Soft Power Made in Asia: South Korea, Turkey and China’s attempts to win hearts and minds

Although there is a vast literature on South Korean cultural and economic expansion, there is still a gap in the systematic investigation of the strategic instrumentalisation of the Hallyu by the South Korean government. Furthermore, most studies are based on Nye’s soft power model, without considering theoretical approaches that are more appropriate for middle powers.

This chapter seeks to fill this gap by answering the following research question: To what extent does the Hallyu phenomenon prove to be an instrument at the service of South Korea’s soft power? The period studied spans from 2010, a turning point in the Hallyu’s global expansion, to 2024, which is marked by new achievements and the availability of the most recent data.

The methodology combines the analysis of primary sources, including official South Korean government documents, soft power indices (Soft Power Index 30, Global Soft Power Index) and reports on the Hallyu’s global impact (Global Hallyu Status). In turn, the theoretical framework draws on the concept of soft power, as developed by Nye and refined by Lee Geun, who proposes a model more suitable to the reality of South Korea.

Our results show that despite sometimes excessive government intervention, market saturation and vulnerability to scandals, the Hallyu remains a main asset of South Korean public diplomacy.