Importance Of Cultural Diplomacy

I. Introduction

The significance of culture has increased considerably in international relations and foreign policies. The values in national culture are fundamental resources that produce soft power in international politics (Nye 2005: 5). In recent decades, cultural diplomacy has involved into a widely recognized and applied conception, which is regarded as establishing international bridges, identifying networks and power domains within cultures and transcending national and cultural boundaries (Kim 2010).

East Asia, as an economically rising area, has a distinct cultural setting. In this region, the utilization of cultural diplomacy has shaped the regional cultural products market and international relations. The increasing popularity of South Korean pop culture in the recent decades demonstrates the importance of national soft power and cultural diplomacy.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the definition and development of cultural diplomacy and how cultural diplomacy take effects. This paper will then examine the motivation and effects of cultural diplomacy in a realistic approach through the case study of South Korea’s cultural programs. The research questions which this paper explores are three-fold; first, why do South Korea promote cultural diplomacy; second, what are the outcomes of its cultural diplomacy? Third, except positive effects, is there any friction or backlash resulting from South Korea’s cultural diplomacy programs and what kind of actions should the government take in the future?

III. Academic Review

In order to fully examine cultural diplomacy and avoid terminology confusion, it is necessary to define several key terms in of this paper.

Culture

Zhuge Liang, one of the greatest Chinese military...

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... dramas, and its stars including Bae Yong Jun, Ahn Jae Wook, Lee Byung Heon, and Kim Hee Seon, have enchanted Asian audiences. The popular consumption of Korean television dramas has coincided with that of cinema. Stating with Shiri, Joint Security Area and My Sassy Girl, Korean films have become regular fixtures in theatres across Asia. At the same time, Korean pop music, or K-pop, has also produced such international celebrities as H.O.T., BoA, and Rain. The regional media call this new popular cultural phenomenon in Asia the Korean Wave.” (Shim 2008:15-31). Korean Wave has become a multi-elements cultural exporting from South Korea to other countries. The popularity of Korean Culture abroad, especially in the neighboring countries, set a solid background for South Korean government to take the advantage and apply further cultural diplomatic actions and programs.