The Korea Times close
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
Entertainment
& Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
Sports
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
Video
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • Site Map
  • E-paper
  • Subscribe
  • Register
  • LogIn
search close
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • Site Map
  • E-paper
  • Subscribe
  • Register
  • LogIn
search close
Lifestyle
  • Jangseogak Archives
Sun, May 29, 2022 | 13:31
'K-pop does little for economy'
Posted : 2013-12-16 16:00
Updated : 2013-12-16 16:00
Print Preview
Font Size Up
Font Size Down
Arabic fans shout during the performance of K-pop boy band INFINITE at the Sheikh Rashid Hall, World Trade Center in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates on Dec. 6. / Korea Times file
Arabic fans shout during the performance of K-pop boy band INFINITE at the Sheikh Rashid Hall, World Trade Center in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates on Dec. 6. / Korea Times file

Study shows K-pop is less attractive in rich countries

By Park Si-soo

The rise of Korean pop music or K-pop has created an odd branding practice of using "K-" as a prefix for almost every other word.


There are "K-movies" and "K-food" in many promotion campaigns for Korean film and cuisine. With more attention, it's not so difficult to find other K-promotional phrases. Korea's biggest TV station KBS recently rebranded the country's traditional music as "K-sori" (sound), kicking off a campaign to globalize it. The Ministry of Justice is seeking to export what it calls "K-law" to developing nations. And then there is "K-fashion," "K-beer," "K-cartoons," "K-medicine," "K-science" and "K-finance," to list just a few.

The excessive use of "K-" reflects the belief that K-pop's impact is so far-reaching that any form of correlation would facilitate the advent of domestic products and services overseas.

Arabic fans shout during the performance of K-pop boy band INFINITE at the Sheikh Rashid Hall, World Trade Center in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates on Dec. 6. / Korea Times file

Scholars, business experts and music critics discuss the Korean Wave during a seminar at the COEX convention center in Seoul, Dec. 10. Participants claimed traditional culture is more useful than K-pop to promote the national image.
/ Courtesy of the Korea Foundation for International Culture Exchange


But a renowned business professor recently challenged the assumption, arguing that K-pop's economic ripple effect is weaker than expected.


"Don't expect that K-pop will increase exports of Korean products and services," said business professor Han Choong-min from Hanyang University during a seminar on the Korean Wave or "hallyu." The seminar was hosted by the Korea Foundation for International Culture Exchange (KOFICE), a research arm of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

"Many people believe K-pop is popular around the world, but that's a sheer illusion created by nationalistic reports from the local media. Those who go crazy about K-pop are mostly young female students in less developed countries in Southeast Asia. Their buying power is so weak that it's hard to expect that their affection toward K-pop will lead to an extra consumption of other Korean products or services."

Arabic fans shout during the performance of K-pop boy band INFINITE at the Sheikh Rashid Hall, World Trade Center in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates on Dec. 6. / Korea Times file

K-pop boy band INFINITE performs in Dubai on Dec. 6, the final leg of its first world tour venturing to 14 countries and 21 cities for 31 live concerts.
/ Korea Times file


The professor also said K-pop has played a "limited" role in boosting the country's national image, cautioning the government not to depend on K-pop stars in promotional campaigns for the country.


When it comes to promoting the national image, he added, traditional culture has proven to be much more useful than contemporary cultural content.

Based on a survey of 1,000 unspecified opinion leaders and big spenders on cultural products in Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand, he said, "It's true that K-pop has made more people (in the countries) feel Korean culture is attractive. But it doesn't mean Korean culture is now strong enough to compete with that of Japan and China in the market."

The survey showed that Korean culture is most preferred in Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia, thanks largely to K-pop and trendy TV dramas. The Chinese culture takes the lead in most aspects in Malaysia, while it was too close to call a winner in Singapore.

"We need to pay attention to the result in Singapore, which is an international city state with big spending power," Han said. "Winning attention in Singapore means a higher possibility of success in the United States and other advanced countries in Europe. We need to come up with ways to deflect China and Japan in the city state."

In fact, Singapore is regarded as an ideal test bed for many companies seeking successful overseas expansion.

"If the U.S. is the ‘melting pot' of the world, Singapore is the ‘melting pot' of Asia," said senior analyst Baek Woon-mook of Daewoo Securities. "Singapore is small but has a mixture of starkly different lifestyles and eating habits among others, which means a successful performer in the Singapore market has proven appeal for customers in many other countries."

K-culture in Middle East

Professor Seo Jung-min of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies' Graduate School of International Area Studies said the Middle East is a huge market and people in the region are growing attentive to Korean culture. But he noted that it's all but impossible to succeed there without tailor-made strategies for the region, citing unique Islamic beliefs and a conservative code of conduct.


"The Islamic world has long been isolated from others in terms of cultural exchange," Seo said. "But it's gradually opening its doors to the rest of the world, which means a new market is being created."

K-pop boy band INFINITE had its first concert in Dubai early this month, which drew nearly 2,000 hijab-wearing fans there. KBS launched an Arabic channel last year, distributing a variety of dramas, shows and other entertainment programs through an Arab Emirate-based media company. MBC TV's historical drama series "Jewel in the Palace," or "Dae Jang Geum" in Korean, was a smash hit several years ago in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Turkey.

"The number of news articles on K-pop, drama and other cultural contents has sharply increased in recent years," he said, citing his analysis of some 700 news stories published by seven major Arabic media outlets between 2000 and August 2013. "A sharp increase started from 2011. Nearly half of the stories were about Korean pop music and TV dramas." The professor said behind the success of K-drama was a cultural similarity between Korea and the Middle East.

"By tradition, the two are equally characterized as male-centered, patriarchal and authoritarian societies," he said. "Although such elements continue to disappear in real life here, many Korean dramas still make a story of them. I think that's behind Arabic viewers' feeling of intimacy with Korean drama and their increased consumption of our cultural content."

In September, the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning unveiled a set of ambitious plans to increase exports of cultural content to the Middle East, Latin America and other emerging markets. The ministry will launch global promotion campaigns with a 220 billion won budget to reach the goal of exporting cultural content worth $10 billion annually by 2017 from the current $4.8 billion.

Emailpss@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
  • Korean Mental Health: Stranger Things
  • Dutch Korean artist's project: The Mother Mountain Institute of Sara Sejin Chang
  • S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases below 20,000 for 3rd day as pandemic slows
  • Why Mario Outlet founder keeps buying houses of former presidents
  • Union agress to resume late-night subway services in Seoul starting next month
  • 'Russia needs huge financial resources for military operations'
  • KOICA launches interactive town in metaverse for overseas volunteer program
  • Former rhythmic gymnast Son Yeon-jae to wed in August
  • Regional banks' declining offline business casts doubts over relocation plan of Seoul firms
  • Uvalde school police chief faulted in shooting response
  • Korean films make splash at Cannes Film Festival Korean films make splash at Cannes Film Festival
  • From BTS to TWICE's Nayeon, K-pop hotshots prepare June releases From BTS to TWICE's Nayeon, K-pop hotshots prepare June releases
  • How did BTS become beacon of diversity and inclusion? How did BTS become beacon of diversity and inclusion?
  • K-pop band BTS and Biden to meet to discuss Asian inclusion, discrimination K-pop band BTS and Biden to meet to discuss Asian inclusion, discrimination
  • For new cultural policy for hallyu For new cultural policy for hallyu
DARKROOM
  • 75th Cannes Film Festival

    75th Cannes Film Festival

  • People in North Korea trapped in famine and pandemic

    People in North Korea trapped in famine and pandemic

  • 2022 Pulitzer Prize: Bearing witness to history

    2022 Pulitzer Prize: Bearing witness to history

  • Worsening drought puts millions at risk

    Worsening drought puts millions at risk

  • Our children deserve the best

    Our children deserve the best

The Korea Times
CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Location
  • Media Kit
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Service
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • Mobile Service
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Policy
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • 고충처리인
  • Youth Protection Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group