Subcultural Practices in Bangladesh: The Rise of K-Fandom

Korean pop cultural content gained a large number of young followers, mostly millennials and GenZs, post Gangnam Style in 2012. These K-culture followers have built closely knitted fandoms (henceforth K-Fandom) and social media-based communities, where they exhibit distinct identities and practices. Subcultural practices of K-Fandoms have gained enough traction to go beyond online spaces and cross into the physical world. We see this in the form of K-culture fests, events, charities, fan gatherings, and many other activities. The subcultural practices of the new generation demand scholarly attention as well as acknowledgement in the policy domain. By analyzing K-Fandom practices, this chapter contributes to knowledge of subcultures in Bangladesh and tries to understand the aspirations of the new generations. It evaluates the overall cultural and subcultural scene of Bangladesh and predicts how digitalization will continue to impact culture.