Culture

Culture of Korea and South Korean culture
South Korea shares its traditional culture with North Korea, but the two Koreas have developed distinct contemporary forms of culture since the peninsula was divided in 1945. The South Korean Ministry of Culture and Tourism actively encourages the traditional arts, as well as modern forms, through funding and education programs.[152] The industrialization and urbanization of South Korea have brought many changes to the way Korean people live. Changing economics and lifestyles have led to a concentration of population in major cities, especially the capital Seoul, with multi-generational households separating into nuclear family living arrangements.

K-pop, Dramas and Movies

TVXQ, also known as the "Rising Gods of the East", is one of the most popular K-pop bands in Asia.
Winter Sonata was a major element behind the success of the Korean wave.South Korean mainstream culture is highly popular throughout the Asian continent, and increasingly in South America and Eastern Europe in a phenomenon called the Korean wave. Many South Korean pop stars and groups are well known in East Asia and Southeast Asia. K-pop often emulates American popular music, and usually features young performers. The emergence of the group Seo Taiji and Boys in 1992 marked a turning point for Korean popular music, as the group incorporated elements of American popular musical genres of rap, rock, and techno into its music. Dance-oriented acts were dominant in the Korean popular music scene of the 1990s. Popular artists who diverge from the traditional K-pop sound include BoA, Lee Jung Hyun, a female techno artist; H.O.T., a five-member pop group, 1TYM a four-member rap troupe; and Wax, a female singer. South Korea is also home to its own form of hip hop artists, including, Shinhwa, Dong Bang Shin Ki, SS501, Jinusean, Drunken Tiger, Se7en, Super Junior, Bi/Rain,Lee Hyori Epik High, and Big Bang.

Since the success of the Korean film Shiri in 1999, Korean film has become more popular, both in South Korea and abroad. Today South Korea is one of the few countries where Hollywood productions do not enjoy a dominant share of the domestic market. This fact, however, is partly due to the existence of screen quotas requiring cinemas to show Korean films at least 73 days a year.

Korean television and especially the short form dramatic mini-series colloquially called "dramas" by Koreans have become extremely popular outside of Korea. Dramas were foremost among cultural exports driving the Korean Wave trend in Asia. The trend has driven Korean stars to fame and has done much to boost the image and prestige of Korean popular culture. Korean dramas are popular in China, Taiwan, Japan, South East Asian countries, Australia and even America (especially Asian-American communities). Dramas showcase a wide range of stories, but the most prominent among the export dramas have been romance ("Autumn Fairy Tale", "Winter Sonata", "All About Eve"), and historical/fantasy dramas