GNC ACADEMIC ANTHOLOGY

K-POP AS A SOFT POWER TOOL FOR SOUTH KOREA

The rise in global popularity of the Korean entertainment industries dated back in the 1990s. The government of South Korea launched a mission to strengthen the local culture within South Korea and to build on local talents to combat turning to other countries for culture and facing the financial outflow. (Elite Asia, 2014). The term Hallyu Wave or known by the name Korean Wave was first coined in the late 1990s due to the emergence of the Korean drama and Korean pop culture back then. During late 1990s, the Korean drama wave or K-drama started to be aired in China leading to a huge surge in Korean cultural imports into China.

After a huge success in penetrating China’s entertainment, Korean Wave started to pave its way into other countries in East Asia and Southeast Asia. It started to get more attention with the release of Winter Sonata produced by a Korean channel, KBS2 at that time. Following that, other K-drama such as the Full House, Boys Over Flower and Coffee Prince paved it ways into Asian television taking over the station’s prime-time slots. At the same time, Korean pop culture or now known as K-pop started to gain its own popularity with star such as H.O.T and soloist BoA. BoA is the first Korean artist to sell a million copies of her album in Japan making way for other artist to carve their name in the industries.

K-pop was said to have its real breakthrough back in 2005 with the emergence of boy group such as SS501 and Super Junior rising its idol status across Asia at that time. The following outbreak of K-pop industry originated from the rise of group such as Big Bang, Girl’s Generation, and T-Ara. The latest one who was said to have the biggest influence in the K-pop industry is of course no other than Bangtan Seonyeondan or known as the BTS. With the advancement of technology and the development of social media and smartphone, the export for the K-pop industry increases about 168% in 2010 compared to the previous years.

K-pop is more than just the concept of a boy or girl band, which has been at the heart of the music business since its beginning. Through K-pop, we can see that the distribution of cultural power shifted in the music industry. The growth of the Korean k-pop'n Road will be fascinating to watch. K-pop, like radio and the movie industry before it, is one of the first true forms of soft power that can have a significant impact on international affairs. Through music and advocacy, it can create an approximation of hard power that is more potent than any missile system Korea could produce.

The power of attraction as a form of persuasion is what soft power is all about. It is a non-military method of coercion. True soft power is all-encompassing; it promotes cultural immersion and adaptation. Despite its scandals, K-pop has a wholesome and appealing image. K-pop serves as a source of inspiration and representation. In 2021, BTS was appointed as the special ambassador of South Korea to the United Nations General Assembly to demonstrate their belief in future generations. K-pop’s primary principle is to overcome adversity with positive force. This is also hope for K-pop as an alternative to international politics' disastrous politics of confrontation.

Written by Siti Aisyah Binti Shamsul Anuar

Team, E. A. M. (2017, October 17). Hallyu Wave: How it all started. Elite Asia Resource Centre. Retrieved June 15,2022, from https://resources.elitetranslations.asia/2017/01/04/hallyu-wave-started/

Valeriano, B., & Nissen, A. (2022, February 16). This is South Korea's K-Pop Soft Power moment. – The Diplomat. Retrieved June 15, 2022, from https://thediplomat.com/2022/02/this-is-south-koreas-k-pop-soft-power-moment/