Hallyu dominates global screens as Korean dramas outshine Western television through emotional intimacy and relatable storytelling. This cultural wave offers comforting, slow-burn narratives and family values, providing binge-watching audiences a meaningful escape into heartfelt connections.

What is now being referred to as ‘The Netflix effect’, hundreds of women in their early 20s, mostly originating from North America and Europe are visiting South Korea and flooding local hostels. This movement caught the attention of Min Joo Lee, a postdoctoral fellow at Indiana University Bloomington researching on Korean gender and race politics who decided to take a deeper look into it.