South Korea has transformed from a country devastated by war in the late 1950s to a leading cultural powerhouse of the 21st century. Through the voices of fans, journalists, practitioners, novelists and academics, Hallyu! explores the makings of the Korean Wave of cultural influence over the interlinked creative industries of cinema, drama, music, fandom, beauty and fashion. Images of K-Pop legends such as Psy, Blackpink and BTS and stills from films and dramas such as Parasite and Squid Game, alongside webtoon comic strips, catwalk shots, traditional and contemporary hanbok clothing, and cosmetics packaging, are just some of the illustrations that capture the creative, colourful and dynamic popular culture of South Korea.

"New Korean Cinema" charts the dramatic transformation of South Korea's film industry from the democratization movement of the late 1980s to the 2000s new generation of directors. The author considers such issues as government censorship, the market's embrace of Hollywood films, and the social changes which led to the diversification and surprising commercial strength of contemporary Korean films. Directors such as Hong Sang-soo, Kim Ki-duk, Park Chan-wook, and Bong Joon-ho are studied within their historical context together with a range of films including "Sopyonje" (1993), "Peppermint Candy" (1999), "Oldboy" (2003), and "The Host" (2006).