10 iconic hallyu moments turning a decade old this year
K-pop group BLACKPINK / Courtesy of YG Entertainment
As BTS prepares for its full-group comeback in March and Netflix animation hit "KPop Demon Hunters" continues to draw global attention, hallyu, or the Korean wave, is showing no signs of slowing down.
Looking back at the last decade, 2016 was a landmark year that set the stage for today’s global hallyu wave — K-pop girl group BLACKPINK, debuted in 2016 and that same year, the Korean drama "Descendants of the Sun" made a splash as stars Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo gained global fame.
Hit dramas, breakthrough idols and blockbuster films did not only entertain — they shaped fandoms, created trends and exported Korean culture across the world.
Here's a rundown of 10 iconic moments, songs, films and dramas from 2016 that set the foundation for hallyu's worldwide growth.
“Reply 1988” / Courtesy of tvN
January: “Reply 1988”
Airing from late 2015 to January 2016, "Reply 1988" captured the hearts of viewers with its nostalgic portrayal of Korea in the 1980s, family bonds and first love. The final episode recorded a peak rating of 21.7 percent, the highest ever for a cable TV drama at the time.
“Descendants of the Sun” / Courtesy of KBS2
February: “Descendants of the Sun”
The biggest K-drama of 2016, “Descendants of the Sun” sparked a nationwide craze, becoming the first show since “The Moon Embracing the Sun” (2012) to surpass 30 percent in ratings. The series, starring A-list stars Song Joong-ki, in his post-military enlistment comeback, and screen darling Song Hye-kyo, was exported to 32 countries.
Go legend Lee Sedol makes his move after deep contemplation during the fourth game against the artificial intelligence program AlphaGo at the Four Seasons Hotel in central Seoul, March 12, 2016. Courtesy of Google Korea
March: Lee Sedol vs AlphaGo
Before the era of ChatGPT, there was AlphaGo. The board game Go — familiar through dramas like "The Glory" (2022) and "Reply 1988" (2016) — captured global attention in 2016 during the DeepMind Challenge Match between Go legend Lee Sedol and artificial intelligence (AI) program AlphaGo.
AlphaGo won the five-game match 4 to 1, showcasing the growing power of AI. Watched by more than 200 million people worldwide, the competition went down in history after Lee claimed victory in the fourth game with the so-called “divine move,” an intuitive decision said to have a probability of just 0.007 percent. After the match, public interest in AI surged.
K-pop group TWICE / Courtesy of JYP Entertainment
April: TWICE’s “Cheer Up”
It's the one song that was everywhere in 2016. TWICE’s “Cheer Up” became a nationwide phenomenon, making “sha sha sha” a viral catchphrase. The music video surpassed 100 million YouTube views in record time, while the song reached over 100 million streams. It became a must-cover performance at school festivals and stages across Korea. As expected, "Cheer Up" won Song of the Year at the Melon Music Awards that year, cementing TWICE as one of K-pop's most representative girl groups.
K-pop group I.O.I / Courtesy of Vogue Korea
May: I.O.I debut after “Produce 101”
“Produce 101” marked the beginning of large-scale idol survival programs, in which viewers voted for their favorite K-pop trainees to debut. The winners of the show then became the girl group I.O.I, whose signature song “Pick Me” became a nationwide hit. The song was even used during the election season, becoming the go-to campaign anthem of aspiring politicians asking the nation to pick them.
"Show Me the Money 5” / Courtesy of Mnet
June: “Show Me the Money 5”
Airing from May, "Show Me the Money 5" received widespread praise for its entertainment value and stellar performances. Songs from the show topped local music charts. Rapper BewhY won the season with songs like “Day Day” and “Forever,” fueling the hip-hop boom of summer 2016.
“Train to Busan” / Courtesy of NEW
July: “Train to Busan”
“Train to Busan,” a zombie blockbuster, became the first Korean film of 2016 to surpass 10 million moviegoers. Premiering at the Cannes Film Festival’s Midnight Screenings to rave reviews, the film was later sold to 156 countries worldwide. The star-studded cast included Gong Yoo, who later gained global recognition through his role as The Salesman in the hit Netflix show “Squid Game, Ma Dong-seok, who went on to appear in Marvel’s “Eternals” (2021), and Choi Woo-shik, who later starred in the Oscar-winning film “Parasite” (2019).
K-pop group BLACKPINK / Courtesy of YG Entertainment
August: BLACKPINK's debut
Girl group BLACKPINK arrived in the K-pop scene with a bang. Debuting with “BOOMBAYAH” and “WHISTLE,” the girl group topped all major music charts from its start. The group won first place on a major broadcast music show just two weeks after debut — the fastest for a girl group at the time. The members, Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rosé — now a three-time Grammy nominee — have now grown into K-pop’s most influential global names.
K-pop group BTS / Courtesy of BIGHIT MUSIC
October: BTS releases “WINGS,” wins major awards
BTS is arguably the biggest band in the world, with its much-awaited comeback this year making headlines. In 2016, the band experienced explosive fan base growth with the consecutive releases of full-length albums “The Most Beautiful Moment in Life: Young Forever” in May and “WINGS” in October. BTS cemented its musical identity, becoming known for its conceptual cinematic storytelling, laying the foundation for its unprecedented worldwide success. Songs like “Fire” and “Blood Sweat & Tears” dominated the charts, leading the group to win major awards in Korea, including Album of the Year and Artist of the Year — a milestone for every K-pop group.
“Guardian: The Lonely and Great God” / Courtesy of CJ ENM
December: “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God”
Written by Kim Eun-sook, who also penned “Descendants of the Sun,” the series “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God” combined fantasy romance with witty, emotional dialogue and standout performances from A-list actors Gong Yoo and Kim Go-eun. The drama became a global hit, turning filming locations such as Gangneung, Gangwon Province, in Korea and Quebec in Canada into major tourist attractions.