Cultural Globalization and Localization: The Reception and Regulation of Korean Popular Culture in China

Cultural Globalization and Localization: The Reception and Regulation of Korean Popular Culture in China. 


I choose this topic because it has something to do with me. I’m a native of China and I moved to Korea to study media. I have experienced globalization in my own life. I lived in two different places and I saw how culture goes to another place and how policies and mindsets receive it. 


Korean popular culture: K-pop, dramas and films spread around the world very fast. So, when globalization meets with cultural protection, what’s the role of localization? 


This topic has direct connection with the idea of cultural hegemony and localization in class. Globalization is not a simple free flow. Globalization has power, policies and resistance in it. China’s so-called “Korean Wave ban” is an example of cultural protection. Who owns the power of controlling culture? Which culture is hegemonic? Which culture is forbidden? This topic can help us understand globalization and localization. 


Actually, in practice, we can easily find this topic. K-pop is very popular in China but there are restrictions on the spread of some performances, shows and films. These restrictions on the spread force cultural products to adapt to local conditions and force fans to seek out what they want through unofficial ways. This shows that globalization is not a simple free flow, but a negotiated, adjusted and resistant process. 


Different media show different cultural views. For example, the Wikipedia of the same Korean culture topic in different countries are different. Chinese Wikipedia focuses on policies and markets, Korean Wikipedia focuses on creativity and cultural meanings, English Wikipedia focuses on globalization influence. These examples in practice show us how localization in practice, and how cultural hegemony controls cultural process. 


The other example is the argument of which awards awards for best film at major international film festivals. Asian jurors give strong support to Asian films. It shows that the standard established by Westerns is not necessarily what we want to accept. Global is not a simple one-way, but a negotiated, interactive process. 


The tension of cultural protection, understanding and globalization is exactly what I want to study. 


This topic is meaningful for me. I am a Chinese and I’m in Korea. I’m a part of globalization (writing, cross-culture learning, SNS) and a receiver of globalization (policy, market, fans) in receiving culture. Through the project, I want to enhance my theoretical understanding and improve my ability of case study, comparison and applying theory. 


For this class, I think I can study the following three aspects. First, the impact of China’s so-called “Korean Wave ban” on the spread of K-pop, dramas and films. Second, I can compare the Wikipedia in Chinese, Korean and English and find the difference of cultural narrative. Third, globalization and localization actually balance with resistance and adaptation. I want to study how these four things interact with each other. I want to get not only an academic understanding, but also practical understanding of globalization and cultural protection. 


I also be experience this, theory and real. I want to know how Korean popular culture is censored in China so that I can know better how culture can be flow between global and local level and why we still need protection and localiza in this global era. 

By Lyujinshuo

Comments

  1. 임예빈September 25, 2025 at 2:14 AM

    You mentioned localization and adaptation in China. I wonder how much of this adaptation is initiated by producers (for example, Korean companies changing their content for China) versus by fans themselves (such as translation, fan-subtitles, or unofficial distribution). Which side do you think has more influence in shaping the “localized” Korean Wave?

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