Korean words in the Oxford English DictionaryLanguage
Hallyu (한류) — the Korean wave
Hallyu means the rise of international interest in South Korea and its popular culture. It is now an entry in the Oxford English Dictionary.
OED update: September 2021Korean: 한류 (hallyu)Also covered: “Korean wave”Updated Oct 20, 2026
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What it means
Hallyu (한류) is written with two Chinese-origin syllables meaning “Korea” and “flow/wave”. English speakers often say “the Korean wave”.
It covers K-pop, K-dramas, films, food and beauty: the way Korean culture has spread beyond Korea.
In the OED
The OED added “hallyu” in its September 2021 update, one of 26 Korean-origin words in that batch. Press coverage of the update says the OED describes it as the increase in international interest in South Korea and its popular culture, and that the existing entry “Korean wave” was updated too.
How it's used in Korea
In Korea the word is used for the spread of Korean pop culture abroad, for example “hallyu stars” (한류 스타) or “hallyu content” (한류 콘텐츠).
Example
“한류 덕분에 한국어를 배우는 사람이 늘었어요.” (Thanks to hallyu, more people are learning Korean.)