The Korean Wave: from war to cultural powerhouse
V&A to stage first major exhibition on Korean culture, Hallyu! The Korean Wave (Photo: Parasite)
24 September 2022 – 25 June 2023
The exhibition will be the first of its kind to celebrate the colourful and dynamic popular culture of South Korea, following its early origins to its place on the global stage today.
From K-Pop costumes to K-drama props and posters, alongside photography, sculpture, fashion, video and pop culture ephemera, the exhibition will invite visitors to delve into the phenomenon known as ‘hallyu’ – meaning ‘Korean Wave’.
Hallyu rose to prominence in the late 1990s, rippling across Asia before reaching all corners of the world and challenging the currents of global pop culture today.
The exhibition will explore the makings of the Korean Wave through cinema, drama, music and fandoms, and underline its cultural impact on the beauty and fashion industries. It will feature around 200 objects across four thematic sections – including some loans never seen in the UK before – alongside pop culture ephemera and digital displays.
Highlights will include an immersive re-creation of the film Parasite’s bathroom set, and an array of iconic costumes and props seen in K-drama, film and music – including from hit Netflix series Squid Game, and outfits worn by K-pop idols, from PSY, to aespa and ATEEZ.
It will present monumental artworks, including by Nam June Paik, Ham Kyungah and Gwon Osang; around 20 high fashion looks by Tchai Kim, Miss Sohee and Minju Kim and others; as well as early examples of advertising and branding, including an original poster from the Seoul Olympics, and the first Korean branded cosmetic from the 1910s.
The exhibition will be used as a gateway to explore traditional and contemporary Korean culture by connecting historic objects with popular culture and socio-political events.
Curator Rosalie Kim says: “South Korea has captivated the world over with hallyu, its vibrant and creative popular culture, which has transformed the country’s image from one devastated by the Korean War to that of a leading cultural powerhouse in the era of social media and digital culture today. This phenomenon has been amplified by tech-savvy and socially conscious global fanbases, further raising the profile and relevance of hallyu around the world…”
About the Exhibition: It will open with PSY’s viral 2012 hit single ‘Gangnam Style’, with his iconic pink suit jacket. The song and its quirky dance moves were an overnight sensation, and it became the first music video to reach 1 billion views on YouTube. The success of the video was an early reflection of hallyu’s international appeal that went on to launch a global phenomenon, inspiring parodies and cover versions across the world, several examples of which, filmed across multiple continents, will also be featured.
Section one, ‘From Rubble to Smartphones’, will provide historical context to the meteoric rise of hallyu, highlighting how South Korea rapidly evolved from a country ravaged by war in the late 1950s to a leading cultural powerhouse by the early 2000s.
Korea’s 20th century history is marked by the Japanese colonial occupation, the territorial division that led to the Korean War, and the subsequent 27 years of military rule. In the 1960s and ‘70s South Korea experienced rapid industrialisation and economic growth, and the country was propelled onto the international stage in 1988 with the Seoul Summer Olympics, changing Korea’s image overseas for the first time.
Despite the 1997 Asian financial crisis, bold strategies and IT innovations turned South Korea into one of the most digitally connected countries in the world by the late ‘90s.
Korea’s modern history will be represented and explored through photography, posters and archive materials, alongside objects ranging from Olympic posters to early examples of electronics – including the world’s first commercial MP3 player – and a monumental 1986 video sculpture by artist Nam June Paik, featuring 33 TV monitors.
Section two, ‘Spotlighting K-drama and Cinema’, will focus on the success of Kdrama and film, charting in turn their rise in popularity from the late 1990s to the present day, through multimedia, installations, posters, storyboards, props and costumes. Highlights will include the pink guard costumes and green tracksuit from Squid Game, and a recreation of the bathroom set from Bong Joon-Ho's Oscar-winning Parasite.
Traditional costumes and props will be on show, including hats seen in Joseon-era zombie series Kingdom, and the grooming kit from The Handmaiden. The section will also showcase webtoons, a Korean innovation of digital cartoons designed for mobile devices, as a source of inspiration for many K-dramas. It will explore recurring themes in TV series, mixing genres and local narratives, such as the country’s relationship with North Korea as depicted on screen.
‘Sounding K-pop and Fandoms’, the third section, will delve into the explosion of K-Pop music around the world, as well as underlining the crucial roles of social media and fandoms in increasing their reach.
Visitors will enter the gallery through a corridor lined by fan lightsticks, be greeted by posters, ephemera and album covers from early K-Pop bands like Seo Taiji and Boys and BoA, before progressing through to explore the concept of ‘Idols’ in K-pop. Highlights will include a three-metre-high sculpture of G-Dragon by Gwon Osang, while costumes will include aespa’s original iridescent outfits from the music video ‘Next Level’, and British punk fashion-inspired ensembles worn by four members of ATEEZ in the music video ‘Fireworks’.
For this section the V&A has also worked with celebrated K-pop Style and Visual Director Geeeun, who has styled idols like BLACKPINK and BIGBANG, and Style Director Balko, who has worked with BTS and NCT, to design two new ‘Idol’ looks each. It will explore the hugely important role of K-Pop fandoms in popularising and spreading K-Pop around the world.
The final section, ‘Making K-beauty and Fashion’, showcases their innovative approach that led to new aesthetic standards in and outside Korea. It will highlight how product placement in K-dramas and endorsements from K-Pop idols have amplified the international profile of K-beauty and fashion.
Featuring cosmetics packaging from the 13th century to the present day, the exhibition will trace packaging’s design evolution, from ornate porcelain pots to items including face mask wrappings boasting idols as superheroes.
Hallyu! will conclude with K-fashion, showcasing over 20 looks by contemporary hanbok ( the national costume) and fashion designers from Korea and the diaspora.
While K-fashion is often characterised by its fun, fast-moving streetstyle and gender-fluid outfits as illustrated by Kye, D-Antidote and Blindness, other designers reimagine the silhouette of hanbok. On display will be a look specially created for the V&A by acclaimed stylist Suh Younghee, alongside a K-pop hanbok by C-ZANN E, a pink jacket by Danha, and a purple cheollik dress by Tchai Kim, drawing their inspiration from traditional garments and patterns.
The section will also feature hanbok-inspired daily wear designed for and by a younger generation, including Ji Won Choi and Darcycom.
The final display is dedicated to contemporary Korean fashion designers creating colourful, showstopping garments, including a Kim Seo Ryong overcoat, as well as looks by Minju Kim, Münn, and Miss Sohee.
* Hallyu! The Korean Wave runs from 24 September 2022 to 25 June 2023. Adult tickets £20, student and under-26 tickets £13. Tickets are on sale at vam.ac.uk/kwave