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Schoni Song

When Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite made history at the Oscars in 2020, the global media fixated on one question: how did a Korean-language social satire manage to resonate so powerfully across the world?
The same question arose when Squid Game broke viewership records on Netflix and when BTS performed at the United Nations with the gravitas of a diplomatic delegation. More recently, KPop Demon Hunters stormed to success.
What is it about Korean pop culture that so effectively captures the imagination of people around the world? Part of the answer lies in South Korea’s uncanny knack for synthesis. Korean creators have long absorbed the cultural grammar of global trends and reassembled them into stories that feel both uniquely Korean and universally relatable.
The self-reflexivity of American cinema, the idol system of J-pop, the aesthetics of French cinematography – all these influences swirl inside Korea’s cultural Petri dish. But rather than copying them, Korea retools and repackages them with cutting-edge polish and a distinctly Korean sensibility.
The result? K-pop concerts in Saudi Arabia, K-dramas topping Netflix charts in Latin America, KPop Demon Hunters energising global Gen Z audiences and Korean beauty trends redefining consumer expectations from Berlin to Bangkok. What was once a niche fascination for East Asia aficionados has now become a global cultural currency. According to the Korea Foundation, Korean cultural content exports surpassed US$13 billion in 2022, with ripple effects for fashion, food, tech and tourism.
But the real story here is as much geopolitical as economic. The Korean wave, or hallyu, is Seoul’s greatest soft power asset. It is South Korea’s version of McDonald’s and Marvel – cultural powerhouses that helped embed American values across the globe. Just as they helped make the United States synonymous with aspiration, Korea’s cultural exports now make it synonymous with style, sophistication and emotional resonance.


In a world where hard power projection is costly and fraught with risk, this form of cultural prestige appears to offer a compelling strategic alternative. However, soft power is a tool rather than a strategy. And as powerful as it is, Korean culture cannot – and should not – shoulder the burden of Korea’s grand strategy.
Relentless hybridisation has made Korean content remarkably frictionless for global consumption. The themes are localised but easily understandable: class warfare, capitalism’s cruelty, heartbreak and self-acceptance. Yet for all its universality, Korean pop culture still carries a distinct signature.
This soft power dividend has not gone unnoticed in Seoul. Government ministries feature BTS in tourism campaigns and fund global K-drama promotion. In 2021, South Korean President Moon Jae-in named BTS as “special presidential envoys for future generations and culture”, sending them to the UN General Assembly like cultural diplomats.
The motivations are understandable. When you’re sandwiched between two great powers and living in a precarious security environment, any form of global prestige that doesn’t require military bases or nuclear umbrellas is welcome. The success of Korean cultural content has given South Korea a compelling national brand. When wielded with savvy, national branding can translate into real political currency.

However, a compelling national brand is not the same as a foreign policy doctrine. The mistake Seoul risks making is conflating cultural visibility with strategic influence. Just because BTS can sell out Wembley Stadium doesn’t mean Korea can shape the future of the Indo-Pacific.
Soft power works best when it complements hard power and clear policy leadership. In Korea’s case, that aspect is still missing. K-dramas might dominate Netflix, but Korean foreign policy narratives remain underdeveloped and reactive. The vacuum is particularly noticeable when it comes to policy on China, North Korea or the climate.
Worse, the political class too often leverages Korean culture as a short cut to prestige. Deploying K-pop stars at global summits or glorifying celebrities at national ceremonies might make for flashy headlines, but they do little to clarify Korea’s values, interests or strategic intentions.
That is a poor use of talent. Korean celebrities already operate in a high-pressure creative environment. The level of training, surveillance and fan expectation rivals that of Olympic athletes. In exchange for fame, they surrender not only privacy but the right to moral imperfection. When governments mobilise these same performers for political purposes, they risk sending the message that creativity must serve the state, not the other way round.


None of this is to say Korea should abandon its cultural investments. The hallyu phenomenon is a powerful tool. But if Seoul wants to punch above its weight in the world instead of merely charming it, soft power must be embedded within a broader strategic architecture.
That means articulating a coherent foreign policy vision that resonates not only with allies but also with publics abroad. It takes investing in narrative diplomacy and explaining Korea’s stance on global challenges. It means supporting intellectual and creative freedom at home so Korea’s storytellers continue producing globally resonant work because they are free to, not because they are told to do so.
Cultural exports have taken Korea from the periphery to the centre of the global imagination. The world is watching, so what does Korea want to say? It must ask: how can we use this moment to build long-term strategic capital? What makes us competitive? What values do we stand for?
That requires more than viral hits. It requires voices, values and vision. Perhaps above all, it takes the courage to stop hiding behind our stars and start standing as one.


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If Seoul wants to punch above its weight in the world instead of merely charming it, soft power must be joined with a broader strategy


If Seoul wants to punch above its weight in the world instead of merely charming it, soft power must be joined with a broader strategy.


South Korean celebrities

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Expresses the views, ideas and conclusions of the author. (Eg. Enough of Crazy Rich Asians, think of crazy poor Hongkongers.)


Don’t mistake Korean culture’s soft power for an actual strategy

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}If Seoul wants to punch above its weight in the world instead of merely charming it, soft power must be joined with a broader strategy

If Seoul wants to punch above its weight in the world instead of merely charming it, soft power must be joined with a broader strategy