The Commodification and Reduction of Korean Culture in the U.S.

The dramatic spread of Korean pop culture within the past thirty years has contributed greatly to the phenomenon of commodification of culture in the United States.This obscures the multidimensionality of Korean culture and largely projects elements that are easily consumable.This situation did not develop suddenly but has deep ties to Orientalism, immigration quotas, and American films in the early 1900s.The modern commodification and reduction of Korean culture can manifest from K-pop industries, the diminishing value in traditional wear, and a lack of a holistic viewpoint when choosing a Korean partner.This study aims to bring light to this reduction of Korean culture.