K-Dramas and Korean Cinema: How the Korean Wave Went Global

Korean dramas and films started winning audiences across Asia in the late 1990s, giving rise to the term “Hallyu,” or the Korean Wave. Today they're released to viewers around the world at the same time via streaming. Here's how it happened and which milestones are worth knowing.

How the Korean Wave Began

The term “Korean Wave” (hallyu) was coined by Chinese media around 1999 to describe the popularity of Korean TV dramas and pop music. The growth of satellite TV in the late 1990s helped carry K-dramas across East and Southeast Asia.

KBS's Winter Sonata (2002) became a phenomenon in Japan and extended the wave there, while MBC's Jewel in the Palace (Dae Jang Geum, 2003–2004) aired in many countries and sparked interest in Korean food and royal court culture.

Broadcasters and Streaming

Beyond the terrestrial networks KBS, MBC and SBS, cable channels such as tvN and JTBC became major drama producers. More recently, streaming platforms have funded series and dropped every episode at once.

Netflix's Squid Game (2021) became the platform's most-watched series and the first non-English-language show nominated for the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series.

Genres and Hallmarks

K-dramas span romantic comedies, historical dramas, legal and medical shows, thrillers and even zombie stories. For years the standard format was a self-contained miniseries of around 16 episodes. International viewers often point to the way they weave family, class and social issues into genre storytelling.

Sageuk: historical dramas, often set in the Joseon royal court
Webtoon adaptations: popular web comics turned into dramas and films
OSTs: drama soundtracks that often become hits on their own

The Rise of Korean Cinema

After Shiri (1999), a string of big-budget commercial hits grew the Korean film industry. Park Chan-wook's Oldboy won the Grand Prix at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival and put Korean genre filmmaking on the world map.

Parasite and the Oscars

Bong Joon-ho's Parasite became the first Korean film to win the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 2019. At the 92nd Academy Awards in 2020, it won four Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best International Feature, and became the first non-English-language film to win Best Picture.

FAQ

Where does the term “Hallyu” come from?

Chinese media began using it around 1999 to describe the popularity of Korean dramas and pop music.

How many Oscars did Parasite win?

Four at the 92nd Academy Awards in 2020: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best International Feature Film.

How many episodes does a K-drama usually have?

Around 16 episodes was the long-standing norm, but streaming series are often shorter, so it varies by show.

Sources

Last reviewed: 2026-10-28