전지구화 시대의 이란의 미디어와 대중문화

The Media and Mass Culture of Iran in the Global Era: Encounters with the Korean Wave in Iran

Korean culture industry has been growing rapidly since the 1990s and "The Korean Wave" which began in northeast Asia has spread to the Middle East. The immense popularity of Korean Drama in Iran has begun in 2007 with <Daejanggum>, a historical drama set in the Chosun Dynasty court. In 2009, <Jumong> which was aired through the Iranian National TV sparked up "The Korean Wave" again and this phenomenon was seen by the Korean enterprises and government as an exceptional opportunity for both business and diplomacy. On the other hand, <My Love, Samsoon> was broadcasted via an illegal satellite channel and was immensely popular, especially among young Iranian women. In critically examining the "success" of Korean dramas in Iran, I argue that their success derived less from their Korean-ness than from certain affective themes that could be readily appropriated by the Iranian public. This paper attempts to show how transnational culture becomes localized and contains hybrid contexts in this global era. Furthermore, I will explore "The Korean Wave" as multi-faceted cultural flux, not as unified entity.