From Japan to Indonesia, a certain kind of pop culture is very hot. But it doesn’t come from Hollywood—it’s Hallyu(韩流), the wave of Korean pop culture that has washed over Asia. It has influenced everything from music to television. And thanks to the Internet and social media, it’s now spreading worldwide.
South Korea produces all types of entertainment, the most popular being music, soap operas and films. What makes Hallyu so hot in Asia? One reason is that its products are of high quality and much cheaper than western products. Another reason is that eastern cultures are similar to each other, although there are language differences.
Korean pop music, or “K-pop”, ranks the firsteverywhere. Fans love the songs and the attractive stars. Companies like SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment and YG Entertainment help many K-pop stars, such as Super Junior, Big Bang and Rain, to succeed. They are not only popular in Asia but also enjoy popularity in the West. In 2011, Big Bang’s mini-album Tonight reached the top 10 on U.S. Tunes Top Pop Albums. When SM Entertainment took their 2010 world tour to Los Angeles, only 30 percent of the 15,000 fans were Korean. Half of the audience wasn’t even Asian!
One important reason for the success of Hallyu is simply the Internet. A little more than 10 years ago, Korean soap operas, movies and music reached the outside world quite slowly. They began in Korea, and then gradually spread outward, appearing in its neighboring countries where local TV and radio companies would play them. Now they are played around the world online at the same time.
YouTube is another major way to get Korean entertainment to fans everywhere. It is an inexpensive and valid way for artists to introduce their work to a larger audience. In 2010 the YouTube channels for the top three Korean entertainment groups together had nearly 800 million views from 225 different countries.
小题1:Hallyu is very hot in Asia partly because________.A．languages in Asia are similar to each otherB．the culture is the most fashionable in the worldC．South Korea’s products are the cheapest in AsiaD．the quality of South Korea’s products is high小题2:The author shows the popularity of K-pop in the West_______.A．by giving examplesB．in order of spaceC．by listing reasonsD．in order of time小题3:The last two paragraphs mainly tell us________.A．how important the Internet isB．Hallyu is popular worldwideC．the Internet helps Hallyu spread quicklyD．how popular and effective YouTube is小题4:What does the underlined word valid (in Para. 5) mean?A．slowB．uselessC．successfulD．necessary小题5:What would be the best title for the passage?A．K-pop Ranks the First EverywhereB．Hallyu Makes Waves across the WorldC．YouTube Helps Korean Cultures SpreadD．Korean Soap Operas Are Growing in Popularity