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From movies and TV to K-Pop, South Korean culture manages to punch far above its weight – across East Asia, and beyond. But how did this happen, and why is it so important to Koreans? Rana Mitter investigates.

In episode one Rana finds out how, as it has become richer and freer, South Korean culture has been turning to face the pains of the past. He hears from movie directors, historians and novelists about how Korean culture has confronted the country’s bitter experience of colonisation, civil war and dictatorship. And he explores how this has given many South Koreans a strong desire to see their small country thrive, despite being sandwiched between two giants: China and Japan.

(Photo: Music fans wait at the red carpet of the 2015 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA), the leading K-pop awards ceremony. Credit: Philippe Lopez/AFP)