Parasite (2019 film) in the context of CJ Entertainment

Kishōtenketsu (起承転結) describes the four-part structure of many classic Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese narratives. The parts can be summarized as: introduction, development, twist or reversal, and resolution.

Kishōtenketsu as a narrative structure does not center conflict as part of its structure, especially when compared to common Western narrative structures like the three-act structure and Joseph Campbell's "Hero's Journey." This has led to the structure being popularly described as "without conflict," although narratives created using kishōtenketsu, such as the 2019 South Korean film Parasite, can and often do contain conflict.

The Korean Wave, or hallyu (Korean: 한류; listen), refers to the rapid global rise in South Korean popular culture since the 1990s. It is led by the spread of K-pop, K-dramas, and films, with key successes including K-Pop groups BTS and Blackpink, the Oscar-winning film Parasite (2019), the Netflix television series Squid Game. The Korean Wave has been recognized as a form of soft power and a significant economic asset for South Korea, generating revenue through cultural exports and tourism.

Following the 1997 Asian financial crisis and the end of military censorship over the South Korean entertainment industry, the country emerged as a major exporter of popular culture. The growth of satellite media in the late 1990s helped spread K-dramas and Korean cinema across East Asia and parts of Southeast Asia. Chinese journalists coined the term "Korean Wave" (Chinese: 韩流; pinyin: hánliú) in 1999 to describe the growing popularity of South Korean cultural products.. During the 2000s, hallyu expanded into Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. By 2008, South Korea's cultural exports surpassed its cultural imports for the first time. The rise of social media and global internet platforms helped the Korean entertainment industry reach overseas audiences and gain support from the South Korean government.