From 2005 to 2015, Korean television dramas laid the groundwork for becoming global content through multidimensional transformations in production environments, narrative structures, genre strategies, and distribution methods. This study analyzes the ...
From 2005 to 2015, Korean television dramas laid the groundwork for becoming global content through multidimensional transformations in production environments, narrative structures, genre strategies, and distribution methods. This study analyzes the industrial shifts and the transitions in content styles of Korean dramas during this period to elucidate the status they acquired as key cultural exports of the Korean Wave (Hallyu) in the global market. In particular, the paper presents concrete case studies centered on the introduction of digital technology, the proliferation of pre-production systems, the increase in overseas co-productions, the diversification of genre combinations, and the shift toward platform-based distribution systems. Furthermore, the study aims to shed light on the interaction between the internal changes of the drama industry and the external viewing environment, and how this interplay contributed to the global diffusion of Korean Wave content.