Zoomers’ Got New Love: South Korean Wave ‘Hallyu’
From South Korean sensation Psy’s energetic melody ‘Gangnam Style’ becoming a web sensation in 2012 to today when the young are energetically devouring K-Pop tunes and moves, the K-Pop wave has many fans in Odisha and its influence is increasing by leaps and bounds every day.
While K-beauty is genuinely famous among youngsters and has found it’s way into the daily routine of beauty enthusiasts, the influence of K-pop and K-dramas has reached new heights during the pandemic. As more youngsters found time and to binge watch Korean series on every OTT platform that they were available like Netflix, Rakuten VIKI and numerous others.
The Hallyu wave seems unstoppable. From having an official twitter ID to setting up of online public forums, Odia maniacs have left no stones unturned in making their way into the international fandom. Some even boast their Korean merchandise like official light sticks and photo cards of their favourite boy/girl group on social media sites.
Reminiscing her first encounter with Korean wave, Soumya Priyadarshini said, “While I was pursuing my Master’s degree, my hostel mate suggested that I watch K-drama and K-pop. The first drama was ‘Goblin’ and the first K-pop song was DNA by BTS. After that my life changed completely. l entered into the K-world. I got to learn many new things through the k-dramas. l got to learn about another culture, their language, their way of life, how Koreans behave in certain situations and more. Identifying with the BTS guys makes my life better. Just looking at their music videos brings a smile on my face and listening to their songs gives me relief. My love for k-dramas and K-pop will never change.”
Grasping the Korean wave requires a decent measure of time because of the language boundary, and the lockdown was perfect. Whether one is looking into lyrics of songs or staying glued to their screens to get the subtitles of K-shows, the pandemic was a boon.
On being questioned about the rise of Hallyu wave in a state like Odisha, Baisakhee Mohapatra, an avid Korean fanatic says, “I don’t think there’s a sudden emergence of Korean fandom in Odisha. It was present over the years but the dramatic rise is something to take note of. I hopped into the bandwagon in 2006 with my first Korean drama “Jewel of the Palace”. It was aired on Doordarshan to woo the regional viewers as POSCO was trying to come to Odisha. Further, I learnt about the Korean world through my elder cousins who learnt it from their college seniors. It is the availability of content on the internet that created the urge to explore for Odia fans. BTS happened in 2010, activated in 2013 and since then they have gained many fans in Odisha. I have been aware of a BTS Odisha Army on Twitter that actively organises fan meet-ups and follows their philanthropic activities for quite some time now. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that an entire generation in the state is under its spell.”
She further added, “The touch of Korean beauty has helped in broadening my outlook towards the social taboo of gender normalisation such as men wearing makeup, genderless fashion and men aren’t meant to look a certain way always! Not limited to men, if one listens to all the K-POP song lyrics peppered with English, it deals with how a woman doesn’t need validation from anyone! The Korean cultural wave impacted me so strongly that I finally learnt that language. This took into a self-introspection that embracing another culture doesn’t hurt the sentiments of your own culture rather you get the best of both worlds.”
Sushmita Behera feels that her life has garnered the much-awaited positivity after entering the K-pop fandom and she said, “It has changed my way of thinking. The most important thing is it taught me to love myself first. Their (BTS) struggle to reach the apex of fame has made me realise that unless and until one decides to give his/her best in what he/she does, the thought of climbing the ladder of success will remain a mirage.”