With the amount of attention South Korean films have been getting in recent years, it is impossible not to ask what has made them so appealing to a foreign audience; the answer lies directly in the show’s themes and the message it conveys to its viewers. Critics of Squid Game elaborate on how despite the series’ highly Korean-centralized culture and setting, the main themes are ones that can resonate with virtually everyone.

In the show, ordinary people who are knee-deep in debt and feel as though they are pushed to the edge of life are chosen by an unknown corporation to compete amongst themselves in a series of children’s games. Only one winner can take home a huge sum of money.

While it is shrouded in impeccable cinematography and culture, the theme of the evils of capitalism and the increasing wealth gap can be applied to any other country in the world. Especially during the coronavirus pandemic when inequality has become even more stark, Squid Game viewers find it easy to connect with the lives of the characters, who also encounter a chaotic and unequal situation on the screen.

In Parasite, the ugly side of society projects onto the screen and viewers witness the uncanny relationship between two families of almost polar opposite economic status. Packed with raw emotion and social commentary, the film depicts how envy, greed, and money impact society in a negative way. It also encapsulates the harsh reality of life not just in South Korea, but in countless struggling nations across the globe.

In addition to the intimate relationships viewers of these films foster, the use of the internet and social platforms have also significantly contributed to garnering worldwide fame. Over the past two decades, Korean products and brands and K-pop have been seen all over YouTube, Instagram, and other social networks, reaching a huge audience in a very short amount of time, and films are no exception.

Netflix is already planning on spending $500 million on films produced in South Korea in the next year alone. Co-CEO of Netflix Ted Sarandos stated, “The world is falling in love with incredible Korean content”.

Overall, South Korea’s film industry has had a massive impact in spreading the Korean wave (hallyu) and producing films that millions of people globally are able to enjoy and connect to and will continue to do so in the future.