Soft Power: A Dangerous Weapon if Wielded Right

‘Soft power’- ‘soft’ and ‘power’, at first glance they seem like two words that do not belong side-by-side at all. ‘Power’- is typically linked with being a possession of control, authority, or influence over others, might, force...all synonymous with what ‘power’ guarantees. It all seems very direct. ‘Soft'-power on the other hand is more cunningly indirect and plays with your mind.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine where Russian annexed Crimea or the invasion to Iraq by the US are the completely opposite of soft-power. These kind of movements are more intense with military power, economic sanctions applied. ‘Soft’- power however is more subtle and is more about flaunting what we already have and not using that to attack but rather lure one in to reshape the domestic economy through the resources the very carefully bought in by the allures of the soft powers. Culture, political values and foreign policies are what is more prominent when exploiting on the soft powers of a country.

Japan and US

Japan wields power when it comes to business, through the high level of investments and the presence of globally recognized electronics and automobile companies. Their way of entertainment has also gripped the world: with anime, manga, and j-pop having a chokehold on the youth and even grown-ups to might as well consider learning the language or embracing the foreign culture. At least according to me, if you have a mobile device that could browse the internet, it’s highly unlikely that you haven’t at least heard the words ‘Anime’, ‘Pokémon’ or ‘Naruto’, even if you aren’t an avid viewer of such content. These aspects gained prominence for Japan in the global market.

The US has its hand at exploiting a soft power, when it comes to its high-quality institutions and scholars- as International students are attracted to such agreeable characteristics in the higher education system. In terms of governance: US foreign policy, supports human rights and international law, which would be attractive in persuading other countries into doing what you want of them, not through threats but political, moral, and cultural attractions.

Hallyu wave - a phenomenon of soft power via culture

An emerging phenomenon when it comes to soft power is the ongoing ‘Hallyu wave’ or the ‘Korean wave’ coming from South Korea, through the promising growth of K-pop and K- dramas, making the country’s popular and unique culture as their main export. This scenario was started by Kim Dae Jung in the late 1990s, at the time after the Asian financial crisis when economic reshaping was in process. Now the speed of the spread has garnered the desired international attention, with names like ‘BTS’, ‘Parasite’, and ‘Squid Game’, leading the ‘Hallyu wave’.

Political tensions but cultural appreciation

The soft power in the form of entertainment based off culture has garnered positive response in comparison to the likes of China who constantly have nationalism projected and forms of exclusion practiced. K-pop: a well-planned instrument, deals with more divergent national representation, presents an opportunity for economic and cultural dominance through artistic expressions, as far- fetched as it sounds. This could be very well seen by what is happening between South Korea and Japan, which are still at political tensions with each other due to the war crimes of the past and are yet to see a consensus on the issue of wartime forced labor. However, the cultural exchanges between the two countries are soaring. The NHK New Year’s Eve Special Kohaku Uta Gassen on the last day of 2022 with Korean groups like LE SSERAFIM, IVE, and TWICE performing to the masses, shows how the cultural exchange and the soft power is working in favor of South Korean to manage their relations with Japan to some accord. This of course doesn’t mean that the bilateral relations are doing great due to this phenomenon. But there is an appreciation for Korean culture from the younger crowd in Japan which definitely means something than just hard-boiling tensions across all generations.

Korean as a language is another aspect of the culture which is garnering rapid interest of people from various parts of the world, and what better way to further spread this than through BTS. In August 2020, the government- affiliated Korea Foundation announced that it is partnering up with Big Hit (the agency of BTS, now rebranded as Hybe) and Hankuk University to sponsor language classes featuring the textbooks at six universities in four countries around the world—including the prestigious Middlebury Language Schools in the US. If this wasn’t a targeted move, utilizing the soft power provided through Korean pop, what else is it then...?

Qatar FIFA 2022

The global influence through the use of the Korean entertainment industry would be further solidified by the ranking of South Korea in the ranking by American multinational business magazine Fortune over their recently released article, ranking the top 5 countries showing their ‘soft power’ in the FIFA world cup 2022. South Korea came in 2nd, followed by the appearance of the youngest BTS member, performing ‘Dreamers’ at the opening ceremony alongside Fahad Al Kubaisi. This moment showed South Korea’s soft power at a global tournament and was upheld by the South Korean Minister of Culture as proof of the impressive global status of K-culture.

World Expo 2030

During 2019, South Korea ranked 19th in the SP30 index, the country’s best overall ranking since the index was launched in 2015. When it comes to soft powers, the nation's leaders have pushed for years for South Korea to become the 7th country in the world to host all three global mega-events, which according to them is the key to raising its global profile and building soft power. They snagged the soccer World Cup in 2002, and the Olympics in the summer of 1988 and the winter of 2018. The World Expo, held for six months every five years, would be the final prize on eliminating or at least down-playing the negative stigma surrounding the country as displayed through films like ‘Parasite’ and on TV shows like ‘Squid Game’ ,about the inequality widely surging in the country, and rather enhance the positive image of a country with great culture and innovation. The main bidding used for this is the soft power promised through BTS. The concert targeting World Expo 2030, was held by the group at Busan- before some 50,000 audience of the group- no ordinary performance. It's the heart of a $5 million marketing push in pursuit of a near-obsession for both Busan and the national government, to get the World Expo 2030. Such movements are used by the South Korean government in utilizing the soft power promised through K- culture. It’s both an effective but a risky move. Regardless, the way with which South Korea has everyone talking about their dramas and music- whether they love it or hate it- is a phenomenon that is catapulting the country into the global stage of connections and recognition.