The Canberra-only exhibition, Hallyu! The Korean Wave is now open at the National Museum.

Hallyu, meaning the “Korean Wave” has become a worldwide obsession and this new exhibition from London’s Victoria & Albert Museum looks at South Korea’s global impact on the creative industries of cinema, drama, music, fandom, tech, beauty and fashion.

According to the director of the museum Katherine McMahon, who had seen the show in London when it first opened, the Victoria and Albert Museum had picked up on the fact that Korean culture is everywhere in everyday life, not just in fashion beauty and film but in the Korean chicken outlets all around us.

Visiting Victoria & Albert Museum curator Rosalie Kim said Hallyu! was a gateway to into Korean heritage would now complete its global tour with its grande finale here.

The exhibition, the museum says, challenges the norms of pop culture and shows the rebuilding of democratisation in Korea, especially through smartphones. It is also full of sharp social commentary as well as lively displays of fashion and performances by K-pop troupes like the Dare crew, who were on hand for the opening.

ACT Arts Minister Michael Pettersson was on hand to opine that “Korean culture is Canberra culture, adding, “I look forward to all the selfies.”

Hallyu: The Korean Wave, National Museum of Australia, until May, 2026.