| Abstract | K-pop industrija dio je „Korejskog vala“, također zvanog i „Hallyu wave“, koji je započeo širiti svoj utjecaj još 90-tih godina, kada su k-pop zvijezde kakve ih danas poznajemo počele dominirati glazbenom scenom Južne Koreje. Mnogi teoretičari istočno azijskih studija bili su iznenađeni valom popularnosti koji je Hallyu doživio, jer nakon ogromnog uspjeha korejskih drama kao što su bile Jewel in the Palace i Winter Sonata, ljudi su mislili da će korejski val polako izgubiti svoj momentum. To nije bio slučaj, a utjecaj korejske pop kulture nastavio je širiti se kroz istočnu i jugo-istočnu Aziju, ali i kroz obje Amerike i Europu. Dok su prvi val nosile popularne prethodno spomenute drame, drugi val su vodili popularni korejski pjevači. Ujednačenost grupa, njihov savršen izgled i nastupi, su privukli mnoge pridošlice ovom novom glazbenom žanru, čak i ako ne razumiju korejski jezik. Postoji nekoliko načina preko kojih se može dobiti prilika zapošljavanja u jednoj od korejskih entertainment agencija i postati k-pop idol, ali svi oni uključuju godine treniranja, bez garancije o uspješnom debitiranju ili debitiranju općenito. Iz ovog razloga mnogi roditelji strahuju od snova svoje djece da postanu k-pop idoli, jer se radi o vrlo stresnoj karijeri, koja ne garantira uspjeh čak i nakon debitiranja. Pokraj idol-sistema, kojeg je južnokorejska glazbena industrija usvojila i učinila jednim od ključnih elemenata ovog poslovanja, način promoviranja idola drugačije je u mnogočemu u odnosu na promocije u zapadnjačkoj glazbenoj industriji. Idoli nastupaju na glazbenim emisijama kako bi promovirali svoje nove pjesme, ali često gostuju i na TV i radijskim emisijama, a mnogi dobivaju i gostujuće uloge u dramama i filmovima. Izloženost u javnosti jako je bitna za idole, jer u slučaju da ne dostignu određenu razinu popularnosti i uspjeha, kompanija će ih najvjerojatnije raspustiti. Kao i sa svime što je popularno, nisu svi sretni što Koreja širi svoj utjecaj u drugim zemljama. Dok postoje web-stranice u Japanu koje promoviraju kampanju protiv korejskog vala, korejske su drame u Kini čak bile zabranjene neko vrijeme, a vlada Tajvana je umalo zabranila emitiranje svih stranih emisija i serija. Iako je ovo možda vrhunac Hallyu vala, njegov utjecaj na druge zemlje zasigurno će ostati. Iako postoje prijetnje protiv nastavka uspjeha korejskog vala, korejska će zabavna industrija zasigurno naći način kako da ih uspješno ukloni. |
| Abstract (english) | The k-pop industry is part of the „Korean wave“, also called „Hallyu wave“, which started to spread its influence back in the '90s, when k-pop stars as we know them today started to dominate the music scene of South Korea. Many East Asian Studies scholars have been surprised by the sudden wave of popularity of Hallyu, because after the huge successes that were Korean dramas like Jewel in the Palace and Winter Sonata, people thought the Korean wave would slowly lose its momentum. This was not the case and the influence of Korean pop culture kept spreading throughout East and Southeast Asia, but also both Americas and Europe. While the first wave was carried by the popularity of before-mentioned dramas, the second wave was led by popular Korean pop artists. The uniformity of the groups, their perfect looks and performances, are what attracted many people to this new music genre, even if they don't understand the Korean language. There are a few ways of getting a chance to get into a Korean entertainment company and becoming a k-pop idol, but all of them include years of training, without the guarantee that there will ever be a successful debut. This is why many parents fear the dream of their children to become k-pop idols, since it is a very stressful business, that doesn't guarantee one success, even after managing to debut. Aside from the idol-system the South Korean music industry has adapted and made into a crucial element of this business, the way of promoting idols is different in a few ways from the one in the western music industry. Idols perform at music shows to promote their new songs, but they are also often guests on TV and radio shows and many of them also take on guest roles in dramas and movies. Exposure is very important for idols, because in case they don't get to a certain level of popularity and success, the company will most likely disband them. As with every popular thing, not everyone is happy about Korea spreading its influence in other countries. While there are web-sites in Japan that promote the „Anti-Korean Wave“ campaign, Korean dramas were even banned for a while in China, while the government in Taiwan almost issued a ban on all foreign shows. Even though the Hallyu wave might currently be at its peak, the influence it has on other nations is here to stay. While there might be threats to the continuation of the wave's success, the Korean entertainment industry will surely find a way to take care of them. |
