This thesis examines the popularization of Korean pop music (K-pop) among English-speaking audiences through the social media platform TikTok. The theoretical framework draws on sociological conceptualizations of musical performance and popular music studies, focusing on visual aesthetics, the body, the public image of performers, and the relationships between performers and audiences. The work presents the historical background of the emergence of K-pop and the Korean Wave and analyzes the impact of technological development and elements of institutional support on its rise in the global cultural space. Emphasis is placed on understanding K-pop as a highly structured and export-oriented cultural product that, through visual and sonic digital strategies, achieves commercial success beyond national borders. K-pop combines aspects of Korean history with elements of various musical and visual traditions, forming a hybrid yet recognizable identity that appeals to a global audience. TikTok enables new modes of music distribution and consumption, where short-form content, algorithmic operation, and »internet niche communities« play a central role in spreading and internalizing trends. This is illustrated through a qualitative analysis of media content from one boy group and one girl group. A key component of this process is the specific dynamic between the audience and K-pop »idols«. The platform reshapes the relationships between performers and fans and reveals contemporary dynamics of consumption, representation, and global visibility. The thesis also raises questions about the role of race, cultural hybridity, and mimicry, offering a basis for further exploration of contemporary dynamics of cultural globalization. K-pop emerges as a case study of contemporary cultural flows and the digital ecosystem, providing insight into the processes that may shape a possible future post-globalized society.
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