Korean Culture Club

 

Are you curious about Korean culture? Teens are invited to join us for some short videos, Korean games and snacks, and a K-pop dance off at the K-Culture Club event on March 26!  Do you have a favorite manga or manhwa (Korean comics)?  The library recently was awarded a grant that allowed us to purchase a number of Korean graphic novels and K-pop music CDs, take a peek at all the new offerings! If you’re a K-pop fan, you won’t want to miss all the great freebies at this event!

EFPL is also offering a book discussion that provides insight into Korean culture. Under the Same Sky is an autobiography and a pretty amazing survival story.  Copies are available at the check-out desk for the discussion on Monday, March 21st, 4 pm.

In the picture book arena, a Korean title worth checking out is: Where's Halmoni by Julie Kim. Two grandchildren are worried when their grandma is missing and follow animal tracks to a fantasy world where they must battle a tiger and outwit clever rabbits and hungry dokkebi to get home safely.

Are you wondering how Korean culture has become so big in the US lately?  Here's a timeline of the Korean Wave of pop culture that has hit the U.S. in a big way:

2012: Gangnam Style song and dance by Psy goes viral

2012: Moon embracing the Sun, a Korean TV drama debuts in the US, wins Best Drama, Best Actor, and Drama of the Year.

2013: Boy band BTS debuts, reaching U.S. audiences in 2017. They went platinum in 2018, and was one of the first bands since the Beatles to earn 4 U.S. #1 albums in 2 years.

2010-2020 YouTube videos on mukbang (excessive eating) become very popular.  Korean noodles, seaweed products, and kimchee become more widely available in US grocery stores.

2019: the movie Parasite debuts, winning  Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film at the Academy Awards.

2020-22: Due largely to social media influencers, Korean cosmetics (Missha, Cosrx) enjoy a wave of popularity.

2021: Squid Games becomes Netflix’s most watched series.

2021: K-pop band BlackPink coordinates with Starbucks to raise funds to help the Red Cross in highly hit pandemic areas.