Have to admit, growing up I would NEVER EVER have thought I'd see the day when Mexican teenagers loved K-Pop and Argentine men watched Korean TV dramas and Spike Lee would be biting a Korean movie... but here we are. Pass the kimchi please!

It's happening BECAUSE the Korean government is encouraging it.

Indeed, the Korean government nurtured Hallyu. The president pushed to develop and export films, pop music, and video games. As the Economistreports:

Tax incentives and government funding for start-ups pepped up the video-game industry. It now accounts for 12 times the national revenue of Korean pop (K-pop). But music too has benefited from state help. In 2005 the government launched a $1 billion investment fund to support the pop industry. Record labels recruit teens who undergo years of grueling [sic] training before their public unveiling.

It’s working. According to the Korea Times, China has made a trade agreement with Korea allowing it an unprecedented degree of access to the Chinese people and its companies, an impressive win for soft power.