Hallyu Wave Nationally: Hallyu in the United States

Hallyu isn’t only evident in Hawaii but in other states all across the United States—from the west coast to the east coast. Like Hawaii, one of the best ways to spread Hallyu to the people is through the media, and more specifically television. Thanks to our advancing technology, the Internet and television in particular make it possible for Hallyu to reach United States citizens. Although KBFD in Hawaii is one of the only television stations to sub Korean dramas locally, Korean dramas are broadcasted in many states. For example, according to Koreanwiz.org Korean dramas are broadcasted on local stations in the following states—California (Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco), Hawaii (Maui and Oahu), Georgia (Atlanta), Illinois (Chicago), Maryland, New Jersey, New York (Bronx, Queens, New York metro area), Pennsylvania (Philadelphia), Texas (Dallas), Virginia, Washington (Seattle), and Washington D.C. In addition, there are also several Korean stations that broadcast nationally to all fifty states, a few of which include—ImaginAsian TV, KBS America, and MBC America. With so much Hallyu advertisement it’s impossible for people all across America to not know at least one thing about Hallyu in some way or form. In New York there is even a theater that shows Korean films—ImaginAsian Theater, and although it doesn’t exclusively show Korean films but any Asian film, it nonetheless strongly helps to promote Hallyu in the US.

As I mentioned in my article about Hallyu Locally in Hawaii, one of the biggest ways that fans show their love and support Hallyu is through fan clubs, and Hawaii isn’t the only state with Hallyu fan clubs. In fact, some of the biggest Hallyu fan clubs are not in Hawaii but other states like Los Angeles, Chicago, and Philadelphia.

According to an article in the Boston Globe besides cell phones, female golfers, and kimchi, one of the biggest exports has become Korean dramas. Although Korea does export Korean dramas with English subtitles it can cost quite a fortune for Korean drama fanatics and each series can cost up to a hundred dollars. However, fortunately due to the rising success of Korean dramas in the United States, the United States has their own company that produces Korean dramas with good English subtitles—YA Entertainment. In Hawaii, Korean dramas produced by YA Entertainment are sold at Wal-Mart, Costco, Borders, Blockbuster, and Tower Records for sometimes only the half the price that people pay for Korean dramas directly imported from Korea. On the mainland, these DVD’s are also sold at music and book stores, and online at amazon.com.

Although in the United States Korean dramas are most popular amongst Asian Americans, Korean dramas have also found popularity amongst non-Asian Americans as well. In an article by Boston Globe they interviewed a thirty-two year old African American woman who grew up in Durham, N.C., and she said she liked Korean dramas because “they’re not as smutty as American dramas”. Also like in Hawaii Korean dramas have found popularity amongst all age groups, and although its biggest supporters are still middle-aged women around their fifties and sixties, Korean dramas are quickly becoming popular amongst teenagers and most of the English blogs on Hallyu are written by American teenagers interested in Korean dramas.