Hallyu as a Driving Force of Global Civic Culuture: Possibilities for Transnational Networks and Cultural Solidarity

Hallyu transcends the dissemination of culture and the enjoyment of popular culture, emerging as a cultural phenomenon capable of explaining transformations in East Asian and global orders. This study argues that the global diffusion of Hallyu within the interplay of globalization and localization fosters new cultural solidarities and global identities. As a complex cultural phenomenon shaped by the mutual penetration of regionality and globality, Hallyu functions as a glocal platform that transcends the limitations of state and capital. It enhances cultural diversity and autonomy on a global scale through transnational networks formed by diverse actors, offering alternative cultural paradigms. Critiquing the limitations of nation-centric cultural strategies, this research highlights Hallyu's role and function in the domain of “life politics” at the intersection of globality and regionality. The horizontal and participatory network structures established by transnational actors provide a foundation for global citizenship culture, contributing to peace and prosperity in East Asia and beyond.