Roll Over, Godzilla: Korea Rules

Celebrities, television shows, movies, music and other cultural products from South Korea are exploding in popularity across East Asia. As a result, the country has witnessed an upsurge in tourism and trade, as well as a cachet of being “cool.” This newfound soft power stems from past South Korean government decisions to nurture and protect its own cultural industries against infiltration from Chinese and Japanese influences. However, the effects of such policies go beyond the realm of popular entertainment among non-communist neighbors. South Korean dramas, renowned for their emotional power, have increasingly been smuggled into North Korea, causing widespread emulation of the shows and even a soldier’s defection. To ensure that its cultural exports breed mutual understanding and to allow reciprocity, South Korea has founded arts exchange programs with several other East Asian countries. Playing the cultural card in its regional dealings is proving to be both smart politics as well as lucrative strategy for South Korea. – YaleGlobal