Hallyu Enters Global Cultural Mainstream as 82.3% of Foreigners Express Favorability Toward South Korea

Hallyu has now entered the mainstream of global culture. According to the “2025 National Image of the Republic of Korea” survey released by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on the 20th, foreigners’ favorability toward South Korea rose by 3.3 percentage points to 82.3% compared to the previous year. This represents the highest level since the survey began in 2018 and marks the first time it has exceeded 80% in four years since 2021.

By country, the United Arab Emirates showed the highest favorability at 94.8%, followed by Egypt at 94.0%, the Philippines at 91.4%, Turkey at 90.2%, India at 89.0%, and South Africa at 88.8%. Notably, the UK’s favorability increased by 9.2 percentage points to 87.4%, making it the only European country to surpass the average level. Thailand also recorded a rise of 9.4 percentage points, reaching 86.2%.

Culture content was cited as the top factor influencing this positive sentiment, accounting for 45.2% of respondents’ views. In Asian countries such as the Philippines (69.3%), Japan (64.4%), Indonesia (59.5%), and Vietnam (58.4%), the impact of various cultural products like K-POP, dramas, and films was particularly significant. Modern lifestyle culture (31.9%), products and brands (28.7%), and economic standards (21.2%) also contributed to rising favorability.

The influence of Hallyu is expanding beyond popular culture into the realm of fine arts. Following Han Kang’s win of the Nobel Prize in Literature in October 2024, English-speaking publishers rushed to secure translation rights for Korean novels. The English version of “The Vegetarian” even topped Amazon’s global bestseller list. Through the gateway opened by K-pop, Korean literature has entered the category of high culture.

According to the 2025 Overseas Hallyu Status Survey, “K-pop” remained the image that foreigners think of first when they consider South Korea, accounting for 17.2% of responses—this is the seventh consecutive year it has held this position. In 2024, South Korea’s total exports related to Hallyu reached $15.1 billion (approximately 21 trillion won), an increase of 900 billion won from the previous year. Exports of cosmetics and food showed especially rapid growth. Since the film “Parasite” won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2020, sales of products tagged with “Korea” on Amazon in the United States surged by 85%. Examples such as increased interest in Japchae-guri, kimchi, gochujang, and Korean-made frying pans further illustrate this trend.

Collaborations with luxury brands also demonstrate Hallyu’s influence. Five out of Louis Vuitton’s 13 global ambassadors in 2024 were former K-POP artists. Jisoo of BLACKPINK is known as “Human Chanel” by Dior, Cartier, and Jennie is similarly celebrated by Chanel. In March 2025, Felix of STRAYKIZ walked the runway at the Louis Vuitton show at the Louvre in Paris.