Koreatown, NYC: The Consumption of a Transnational Brand

In the past decade, Korean entertainment has gained global recognition, with Korean movies and TV shows winning Oscars and Emmys, and K-Pop groups becoming wildly popular. In Manhattan, Koreatown has become a popular destination for both locals and tourists, drawing them in with its bars, restaurants, and day spas. Jinwon Kim argues that Manhattans Koreatown has become a new type of ethnic enclave, what she dubs a transclave. This commercialized ethnic space exists solely for consumption, leisure, and entertainment, and has been shaped by South Koreas nation-branding strategy, new economic and cultural strategies, patterns in Korean migration, and shifts in...