Korean Wave Effects

Steve Spence
Updated: 22 October 2018
Creative Commons License 2012-2024

The “Korean Wave” functions as advertising for brand Korea

As the Foreign Policy article notes—and this graphic illustrates—Korea's culture industry contributes only a tiny fraction to the country's overall export revenue.

However, the Korean Wave is far more important than this small percentage suggests. Its ability to make other South Korean products more desirable is a measure of its extraordinary "soft power."