‘Hallyu! The Korean Wave’ @ the V&A Museum: K-Pop, Squid Game & Hanboks
Today the V&A in South Kensington, London opens its doors to a brand new exhibition — ‘Hallyu! The Korean Wave’. A colourful, exciting and insightful showcase of Korean music, tv, film and fashion, the exhibition tells the incredible story of the rise of South Korea’s cultural economy, and how the Korean Wave of pop culture quickly spread through Asia and crashed into the West. A must-see for fans to sink their teeth into, but also for newcomers — an excellent beginner’s guide to all things Hallyu.
Highlights include the iconic pink boiler suit and green tracksuit costumes featured in Squid Game, an exact replica of the Parasite bathroom, and clothes worn by K-Pop idols in music videos such as Aespa’s Next Level and ATEEZ’s Fireworks. Not to mention beautiful Hanboks worn by Korean actors and idols, and other fashion pieces designed by the likes of Miss Sohee and Minju Kim. As fans of *all of the above* ourselves, we were in heaven.
Hallyu! The Korean Wave Exhibition @ The V&A in London (ateez, aespa, G-Dragon & More) | Hallyu Doing
Masterfully curated by Rosalie Kim with the help of Yoojin Choi, rooms are split by theme, each with their own colour. In the blue room, we’re given a history lesson on the rise of Korea ‘from Rubble to Smartphones’, providing meaningful context for the early years of the Hallyu Wave. A very green Korean town is filled with K-drama and Cinema memorabilia, including costumes from Squid Game, and clothing and props from Joseon zombie series Kingdom and The Handmaiden. My Love From The Star is a personal cheesy favourite, so I was happy to find the famous Jimmy Choo heels that ended up in the sea in that series (and sold out in Korea thanks to the show).
Mannequin styled and posed as Korean global superstar PSY in his Gangnam Style music video (Photo credit Hallyu Doing)
Iconic pink boiler suits and green tracksuit from popular Netflix K-drama Squid Game (Photo credit Hallyu Doing)
A tunnel lit by a wall of flashing lightsticks leads guests towards the largest (and loudest) room of the exhibition - the red K-Pop and Fandoms section. Huge screens and booming speakers showcase a number of iconic K-Pop music videos from 1st to 4th gen, and the walls are full of photographs, text and merch that dive into the story of the worldwide explosion of K-Pop, highlighting the crucial role of social media and fandom (that’s us, guys!) on the popularisation of the genre.
The room features a 3-metre tall statue of G-Dragon by Gwon Osang, as well as clothes worn by G-Dragon himself, including an outfit from his CROOKED music video, filmed on the streets of London in 2013. Glitzy costumes worn by Aespa in Next Level and ATEEZ’s British Punk inspired Fireworks outfits stand in the centre, next to clothes designed by Visual Director Gee Eun (who has styled BIGBANG and BLACKPINK) and Style Director Balko (BTS, NCT).
3-metre tall sculpture depicting K-Pop legend G-Dragon in two forms, created by Gwon Osang (Photo credit Hallyu Doing)
Wall of flashing K-Pop lightsticks (Photo credit Hallyu Doing)
Brit Punk inspired costumes worn by ATEEZ in their Fireworks music video (left) and glitzy white and silver costumes worn by Aespa in their Next Level music video (right). (Photo credit Hallyu Doing)
If you dare, you can also try out some K-Pop choreography, with an interactive display teaching the moves to PSY’s That That (co-written and co-produced by Suga of BTS), choreographed by B.B. Trippin. Visitors’ dance clips then feature as part of a digital installation, for everyone to watch and enjoy — so good luck.
The final section highlights the origin and innovation of K-fashion and K-beauty, showcasing its historical roots and impressive evolution over the years. The room features a look specifically designed for the V&A by Suh Younghee, as well as clothing from other renowned designers including Tchai Kim, Miss Sohee and Minju Kim. Also displayed are Hanboks worn by K-Pop idols Seonghwa of ATEEZ, Jennie of BLACKPINK and RM of BTS, designed by C-ZANNE E, Danha and Baek Oak Soo.
K-fashion pieces from renowned Korean designers including Minju Kim and Miss Sohee (Photo credit Hallyu Doing)
From start to finish, ‘Hallyu! The Korean Wave’ is beautiful, exciting and educational. A perfectly balanced, well thought-out journey through the rise of Hallyu. If you’re in London for a K-Pop concert, have some time to spare between shopping for albums and eating KBBQ (we’ve all been there), or you’re new to the world of k-culture and want to learn more, we highly recommend visiting!
