Analysis: South Korea's public diplomacy strategy rethink
South Korea’s global cultural success has attracted closer scrutiny of social dysfunction forcing a public diplomacy rethink.
Event or Trend: The awarding of the Nobel Prize for Literature to South Korean author Han Kang demonstrates South Korea’s growing cultural influence, and the commensurate increase in global attention to its social challenges.
Significance: As South Korea’s global cultural presence expands through K-pop, K-dramas, literature, and other cultural exports, its national image has significantly improved. However, this global attention has also magnified scrutiny of the country's internal issues, including youth unemployment, gender imbalances, workplace inequality, and mental health crises.
South Korea’s public diplomacy over the last five years has promoted South Korea as a model of rapid modernization and economic success - the “Korea Development Model”. Heightened global awareness reduces the effectiveness of this strategy and will require South Korea to develop a new strategic approach to public diplomacy. This opens opportunities for providers and partners and remains significant for officials working with South Korea’s public diplomacy agencies.
Analysis: South Korea’s rise as a global cultural superpower—largely through its entertainment industry and technological advancements—has shifted international perceptions of the nation. South Korea now stands as a beacon of soft power, with its pop culture, beauty products, and electronics dominating global markets. As global audiences become more familiar with South Korea’s cultural products, they also grow increasingly aware of the underlying societal problems that persist despite the country’s outward appearance of modernity and innovation.
More recent cultural successes, particularly those in cinema and literature, have exposed glaring problems that challenge the highly successful Korea Development Model used by successive administrations to promote South Korea in Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Latin and South America, and Africa.
Recent highly successful cultural exports have included topics, such as:
Mental health and high suicide rates. Despite its status as an economic success, South Korea has one of the highest suicide rates in the world, driven by intense societal pressures and a lack of mental health support. The suicides of high-profile K-pop stars, including Jonghyun of SHINee and Sulli of f(x), exposed the mental health crisis within South Korea’s entertainment industry and beyond. Additionally, the stigma of accessing mental health services hinders progress in dealing with the issue.
Gender inequality. Gender inequality in areas such as salaries, career advancement, and pervasive sexual harassment have attracted global attention. Movements like #MeToo have revealed instances of abuse and harassment in various sectors, including entertainment, politics, and corporate environments. However, cultural conservatism and societal backlash hindered progress toward gender equality. International attention has led to a reevaluation of its reputation as a progressive nation. The portrayal of women in K-pop has also come under criticism for perpetuating traditional gender roles and reinforcing the objectification of women, which conflicts with the global call for gender justice and equality.
Digital sex crimes. The rise of digital sex crimes, including the widespread use of hidden cameras (molka) to secretly film women in private spaces, the use of technology to create “deep fake” pornography, and the relatively lenient sentences for perpetrators has attracted global criticism. For observers of the country, it highlights a troubling gap between the country’s technological advancements and its protections against digital abuses.
Social pressure. South Korea’s society is now recognized globally as a human pressure cooker, starting with a competitive education system, toxic workplace environments, unaffordable housing, unstable employment instability, all interspersed with stress, bullying, and violence among peers. These issues have damaged South Korea’s reputation as a role model, prompting international debates about the mental health costs of its achievements. Global audiences are beginning to question the balance between national success and the well-being of individuals in South Korean society.
Discrimination. South Korea’s relatively homogenous society has struggled with issues of tolerance, particularly against immigrants, mixed-race individuals, and migrant workers. Foreigners and non-Koreans often face prejudice, social exclusion, and limited economic opportunities, despite contributing significantly to the country’s workforce. Incidents of xenophobia have been reported both in everyday interactions and in media portrayals. As South Korea seeks to expand its influence and attract a more diverse audience through K-pop and other cultural exports, its struggles with racism and xenophobia pose a significant challenge to its international reputation.
A number of other issues have also been included in cultural exports, including LGTBQ+ rights, ageism, the rights of disabled and impaired, and a wide range of broader socio-economic inequalities. These issues increase the gap between the highly positive promotion of the “Korea Development Model” and the reality of South Korea’s society.
International media outlets are increasingly highlighting these issues, and returning international students (often after having received South Korean government support) lend support to them. The end result is increased awareness that South Korea’s economic and cultural successes mask significant social dysfunctions.
As South Korea’s global profile grows, its internal problems become more visible to a global audience, creating new reputational risks.
South Korea’s “promotional” public diplomacy strategy is no longer adequate. There is growing awareness that a more nuanced “conversational” public diplomacy campaign is required - a campaign that recognizes the challenges and demonstrates efforts to address them, such as the campaigns pursued by Canada and Australia on indigenous issues.
Outlook: Over the next 12 months, South Korea is likely to face continued international scrutiny regarding its social issues, particularly youth mental health and gender inequality. In the medium term (1-5 years), pressure will increase for a new government public diplomacy strategy. Long-term impacts (5-10 years) will include a shift in South Korea’s image from one of flawless success to a more nuanced view, potentially influencing foreign investment, tourism and education, and diplomatic relations.