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The Conversation
The Conversation
Osarugue Otebele, Assistant Professor, Cinema Studies Institute, University of Toronto

How K-dramas use Africa as a backdrop to boost South Korea’s image

The success of South Korean popular music or K-pop continues to power the Hallyu Wave, a term that describes the global obsession with the country’s pop culture production.

But before K-pop came the spread of K-drama, TV series from the country, starting in the late 1990s. By 2024 the melodrama Queen of Tears ranked as the most watched Korean series on Netflix, becoming the 14th most watched show of all time on the streaming service. It followed on the success of many other hits like Crash Landing on You and Marry My Husband.

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