From Koreanness to K-ness: Contemporary Korean Culture and Society aims to conceptualise ‘K-ness’ as a new way of understanding the underlying characteristics that shape the semiotic, cultural, and sociological representations of contemporary Korean culture and society.
The global popularity of Korean cultural content has sparked extensive interest in various facets of the Korean language, culture, and society. These recent changes present a unique opportunity to reassess and reshape our approach to the theorisation of ‘Koreanness’ as a strong national identity significantly influenced by Confucian values, patriarchy, and patriotism. Indeed, a multitude of K-words – including the ever-popular domains of ‘K-pop’, ‘K-drama’ and ‘K-food’ – reflect the diverse but coherent manifestations of the new Koreanness, which often transcends the boundaries of tradition and history.
In this interdisciplinary edited volume, the contributors provide fresh insights into the new Koreanness that has been reshaped by the current international popularity of Korean popular culture, the emergence of new media, and the cross-cultural encounters in the more globalised environment. By exploring themes, topics, and theories linked to ongoing discussions and emerging trends, this book illuminates the multidimensional nature of ‘K-ness’.
From Koreanness to K-ness: Contemporary Korean Culture and Society aims to conceptualise ‘K-ness’ as a new way of understanding the underlying characteristics that shape the semiotic, cultural, and sociological representations of contemporary Korean culture and society.
Introduction: Koreanness in a World Saturated with K-Words
Seryun Lee
PART I: Emerging Trends
1 The Rise of the Korean Short Story Cycle Yeonjak Soseol as K-Literature
Eun Jin Jeong
2 From Korean Identity to K-Identity: Interpreting K-ness in Global Hallyu
Exhibitions
Sumi Kim
3 Korean Cultural Identity in Contemporary Performance
Veronika Veselková
4 Reinterpreting and Representing Korean History and Historical Culture in
Television Drama
Rebecca Lewis
PART II: Korean Affects
5 The Rise of Intimacy Experts in Korean Popular Culture and the
Commercialization of Discourses of Healing and Happiness: Analyzing the
Nations Mentor Dr. Eun-Young Oh and Related Media Cases
Ji-Hyeon Kim and Yun-Hee Cho
6 Is K-ness Korean-ness? BTS Challenge to Hegemonic Masculinity in Korea
Lonnie Edge
PART III: Crafting Koreanness: Policies and Cultural Diplomacy
7 Korean Wave and Public Policy: Examining the States Role in the
Transnational Cultural Phenomenon
Youngaah Koh
8 Who is Korean?: (Re)imaging Korean Identity by the Overseas Koreans
Foundation
Mi Hyun Yoon
PART IV: The Shaping of New Koreanness from Cross-Cultural Perspectives
9 How Korean is Korean Literature in Spain? Longitudinal Research on
Availability and Presentation of Korean Literature in Translation
Ester Torres-Simón
10 Transculturing the Nine-Tailed Fox: How the SCP Wiki Globalizes Korean
Folklore
Dylan Motin and Yeowon Yoon
11 From Consumers to Cultural Ambassadors: Exploring Sydney-Based K-Pop Cover
Dancers Influence on Local Korean Wave Engagement
Kathryn Phillips
12 Translingual Trinkets of the Korean Wave: Deconstructing the Transnational
Power of the Hybridity in K-Objects
Loli Kim
PART V: The Disruptive Potential of Korean Culture
13 Kim Eui-sung in Hong Kongs Anti-ELAB Movement: Transnational Celebrity
Activism and South Korean Soft Power
Elaine Chung
14 Transnational K-Pop Fandom and Global Citizenship
Jeeheng Lee
15 K-Pop Fandom Political Activism: Mobilizing Transnational Fan Communities
for Social Change
Heiwon Won
Seryun Lee is Lecturer in Korean Studies at the University of Sydney, Australia. Prior to joining Sydney, she held positions at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and the University of Queensland. She holds a PhD in Translation and Intercultural Studies from the University of Manchester. Her research interests centre on Korean culture and society, Korean language and translation, online communication, and contemporary screen culture. She is the author of Affect Theory and Translation on YouTube (2025), and her work has been published in a number of international peer-reviewed journals, including the International Journal of Cultural Studies, Social Media + Society, M/C Journal, and Continuum: Journal of Media & Cultural Studies.
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