Beyond BTS, Parasite, and Squid Game 

The Next Wave of Hallyu: From Classical Music to Democracy 

 

*방탄소년단, 기생충, 오징어 게임 그 이후 한류 (*업데이트, 2025. 6. 21) <Korean>

https://www.nyculturebeat.com/?document_srl=4155601&mid=People2

 

 

Since the release of 33 Keys to Understanding the Korean Wave: Beyond BTS, Parasite and Squid Game in early May 2025, the Korean Wave (Hallyu) has continued to expand—reaching new heights across diverse fields.

 

In May, Maestro Myung-whun Chung was appointed as the first Asian music director in the 247-year history of Teatro alla Scala in Milan. Deaf Korean American artist Christine Sun Kim is holding her first major museum survey at the Whitney Museum of American Art, with a traveling exhibition scheduled at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. On Broadway, the Korean musical Maybe Happy Ending swept six Tony Awards—including Best Musical—while Daniel Dae Kim became the first Asian American male actor nominated for Best Actor in a Play.

 

At the 2025 James Beard Foundation Awards—often called the Oscars of the food world—Korean chefs took home top honors in multiple categories: Outstanding Chef (Jungsik Yim), Outstanding Hospitality (Atomix), and Outstanding Bakery (Jinju Patisserie). And on June 3, following the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korean citizens elected Lee Jae-myung as president in a historic election marked by the highest voter turnout since 1997.

 

 

# K-Classic: Myung-whun Chung Becomes First Asian Music Director of La Scala

 

 

Myung-whun Chung began his career as a pianist, sharing second prize at the 1974 International Tchaikovsky Competition. He was celebrated with a national parade in Seoul and went on to serve as music director for the Saarbrücken Radio Orchestra, Opéra Bastille in Paris, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, and the Seoul Philharmonic.

 

In May 2025, Chung was appointed music director of La Scala in Milan—the first Asian to hold the role in the opera house’s 247-year history. His term begins in 2027.

 

*지휘자 정명훈 이탈리아 라스칼라 역사상 최초의 아시안 음악감독 임명

https://www.nyculturebeat.com/?mid=Music2&document_srl=4149587

 

 

# K-Art: Christine Sun Kim’s Survey Exhibition at the Whitney Museum

 

 

Christine Sun Kim, a deaf Korean American artist, gained attention after interpreting the U.S. national anthem in American Sign Language at Super Bowl LIV in 2020. Her first major museum survey, Christine Sun Kim: All Day All Night, opened at the Whitney Museum of American Art in February 2025 and has been extended through September.

 

The exhibition spans three floors and features over 90 works, including drawings, paintings, murals, videos, and sculpture. It will travel to the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis from March to September 2026.

 

*크리스틴 선 김 휘트니 개인전 'Christine Sun Kim: All Day All Night' 

https://www.nyculturebeat.com/?document_srl=4155584

 

 

# K-Musical: Maybe Happy Ending Sweeps the 2025 Tony Awards

 

 

At the 2025 Tony Awards, held on June 8, the Korean-origin musical Maybe Happy Ending received 10 nominations and won six—including Best Musical, Best Book, Best Score, Best Direction, Best Actor, and Best Scenic Design. Premiering at Broadway’s Belasco Theatre in October 2024, the production had already swept six Drama Desk Awards from nine nominations.

 

 

 

In May 2025, Daniel Dae Kim became the first Asian American actor nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his performance in David Henry Hwang’s Yellow Face—a category that also included George Clooney for his Broadway debut in Good Night, and Good Luck. At the ceremony, Kim wore a hanbok, proudly representing his Korean heritage on one of theater’s most prestigious stages.

 

*K-뮤지컬 '메이비 해피엔딩' 토니상 최우수 작품, 극본, 작곡, 연출, 남우주연, 무대디자인상 등 6관왕

https://www.nyculturebeat.com/?mid=Stage2&document_srl=4153930

 

 

# K-Food: Korean Chefs Triumph at the ‘Oscars of the Food World’

 

 

At the 2025 James Beard Foundation Awards, Korean chefs once again demonstrated the global appeal of K-food. The awards ceremony, held on June 16 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, honored Jungsik Yim of Jungsik (New York) with the Outstanding Chef Award. The restaurant received its third Michelin star in 2024.

 

Junghyun Park of Atomix received the Outstanding Hospitality Award. Park, formerly chef de cuisine at Jungsik, had already won Best Chef: New York State in 2023. In Portland, Oregon, Kyurim “Q” Lee and Jin Caldwell of Jinju Patisserie won the Outstanding Bakery Award. In the regional category, Sky Haneul Kim of seafood restaurant Gift Horse in Providence, Rhode Island, was named Best Chef: Northeast.

 

*K-푸드 돌풍: 정식, 아토믹스, 이규림, 진 칼드웰, 김하늘... 2025 제임스비어드재단상 수상

https://www.nyculturebeat.com/?mid=FoodDrink2&document_srl=4155380

 

 

# K-Democracy: From Martial Law to a New President—Korea Votes Again

 

 

On December 3, 2024, the Yoon Suk Yeol administration declared martial law—only to have it overturned within hours by massive public resistance. Through peaceful and nonviolent protest, South Korean citizens achieved the impeachment of a sitting president. In April 2025, the Constitutional Court unanimously removed Yoon from office, making him the second president in Korean history to be dismissed while in office, after Park Geun-hye.

 

Just two months later, on June 3, 2025, the Korean people elected Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party as their next president. With a voter turnout of 79.38%—the highest since 1997—Koreans once again demonstrated the resilience of their democracy and the power of civic engagement. Truly, Korea is a nation of resistance.