About the Conference

Over the past two decades, the Korean Wave (Hallyu) has evolved from a regional cultural phenomenon into a powerful global cultural force. From K-pop and K-dramas to fashion, beauty, and online content, Korean popular culture has profoundly influenced youth, subcultures, and consumer practices across the Global South. What was once a niche interest has now become a transcultural and digital ecosystem of affect, identity, resistance, and global belonging.

This international conference seeks to critically explore how the Korean Wave travels, transforms, and takes root in various cultural contexts of the Global South. In particular, the conference aims to understand the transcultural dynamics of fandom, digital intimacy, neo-tribalism, and the formation of hybrid cultural identities in countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. The Korean Wave is not merely consumed—it is localized, politicized, and reimagined in youth communities and online spaces, sparking unique forms of fan activism, cultural negotiation, and creative expression.

The conference, titled International Conference on the Transcultural Dynamics of the Korean Wave in the Global South, will be held from July 17, 2026, at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore. It is organized by the K-Culture Story Contents Research Institute, Kyung Hee University, in collaboration with the National University of Singapore and SIMEC Research Center.

We invite original papers from academics, researchers, students, and practitioners whose work and interests engage with the cultural, social, and political dimensions of the Korean Wave in the Global South. Papers may address one or more of the following key themes:

• Transcultural Fandom and Youth Identity
• Neo-tribalism and Online Communities
• Fan Activism and Political Expression
• Gender and Sexuality in K-pop and K-drama Reception
• Digital Intimacies and Global Connectivity
• Aesthetic Consumption and Aspirational Economies
• Streaming Platforms and Algorithmic Cultures in the Global South
• Race, Hybridity, and Soft Power Politics