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HALLYU! THE KOREAN WAVE at the V&A Museum.

Writer's picture: THE DVNTHE DVN

The Hallyu exhibition is a collaboration between the V&A and Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. It is the V&A’s first major exhibition about Korea since 1961. The first exposure to Hallyu that many people have is probably Psy’s Gangnam Style – one of the most watched videos on YouTube with over 4 billion views.

The entire exhibition is rose coloured letters to Korean pop culture covering the origins and global spread of K-beauty, K-pop, dance and choreography, fashion, cinema, tv dramas and anime, specifically the online app webtoon. K-pop, or Korean pop music, is growing more rapidly than any other in the 21st century, which spans dance-pop, pop ballads, techno, rock, hip-hop, R&B.

The exhibition explores the prominence to the extraordinarily engaged fanbase, especially of K-pop – who have used social media to enact political, social and environmental changes.

From the moment you step into the space, the exhibition transports you into the K-pop culture. Walking through the different spaces takes you on mini journeys through the origins and creations of different aspects of Korean culture. Starting with a wall of televisions, playing different parts of the music videos.

The second part of the exhibition looks at the success of K-drama and film. Highlights in this section include the iconic pink guard costumes and green tracksuit from hit Netflix series Squid Game

The exhibition is colourful, exciting, and loud! Hallyu has coincided with, and been supported by, the rise of social media and digital culture.

The final section was all about beauty and fashion and ends with 20 amazing looks by contemporary hanbok and fashion designers from Korea and the Korean diaspora.

Hallyu highlights key stories in the Korean wave, from historical milestones to massive cultural exports you see today, book your tickets now.



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