Hallyu! The Korean Wave, V&A review ★★★★★

Most of us will have enjoyed a dose of Korean culture, whether it be through watching Squid Game, listening to K-pop, driving a Hyundai car and some people may even be reading this review on a Samsung phone.

Korea’s export of consumerist products and culture is a recent development following the fall of its dictatorship in 1987 and V&A’s major exhibition charts the journey through Korea’s history, including how its rich historical traditions and political evolution have contributed to contemporary culture – and of course it has to open with the viral sensation that is the music video to Gangnam Style by Psy.

Hallyu! The Korean Wave at the V&A. Photo: Victoria and Albert Museum, London

It’s a fascinating journey to see how working with its government and the rise of the power of the internet, Korea has been able to penetrate the two largest music markets in the US and Japan by incorporating English and Japanese into their lyrics while presenting a hyper-coloured, brilliantly choreographed style of music that has broad appeal. Though instead of just amassing fans, these groups regularly engage with their fandom taking it to the next level with fans using these groups to carry out activism, such as raising funds to save the Brazilian rainforests.

It would be remiss of the exhibition to not mention the downsides of this Korean wave of culture, and dutifully the show does consider the mental health strain that is placed on K-pop idols and their extremely stage-managed lives down to having to keep their relationship status private – this pressure is demonstrated by a giant sculpture of K-pop idol G-dragon by Gwon Osang that recreates the well-known Christian image of St. Michael striking down Lucifer with G-dragon’s face on both bodies.

Hallyu! The Korean Wave at the V&A. Photo: Victoria and Albert Museum, London

V&A is great at blending the big eye-catching installations with important context and history, and it does it here once again with a room pulsing with K-pop music videos and the fashionable outfits of these K-pop idols alongside artefacts showcasing the political decisions taken to invest in certain industries to enable Korea to become a world player in consumer markets. It’s this broad appeal that will ensure those who don’t know Blackpink from BTS will feel just as welcome as those steeped in Korean culture.

Throw in a recreation of the cramped bathroom set from the Oscar winning film Parasite, the brutal single shot fight scene from Oldboy and chance to try out your own K-pop dance moves and have them projected on to big screens, and we have a Korean wave fit to envelop every visitor.