The second wave of the Hallyu boom has erupted this year with the phenomenon first beginning with 'Yonsama' back in 2004. SNSD's Japanese showcase in Japan was even introduced by the Japanese media as the 'second wave.' Hallyu 2.0 has made a variety of improvements and seems to be off to a strong start in comparison to the first wave. The first Hallyu generation began with the representative drama, "Winter Sonata." However, since the end of 2009, the Hallyu wave has expanded to music, musicals, and theater. Over 50% of the reservations made for the musical "Goong" were reported to be composed of foreign fans in support of TVXQ's Yunho. SNSD has also been met with remarkable success in Japan, selling nearly 45,000 copies of their debut album the first week of its release, currently totalling 63,000. Then what has changed? The first wave was led by male stars, but the concept has expanded to now include female stars as well. The fanbase has also expanded to include all age groups as opposed to the previous fanbase of women in their 30's and 40's. The Hallyu wave was previously focused on just East Asia, but has now reached out into the world such as Uzbekistan, Turkey, Egypt, and Romania, securing a more diverse fanbase. Traditional Korean dramas such as "Jewel In the Palace" and "Queen Seondeok" have been earning high viewer ratings in Turkey while "Boys Over Flowers" has been achieving success in Egypt. Romania has even recently created a 'meeting for lovers of Korean culture.' Nepal has over 30,000 people taking the highly popular Korean skills test yearly, leading to high traffic on the day of the test. There's also quite a difference in incomes as well. The golden age of the first Hallyu wave, 2005, earned $1.3 billion from exports until it finally reached a standstill in 2007. Signs of a second wave began to show in 2008 and finally started in 2009, earning $2.7 billion. Many experts are anticipating over $3 billion to be made in 2010. Hallyu I Time Frame: 2004~2005 Representative Stars: Bae Yong Joon, Lee Byung Hun, Ryu Shi Won, popular dramas, male stars. Region: East Asia Genre: Drama Consumer Base: 40's, 50's Characteristic: Interest in celebrities as individuals, dropped value Hallyu II Time Frame: 2010, present Representative Stars: Big Bang, SNSD, 2PM, KARA, idol groups, female stars such as Bae Doo Na and Moon Geun Young. Region: East Asia, Central Asia, etc worldwide Genre: Korean music, drama, musicals, etc Consumer Base: Expanded to include teens and 20's Characteristic: Interest in Korean culture as a whole, added value Source + Photo: Everyday Economy