The Korean Wave in Translation
About the Book Series
The Korean Wave in Translation series will aim to discuss issues of translation, invisibility, and the meanings of 'K-ness' in conjunction with the cultural phenomenon, the Korean Wave.
Following the explosion of K-Wave products into the global mainstream, this series comes at an opportune moment. Though there has been study into the difficulties and nuances of translation of Korean into English, recent smash hit films, record breaking TV shows, and successful bands – i.e. Parasite (2019), Squid Game (2021), and BTS, to name a few – demonstrate that the K-Wave is influential on such a scale that specific attention must be paid to the translation of K-Wave media. This series will consider how K-media is being translated for the global audience and how depth of meaning has thereby been limited. This study is both a linguistic and cultural study, examining the process of translation and meaning-making engendered by the ever-successful K-Wave, with specific focus on the role of consumers in crowd-sourced meaning-making.
The series will primarily consist of monographs dedicated to discussing the following issues:
- Dialogue translation for K-Film and K-Dramas
- Lyric translation for K-Pop
- Narrative translation for K-Literature
- How to tackle translating the ‘invisibles’ of Korean language
- Crowd-sourced meaning-making
- Social media and its impact on translation
- The K-Wave as a harbinger of diversity and the desire for diversity in Western-centric popular culture
- The K-Wave as a model for other Asian countries to export popular culture products
- The role of Hangeul in K-media translation
From Koreanness to K-ness: Contemporary Korean Culture and Society
1st Edition
Edited
By Seryun Lee
April 30, 2026
From Koreanness to K-ness: Contemporary Korean Culture and Society aims to conceptualise ‘K-ness’ as a new way of understanding the underlying characteristics that shape the semiotic, cultural, and sociological representations of contemporary Korean culture and society. The global popularity of ...
Learning Korean through Culture: Intermediate-Advanced Level 1
1st Edition
By Kyuin Kim, Bo Hyun Kim, Hyeyoung Park
August 29, 2025
Learning Korean through Culture is designed to help intermediate to advanced Korean language learners gain a deeper understanding of the language. Volume 1 focuses on key aspects of Korean society, including food, language, jobs, and marriage. Suitable for use both in the classroom and at home, it ...
Translating and Receiving Korean Media: From Squid Game to Life on Mars
1st Edition
Edited
By Jonathan Evans, Jinsil Choi, Kyung Hye Kim
June 27, 2025
In recent years, Korean culture has been incredibly successful internationally, from the films of auteur directors like Bong Joon-ho (Parasite) to shows like Squid Game and K-pop music. At the same time, media from the UK has also been successful in South Korea, with popular shows such as Killing ...
Frontiers of Translation in Korean Language Education
1st Edition
Edited
By Simon Barnes-Sadler, Jieun Kiaer
February 20, 2025
Frontiers of Translation in Korean Language Education makes the case for the continuing relevance of translation in Korean as a Foreign Language (KFL) education. This book presents practical case studies of developing and implementing translation in KFL on scales ranging from extended programs – ...
Innovative Methods in Korean Language Teaching
1st Edition
Edited
By Nicola Fraschini, Jieun Kiaer
December 30, 2024
Innovative Methods in Korean Language Teaching showcases research-based and experience-based contributions and reflections on the potential of adopting technological and non-technological innovations to promote Korean language students’ learning. The chapters included in this book consider a wide ...