It’s not just about soft power – South Korea’s cultural exports are now emerging as a pillar of the national economy.
Even before Korean culture gained global popularity, the South Korean government recognized the economic potential of the cultural industry. One of the earliest signs of this awareness appeared in a 1994 policy memo submitted to then-President Kim Young-sam.
Highlighting the strategic value of cultural industries, the memo drew a striking comparison between Steven Spielberg’s hit film “Jurassic Park” (1993) and South Korea’s automobile exports. It argued that the Hollywood blockbuster generated profits roughly equivalent to those from exporting 1.5 million Hyundai vehicles. At the time, South Korea exported fewer than 700,000 cars annually, meaning the revenue from that sin
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