The Conception of Soft Power in Korean’s Popular Culture

Abstract

The Republic of Korea plays one of the leading roles in the global economy and is a dynamically developing country. As one of the key elements of South Korea's success, many researchers in their works note the so-called concept of "soft power". The Republic of Korea has great resources of "soft power" and actively uses them. The concept of "soft power" considered in this paper was first proposed by J. Nayem and now this concept has firmly entered the lexicon of world science. The Republic of Korea turned to the concept of "soft power" about twenty years ago. The strategy of the modern concept of "soft power" of the Republic of Korea is based on the dissemination of traditional cultural values and pop culture. South Korea places a great emphasis on the "soft power" of culture, which helped it shape a positive image and create its South Korean attractive brand on the world stage. In this paper, the "soft power" of the culture of South Korea is considered using the example of cybersports and the phenomenon of "Korean wave" or "hullu" Korean pop culture plays a vital role in the global economy of Korea and is dynamically leading in the music industry around the world. The key element in this economy growth is often cited as ‘soft power’ by many researchers alike. The concept of soft power was first proposed by Joseph Nye in regards to the ability to achieve goals through attraction and persuasion, rather than coercion or fee. The concept of soft power in the Republic of Korea is based on the dissemination of their pop culture and cultural values. This concept paper looks at how Korea uses soft power in the phenomenon of “Korean wave” which helped shape a positive image and create its Korean attractive brand on the world stage. The discussion states that soft power is more is a more efficient and effective concept in global culture as it provides more sustainability for in terms of cultural growth.