Hamna Obaid Khokher
South Korea, one of the most developed Asian Tiger is now a hub of an emerging global phenomenon expressing its cultural impact and public diplomacy through Korean dramas or series. TV dramas or series is one of the most popular genre of media and Korean media uses it in a very impactful way. This Korean Wave encompassing TV dramas, movies and music is widely known as hallyu in the world that has helped South Korea in nation-branding.
In Post-Cold War era, the triumph of liberal world order paved way for states to engage in different aspects of public diplomacy. From 1990 onwards, when the concept of soft power given by Joseph Nye started spreading across the borders, a state like South Korea sitting on a nuclear war fault line had to change its ways of dealing with foreign audiences. Calling this effort as ‘Creation of a New Korea’, President Kim Young Sam (1993-1998) did liberalization of media in order to project the image of Koreans as ‘global citizens’. Economically, South Korea has proved itself to be a miracle where Samsung, Hyundai, SK Group, LG Group etc appeases the global consumers with their products. Over the years, the country developed new globalization strategies to open up to the world including promoting soft power through K-Dramas.
Today, dedicated fans of these seasons or dramas exist all over the world with a major chunk in Asia. These series are one of South Korea’s most prized gems which act as a source of escapism to many viewers. The use of cultural values in K-Dramas influence the audiences and they feel attached to them. Obedience and respect, modesty, honesty, punctuality and discipline, patriotism, social values, cleanliness and promoting Korean food, language and fashion are some of the major aspects of K-dramas. These values set these dramas apart from American or Western TV series. Today, these Korean content industries dominate the Asian media space.
The famous K-Drama “Descendants of the Sun” (2016) has more than 1.5 billion views on the internet. In China, it was described as ‘a piece of great national service advertisement’. The drama focused on values like fighting for your motherland, helping the victims and waiting for miracles while hoping for the best.
Another popular Korean season “Crash Landing on you” (2019) has been observed as a tool of North and South Korean diplomacy as the drama depicts harmony among people on both sides when one South Korean heiress accidently lands in North Korea and seek ways to go back to the south.
The unique K-drama, “It’s Okay to not be Okay” (2020) adds a completely different dimension in K-dramas as it sheds light on a mental disorder i.e autism and makes viewers aware of this serious challenge and allows them to build sympathy for such persons.
“Hometown Cha Cha Cha” (2021) is another K-Drama that gives a glimpse of a regular neighborhood in a seaside village in Korea. The main idea is to reflect the simplicity of life in a small town as compared to complicated lifestyles in Seoul and other cities.
Today, the characteristics of the Korean Wave highlight its hybrid nature, blending traditional Korean culture with modern elements that appeal to a diverse audience. Korean dramas have found success in different regions for various reasons; Americans enjoy them for relaxation, Europeans for their uncomplicated plots, Asians for lifestyle inspiration, and the Middle East for their emotional depth without explicit content. The government of South Korea has recognized the potential of these tools to appease and engage with global audiences.
People from different parts of the world today, try to emulate Korean cultural values in their daily life patterns due to their notable impact. Individuals from all over the globe try to adopt many aspects of Korean culture. For instance, they learn Korean language, they try different Korean food items available in their country, they visit South Korea for its worth-visiting places promoting tourism, students get enrolled for scholarships of Korean universities and many people try to imitate Korean behavior like bowing while greeting, sitting on floor while eating and posing for pictures. Thus, Korean culture portrayed in these dramas showcase a significant impact of K-Dramas on a global scale.
In Pakistan, there exists a great K-dramas fan base depicting the inclination of Pakistani people particularly young girls towards East-Asian media rather than Western media. PTV Home broadcasted a dubbed version of the South Korean drama “Nageen” in 2016 to strengthen cultural ties between the two nations. The conservative cultures depicted in Korean dramas align closely with Pakistani societal norms, emphasizing respect for family, elders, and traditional values. The portrayal of romance in Korean dramas, characterized by innocence, gradual development, and minimal physical affection, contrasts with Western content, resonating well with Pakistani viewers who appreciate the modest and relatable approach to relationships. Particularly during Covid-19, Netflix and YouTube have gained prominence as a platform for viewing Korean dramas and so people who started watching K-Dramas to kill their boredom continued to follow these series regularly afterwards too.
To conclude, South Korea effectively uses its TV industry to engage with foreign public resulting in soft power projection of the country and its public diplomacy. While offering a break from everyday life, K-Dramas also depict fantasy and take viewers to an illusory world of romance and ultimately, raising standards of lifestyle, beauty and love. This brings a challenge for K-Dramas production hubs to balance fantasy with realistic portrayals and add more authenticity. Still in current years, Korean dramas are being viewed in Pakistan and other parts of the world to a great extent. If the increasing popularity of the Korean wave among Pakistanis stays and grows more in the future, then the impact of hegemony may be obvious.
Writer is Student of Bachelors in International Relations, FJWU.She can be reached at
[email protected]