The K-Wave On-Screen: In Words and Objects (Routledge Studies in East Asian Translation)

The K-Wave On-Screen provides an engaging and accessible exploration of the meaning of ‘K-’ through the lens of words and objects in K-dramas and K-films.

Once a small subculture known only to South Korea’s East Asian neighbours, the Korean Wave has exploded in popularity around the globe in the last decade. Its success has been fuelled by social media and the advanced technological capabilities of South Korea. With #KpopTwitter having amassed 7.8 billion tweets and with K-films receiving acclaim from major award ceremonies, the K-wave is now a global cultural phenomenon. This book touches on globally popular productions, such as Parasite (2019), Squid Game (2021), Pachinko (2022), SKY Castle (2018), and Kim Ji-young: Born 1982 (2019) to highlight that K- has departed from the traditional meaning of ‘Korean-ness’ to become a new, globally-informed, and hybrid entity.

This book will be of interest to students in East Asian studies, and those engaged with Korean language learning. The book will also appeal to those interested in Korean culture and media.

Jieun Kiaer is the Young Bin Min-Korea Foundation Professor of Korean Linguistics at the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, and Senior Research Fellow and Dean of Degrees at Hertford College, University of Oxford.

Emily Lord, MSt., is a Faculty Research Specialist at the Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security, University of Maryland.

Loli Kim is a Postdoctoral Researcher on the Leverhulme Haenyeo project at the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Oxford.