Is Netflix Riding the Korean Wave or Vice Versa?| Critical Cultural Industries Studies: A New Approach to the Korean Wave in the Netflix Era

Abstract

This article discusses the emergence of the Korean Wave from the media industry perspective to better understand the cultural industries in the digital platform era. It documents several major theoretical frameworks, including critical political economy, cultural industries, production studies, and critical media industry studies. It also explains why these existing media industry studies may not fully help to understand the Korean Wave, particularly in the digital platform era. To historicize the growth of the Korean Wave, it uses “critical cultural industries studies,” which is a meso-approach, as a reliable media industry study methodology in tandem with Hallyu studies, therefore assisting in defining and clarifying the shifting global cultural industries.