“Hallyu” and the Global South: The Impact of the South Korean Cultural Industry in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Latin America
La « Hayllu » et le Sud global : l’impact de l’industrie culturelle sud-coréenne en Asie du Sud, en Asie du Sud-Est et en Amérique latine
Published on Monday, April 13, 2026
Abstract
Ce colloque vise à analyser l’évolution récente de la « vague coréenne » en phénomène culturel global, en mettant l’accent sur son impact sur la circulation et la réception des produits culturels en Asie du Sud, en Asie du Sud-Est et en Amérique latine.
Announcement
October 7— 8, 2026 La Rochelle University (France)
Colloquium Overview
Over the past several decades, Hallyu—or the “Korean Wave”—has emerged as a major cultural phenomenon, reshaping the global circulation and reception of cultural products. This colloquium examines the circulation and reception of South Korean cultural industries in countries of the Global South, with a particular focus on South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.
It further investigates how Hallyu, driven by cultural products such as K-pop, Kdramas, and cinema, not only depicts South Korean society but also contributes to the diffusion and reception of mediated and affectively invested imaginaries. These imaginaries, in turn, produce tangible effects on social practices and urban spaces, while remaining embedded in local processes of production, appropriation, and reinterpretation. By placing soft power and cultural circulation at the center of discussion, the conference aims to explore the geopolitical, economic, and identity-related dynamics associated with the global expansion of South Korean popular culture beyond Western contexts.
We invite contributions from scholars working in fields such as cultural studies, sociology, anthropology, media studies, film studies, musicology, political science, and international relations.
Research Themes
Axis 1 — Hallyu and Soft Power: An Alternative to Western Cultural Models?
Objectives
- Map the strategies used to disseminate Hallyu in countries of the Global South, identifying key actors (states, companies, media organizations) and instruments (public policies, partnerships, digital platforms).
- Analyze how Hallyu positions itself as a potential alternative to dominant Western cultural models, particularly in South and Southeast Asia and Latin America.
- Examine local receptions and appropriations of Hallyu, highlighting dynamics of resistance, adaptation, and hybridization among Global South audiences.
Expected Contributions
- A deeper understanding of the geopolitical and economic logics underlying South Korea’s cultural exports and their implications for global cultural balances.
- Identification of innovative models of cultural soft power that could inspire Global South countries in promoting their own cultural industries.
- Comparative insights into cultural policies and dissemination strategies between South Korea and emerging cultural powers.
- An analysis of the digital dimension of Hallyu’s global dissemination, particularly the role of the internet and social media platforms.
Axis 2 — South Korean Cultural Industries as Laboratories of Cultural Hybridization
Objectives
- Analyze the creative processes and forms of hybridization within South Korean cultural industries (music, cinema, series, audiovisual formats, etc.), particularly the integration of aesthetic, narrative, and performative elements from diverse cultural contexts.
- Examine how K-pop’s creative processes and distinctive hybrid forms integrate musical, choreographic, and visual influences from diverse cultural traditions.
- Assess the role of transnational collaborations (artists, producers, platforms, local teams) in the co-construction of cultural products circulating between the local and the global.
- Examine the dynamics of appropriation, reinterpretation, and relocalization of South Korean cultural forms in different geographical contexts.
- Investigate the ethical and political debates related to hybridization and cultural circulations (appropriation, power asymmetries, soft power, coproduction).
Expected Contributions
- Insights into the mechanisms of cultural hybridization within South Korean cultural industries and their role in reconfiguring the boundaries between local, regional, and global.
- Identification of forms of co-production and local appropriation of South Korean formats and aesthetics in different cultural spaces.
Axis 3 — Hallyu and Youth in the Global South: Consumption, Identification, and Creation
Objectives
- Document consumption patterns and fan practices among young audiences in South and Southeast Asia and Latin America, identifying regional specificities.
- Examine the influence of Hallyu on local artistic productions (music, dance, fashion, etc.) and youth cultural movements.
- Analyze processes of identification and creative expression inspired by Korean culture and their impact on local social and cultural dynamics.
- Explore shared dynamics of cultural consumption, identification, and creative production among youth in the Global South.
Expected Contributions
- A mapping of emerging cultural practices among young people in the Global South influenced by Hallyu.
- Insights into new spaces of creativity and sociability and their role in reinforcing local identities.
- Perspectives on the role of Hallyu in shaping new generations of artists and cultural consumers in the Global South.
Axis 4: The Hallyu Wave as a Tool for Political Expression and Mobilization in the Global South
Objectives
- Map the diverse forms of political mobilization inspired by the Hallyu wave in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Latin America, with a focus on local strategies and transnational dynamics at play.
- Analyze the social engagement practices of K-pop fan communities outside South Korea, particularly their role in constructing counternarratives and fostering new forms of activism.
- Investigate why South Korean popular culture serves as an alternative resource for youth in the Global South, especially in contexts marked by crises of political representation and identity formation.
- Assess how Hallyu, as a globalized cultural phenomenon, offers frameworks for understanding and action that challenge traditional hierarchies (both local and global) and redefine power relations.
Expected Contributions
- Inventory of strategies and practices employed (public space occupation, digital tool use, creation of alternative content), with special attention to viral dynamics and social media campaigns.
- Analysis of the claims and themes advanced by individuals and communities drawing on South Korean popular culture to structure collective action (human rights, access to public services, social justice, gender identity, etc.).
- Identification of specific K-pop elements (aesthetics, music, fan practices, narratives, memes) that are repurposed in local contexts of mobilization, contestation or dissent.
- Study of fandoms as political actors, examining their organization, modes of action, and capacity to influence public debates.
About the Event
This activity is part of an investigative project launched in 2025 by PoliCEMIES and D2iA, two research laboratories in human and social sciences at La Rochelle Université (Nouvelle Aquitaine, France), in collaboration with the Master’s program in Languages, Cultures, and International Affairs. This program is structured into two tracks: Americas and Asia-Pacific. It follows a thematic study day entitled “K-Pop and Hallyu: Soft Power, Cultural Impact, and Social Engagement”, held on November 14.
The October 2026 colloquium will take place as part of the annual festival of the King Sejong Institute of La Rochelle, a public event featuring exhibitions, workshops, performances (including K-pop performances), film screenings, lectures, concerts, competitions, and culinary events. This setting will create opportunities to connect academic research with a broader cultural program.
Submission Guidelines
Proposals must be submitted by June 15, 2026 (Notification of acceptance: June 29, 2026)
Submissions should be sent to: colloquehayllu@gmail.com
Proposals should be written in English or French and submitted in .doc or .docx format. They must include:
- The title of the paper and the relevant research axis
- An abstract (maximum 300 words)
- A short biographical note
Practical Information
- The colloquium will take place on site at La Rochelle University (La Rochelle, France).
- Presentations are expected primarily in person.
- Papers may be presented in English or French.
- No registration fee will be charged. Partial travel and accommodation support may be available, particularly for PhD candidates and earlycareer researchers.
Calendar
- Proposal submission deadline June 15, 2026
- Responses June 29, 2026
- Colloquium October 7 and 8, 2026
Organizing Committee
- Sebastian Urioste (La Rochelle University)
- Sora Hong (La Rochelle University)
Scientific Committee
- Vincenzo Cicchelli (Université Paris Cité)
- Paroma Ghose (Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva)
- Sylvie Octobre (French Ministry of Culture, Centre Max Weber)
- Sora Hong (La Rochelle University)
- Sebastian Urioste (La Rochelle University)
Subjects
- Sociology (Main category)
- Zones and regions > America > Latin America
- Society > Political studies > Political and social movements
- Periods > Modern
- Mind and language > Representation > Cultural identities
- Zones and regions > Asia > Indian world
- Zones and regions > Asia > Southeast Asia
- Society > Sociology > Sociology of culture
Places
- 25, rue Louis Tardy
La Rochelle, France (17140)
Event attendance modalities
Hybrid event (on site and online)
Date(s)
- Monday, June 15, 2026
Attached files
Keywords
- Hallyu, Vague coréenne, K-Pop, K-Drama, circulation culturelle, Corée du Sud, Sud global, Amérique latine, Asie du Sud, l’Asie du Sud-Est, soft power, alternative, modèle culturel occidental, hybridation culturelle, jeunesse, consommation
Contact(s)
- Sebastian Urioste
courriel : colloquehayllu [at] gmail [dot] com - Sora HONG
courriel : sora [dot] hong [at] univ-lr [dot] fr
Information source
- Sebastian Urioste
courriel : colloquehayllu [at] gmail [dot] com
License
This announcement is licensed under the terms of Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal.
To cite this announcement
« “Hallyu” and the Global South: The Impact of the South Korean Cultural Industry in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Latin America », Call for papers, Calenda, Published on Monday, April 13, 2026, https://doi.org/10.58079/1623b
