How K-pop Broke the West: An Analysis of Western Media Coverage from 2009 to 2019

Over the last decade, Western publics have gradually caught on to the Kpop phenomenon; the Korean Wave has arrived on European and North
American shores and shows no signs of receding. Heightened interest has
corresponded with increased mainstream media coverage, both among
news and entertainment outlets. This article analyzes mainstream media
coverage of the Korean Wave from 2009 to 2019, including an
examination of overall trends in K-pop framing over time. This analysis
suggests that coverage of K-pop in Western media has proceeded through
four distinct stages of development: 1) Introductory Stage, 2) Gangnam
Style Stage, 3) Korean Wave Stage, and 4) Mainstreaming Stage. This
article also examines how the changing portrayal of K-pop for general
audiences has corresponded with a similar evolution in portrayals of South
Korea and Korean society as a whole