The Korean entertainment industry has always had a hold on most of Asia, but over the course of the past few years it has successfully made inroads into new markets and re-established connections in places where it had been before.
But aside from successes, the industry also saw its lows, such as the revelation of erring companies and the temporary hiatus of an iconic group.
As the year draws to a close, let's take a look back at some of the biggest Korean entertainment stories of 2022.
After close to decade in the entertainment industry, pop superstars BTS announced a pause in their group activities and focus on solo activities. This year also saw their oldest member, Kim Seokjin, enlist in the military. The rest of the members will follow soon after.
This year also saw the marriage of K-drama royalty Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin. The couple got married in March of this year, and welcomed their first child, a baby boy, just last month.
Squid Game was a huge commercial and critical success the previous year, and now the cast and crew are reaping the benefits. At the 2022 Primetime Emmy Awards, series lead Lee Jung-jae won the trophy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
The success of shows like Squid Game and movies like Parasite has resulted in South Korean stars getting blockbuster projects in the West. Lee Jung-jae is part of the cast of the currently filming Disney+ Star Wars series The Acolyte, while What's Wrong with Secretary Kim? star Park Seo-joon is in The Marvels alongside Brie Larson.
Park Chan-wook's latest film Decision to Leave debuted to critical acclaim, competing for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and winning Park Chan-wook the Best Director award. It has been selected as South Korea's entry to the 95th Academy Awards for the Best International Feature Film category.
After getting arrested in August of last year on accusations of sexual assault and rape of several women, some of whom were minors, former EXO member Kris Wu was finally sentenced by a Chinese court. He was sentenced to a total of 13 years in prison followed by deportation.
Considered as a top Hallyu star, Lee Seung-gi achieved success in singing, acting, and hosting. However, last month saw Lee Seung-gi go up against his entertainment agency, Hook Entertainment. According to him, the company had not been paying him any music revenue for 18 years. After a media battle, Hook Entertainment paid Lee Seung-gi 5.4 billion Korean won, but Lee Seung-gi has announced that he will still continue with his lawsuit.
After announcing the launch of their solo careers, four of the seven members have gone on to perform spectacular debut performances in different venues. J-hope first performed songs from Jack in the Box at music festival Lollapalooza, Jin at Coldplay's concert in Argentina, and Jungkook at the opening of the 2022 World Cup.
It's not just Lee Jung-jae that won an acting award this year. Parasite star Song Kang-Ho was feted at this year's Cannes International Film Festival for his role in Broker, winning the Best Actor award.
Another big K-drama name that got married this year is Park Shin-Hye, who got married to fellow actor Choi Tae-joon in January of this year. She was already pregnant during their wedding, and gave birth to their first child, a boy, in May.