The birth of Korean cool : how one nation is conquering the world through pop culture / Euny Hong.

"Euny Hong grew up in Gangnam, the posh Seoul neighborhood Psy is mocking in his viral sensation, "Gangnam Style." She knows the song's popularity is not just a fluke but rather the result of Hallyu--the Korean wave--just another sign of South Korea's increasing popularity around the world. The Birth of Korean Cool will show how South Korea vaulted itself into the twenty-first century, becoming a global leader in business, technology, education, and pop culture. Along the way we meet teachers, cultural critics, Michelin-starred chefs, pop music superstars, and government ministers in charge of creating boy bands with highly synchronized dance moves. The strict rigors of the Korean education system now lead to a society that works and plays hard--with a Ministry of Culture that churns out movies, television dramas, pop bands, and video games exported throughout the world. Euny Hong reveals how a really uncool country became cool, and how a nation that once banned miniskirts, long hair on men, and rock and roll could come to be known for its pop music and the smart phone in everyone's pocket. Welcome to South Korea: The Brand. - Fascinating first-hand reporting from a wide cross-section of Korean society from a young, hip voice - For readers of The Fortune Cookie Chronicles, Fresh Off the Boat, and JapanAmerica"-- Provided by publisher.