Cultural Proximity and Distance: The Reception of Korean Films in China Through the Lens of My Sassy Girl

This article explores the reception of Korean romantic comedy, My Sassy Girl, among Chinese youth. Through the lens of this popular movie, the authors attempt to explain the complexity of the popularity of Korean films and other cultural products in China in recent years. By analyzing the outcome of online questionnaires and depth interviews regarding the reception of My Sassy Girl, the authors argue that although the strong presence of Korean films in China is contributed by the significant growth of the film industry in South Korea since the 1990s, the current conditions of China society and its movie market, and the cultural proximity the Chinese youth as movies viewers perceived among these two nations in comparison with Western media products, especially Hollywood movies, facilitates Korean films’ popularity at the personal level.