S3 C1-C2 K-EVERYTHING: KOREA'S POP CULTURE TAKEOVER

to conquer Asian charts – to dominate music rankings across Asia

to expand one’s reach to all corners of the globe – to grow influence worldwide

flawless complexion – perfect, blemish-free skin

onerous responsibilities – burdensome or demanding duties

ubiquity – being everywhere at once; omnipresence

to lust after idols – to intensely desire or idolize k-pop celebrities

high-profile cases – prominent, widely publicized incidents

to lucratively appeal – to attract in a highly profitable way

to police inclusion – to enforce or monitor diversity presence

to flourish across the world – to thrive globally

to reap the benefits – to gain advantages or rewards

ardent love – passionate, intense devotion

masterstrokes – brilliantly executed actions or strategies

fragile geopolitics – delicate international relations

seductive earworms – irresistibly catchy songs

audacious enterprise – bold venture

ascendant across Asia – rising in power/influence in Asia

newly minted - recently produced or made

to use sth as a benchmark – to use sth as a standard for comparison

galvanised by sth – motivated or energized by sth

to eclipse J-pop – to surpass Japanese pop in influence

a strand of rebranding program – a part of image-overhaul initiative

to cement sth – to solidify or secure sth permanently

to bring sth home – to successfully achieve or claim (e.g., awards)

to emulate sth – to copy or imitate ambitiously

to open up scope for sth – to create opportunities for sth

a fixture at the top of Netflix’s chart – a piece of media that consistently stays near the top of Netflix rankings
surge in the popularity – a rapid and significant increase in popularity

to sweep the global content landscape – to dominate international media

a testament to sth – proof or evidence of sth’s value/truth

ever-growing popularity – continuously increasing popularity

to attribute sth to sth – to credit a cause or reason for sth

to transcend cultural specifics – to go beyond cultural boundaries

deft storytelling – skillful and clever storytelling

paramount quality – superior quality

to delve into sth – to explore or examine sth deeply

to suit diverse tastes – to appeal to a wide range of preferences

to cater to the female audience – to appeal to female viewers

conveyed through a lingering gaze – expressed via prolonged, meaningful eye contact

subtle – delicate, understated, not obvious

to foster a sense of desire – to encourage the development

or growth of feelings of longing and attraction

to take precedence over sth – to be prioritized as more important

in stark contrast to – sharply different from

thriving abundance – a flourishing, plentiful amount

meticulous attention to aesthetics – careful focus on visual beauty

a feast for the eyes – visually stunning or pleasurable

to play a pivotal role in sth – to be crucial or central to sth

to elevate the quality – to improve or enhance standards

a catalyst for the global popularity – a key factor driving global fame

rigid beauty standards – strict, inflexible ideals of attractiveness

to sustain the industry's global appeal – to maintain international interest

to take the world by storm – to achieve sudden, great global success

a force to reckon with – a powerful thing that cannot be ignored
halo effect – assuming sb is good in all ways because of a positive trait

abhorrent – morally bad, disgusting, repellent

orientalism – Western portrayals of Eastern cultures as exotic or inferior

deeply rooted issues – problems firmly established over time

to drive culture – to shape or influence societal norms and trends

to jump hurdles – to overcome obstacles or challenges

cut-throat – fiercely competitive, often ruthless

bouts of sth – a short period of illness or involvement in an activity

blemish – a flaw or imperfection, physical or metaphorical

eurocentric features – Western beauty standards

done to the T – executed perfectly, with great attention to detail

to fit the mold – to conform to expected standards or norms

to speculate about sth – to theorize or guess without solid evidence

to run on the currency of pretty privilege (metaphorical) – to benefit socially/economically from attractiveness

to run stale – to become boring or unoriginal over time

underlying culture – the hidden or foundational values of a society

commodity – a product or asset with exchange value

entitled to sth – having a perceived right to sth

diminished popularity – decreased popularity

atrocious skin – extremely bad skin condition

disposable – easily discarded or replaced

to stem from sth – to originate or arise from a source

be-all end-all solution – the ultimate answer to a problem

byproduct of sth – a secondary result or unintended

consequence

to relate back to sth – to connect or refer to an earlier idea

a hard pill to swallow – a difficult truth to accept

to divert the next generation – to mislead youth
to salivate over sth – to desire sth intensely, often greedily

East-West dichotomy – the perceived contrast between the East and West

culturally distinct – uniquely characteristic of a specific culture

mannerism – sth that a person does repeatedly with their face, or hands

tangible physical traits – visible, measurable bodily features

to differentiate yourself from sb – to distinguish oneself from others

to incite sth in – to provoke or stir up a feeling or reaction

innate – inborn, natural, or inherent

to subject sb to sth – to force sb to experience sth (often negative)

to comprehend sth – to fully understand sth

to subdue sth – to suppress, control, or tone down

to reduce sth to sth – to simplify or degrade sth into a lesser form

to contest power – to challenge or dispute authority or dominance

to discern cultural DNA – to identify the core traits of a culture

tokenization of culture – reducing a culture to a superficial representation

to evoke sth through consumption – to trigger or draw out feelings/ideas in consumers via media/products

to tap into the American market – to access or appeal to U.S. consumers

to ramp up efforts – to increase intensity or scale of actions

to instill a cultural DNA into sth – to embed core cultural traits into sth

to lure sb down the K-wave pipeline – to gradually get sb more and

more interested in Korean pop-culture

to fuel exotic fantasies – to feed romanticized ideas about foreign cultures

to conspicuously invoke a notion of sth – to deliberately reference an idea in a noticeable way, often strategically

perpetuated by sth – continuously sustained or prolonged by sth

instrumental use of sth – strategic, purposeful use of sth

to rebuke sth – to reject, criticize, or reprimand sharply