The Hallyu Wave: South Korea’s Secret Tool of Diplomacy

31 May 2022, NIICE Commentary 8020
Vinayak SR

The White House briefing, although significant in US politics, rarely draws attention from the public. But the 31 May 2022 briefing brought in enormous media coverage and public viewership that was previously unknown in recent years. BTS (Bangtan Boys) a South Korean boyband, the face of Korea in most countries around the world, a group that has surpassed all records in the K-pop industry showed up at the White House briefing and met with President Biden on the day. Living up to their popularity, this garnered the attention of young people and academics alike in the White House press room. The band visited the White House to discuss with the President the issues of inclusion and representation of Asian communities and the sharp rise of Anti-Asian crimes in the country. However, what BTS leaves behind after their brief twenty minutes in the White House is more than a matter of celebrity interest but part of a larger discourse.

The Korean Wave in the West

The ‘Hallyu’ or the Korean wave is the name given for the phenomenon of the surge of acceptance and popularity of the South Korean consumer industries in recent years. The Hallyu wave primarily concerns the entertainment and cosmetics products that have emerged and outcompeted their Western counterparts in a short period of time. The entertainment giants like JTBC, YG, and HYBE have cashed in on this rising demand for Korean music and television, while companies like Sulwahsoo, and Innisfree all have made a fortune by exporting the beauty products to the West. Apart from the public influence these industries have, it is pivotal to recognize the economic contribution of these to the South Korean economy. The film and television industries alone have a GDP multiplier of 2.45 in the total GDP, while the cosmetics industry alone accounts for almost one percent of the total. It is given that the economic contribution has helped the country in sustaining its domestic economy and political strength of the state but now the Hallyu has transcended its economic expectations and is acting as a strong soft power tool for South Korea that it can activate in almost every region in the world.

The Korean Wave as a Soft Power

With the emergence of Instagram and Tik Tok as popular media alternatives, the K-pop and K-television industries have further expanded their sphere of influence in the global arena. This has made many of these products and idols indispensable to the daily life of teenagers around the globe. These fandoms often can act as pressure groups when the necessary triggers are pulled. Like in the case of the Black Lives Matter protest, these K-pop fandoms came together to gather around USD 1 million in donations to the support groups and disrupted white supremacist hashtags. They are also known for effectively organizing digital campaigns to support the required cause at the moment. The drifting of the Korean entertainment industry and its fans to becoming a symbol of political activism in the United States should alert other consumer countries as to how powerful these groups have become.

The Southeast Asian countries and India also have a huge fanbase who are devoted to these Korean idols and their numbers have only increased in recent years. It is not far from when these groups can exert their influence on the domestic as well as international policies of these countries. The visit of BTS to the White House is essentially a signal as to how powerful the entertainment industry is in acting as an instrument of the foreign policy of the Republic of Korea.

Korean Wave in Foreign Policy

South Korea has nonetheless emerged as a global economic power alongside its neighbours China and Japan. Although strong economic neighbours the political tensions between them never cease.  Various territorial disputes claim over island ownership, and the constant threat of North Korean nuclear testing continues to plague the region. Previously all of these political inconsistencies were met with negotiations and diplomatic efforts with none of the regional players coming out on top. But now South Korea has developed significant leverage over other international actors and can use this to coerce countries to pick their side. In an instance of restriction of these consumer goods to other countries, the new generation of politically active youngsters would inevitably hit the streets for their favourite idols.

This enormous soft power that South Korea has over the countries gives them a definite edge in negotiating and bargaining profitable returns. As a result, we have seen different countries engaging in various agreements with each country. This has led it to strengthen its relations with nations through its tactful ‘K-pop diplomacy’.

With K-pop stars having concerts during the Presidential summits between North and South Korea to the Korean ambassador gifting music albums to the Philippine president, the Korean wave has penetrated the fronts of diplomacy as well. An artist who is popular in China even accompanied the President on his state visit resonating with this use of the Korean wave as a diplomatic tool. The larger these fan groups are, the stronger their influence on public opinion. The fundamental purpose of all these gestures by the South Korean government is to tap into the sentiments of the local people in the country and through that to create a positive image and induce favourable policy outcomes and the country has nevertheless succeeded in its.

Conclusion

The Korean wave after its impact on the West, South Asia, and East Asia is only looking forward to expanding its reach. The Korean language is one of the most learned currently in the world and the viewership has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Islamic world is also accepting the Korean contents as they find their Confucian values similar to Islamic ones. This also provides an alternative to the Western media which they deem might negatively influence the youth. It has reached so far deep that Iraq had invited a lead actor in a Korean drama as the official guest under the request of the first lady in 2012. The Hallyu wave has swept across continents and countries with such ease that it has made South Korea’s foreign policy easier. The country is now effortlessly able to make strong relations and agreements as the very idea of Korean culture excites the local population throughout the world giving their governments a reasonable incentive to maintain good relations with Korea.

However, the future of the politics of Korean cultural export will depend on the policies that the Korean government intends to pursue. This public diplomacy has been able to successfully tap into fan networks and deliver positive, authentic messages to engaged audiences. Yet once a message goes online, diplomats no longer control it, netizens can receive it, interpret it, and manipulate it as they will. Although these instances have backfired for South Korea often they would be looking to create a stronger position for themselves in the region and the world to come out on top.

Vinayak SR is a Research Intern at NIICE.