As you all remember, since the 80's the West has been literally invaded by Japanese culture: not only martial arts, anime and manga, but also cars and technological products through huge companies that have imposed themselves all over the world.

In recent years, however, there is another country - very close to Japan - that seems to be following the same process: South Korea. The first to make known the potential of this extraordinary country were the big giants of technology and automotive (the so-called Chaebol, such as Samsung, LG, Hyundai, KIA).

But it's not just that... Squid Game is the latest case of a trend that we've all noticed by now, which is that not only have big companies made South Korea known around the world (as we just said), but contemporary pop culture now has crazy numbers as well.

Think about K-Pop: the most famous Korean groups have become among the most followed in the world. And what about cinema? Did you know that the Korean movie Parasite won an Oscar in 2020? This was unthinkable until a few years ago!

But what is the source of this expansion of Korean culture and economy? What is its history?

You can learn more by reading my latest book: "History of South Korea: From the US Military Administration and the Korean War to Contemporary Pop Culture", where we not only look at the history of the country since its foundation, but also analyze aspects of contemporary culture and why South Korea is competing even with Japan in the collective imagination of Westerners.

You can find it on Amazon, along with the other books in the "Easy History" series!

History of South Korea: From the US Military Administration and the Korean War to Contemporary Pop Culture