Has Korean soft power peaked? - Asia Specific podcast, BBC World Service

Japan has Hello Kitty and Pokémon, China has micro dramas and 'cool' tech, but South Korea reigns as Asia's cultural superpower. Click here to subscribe to our channel 👉🏽 https://bbc.in/3VyyriM From K-pop to Squid Game, Oscar-winning films and Nobel Literature Prize winners, the Korean wave is still going strong. But how much further can it go? Are other countries in Asia catching up? And has South Korean soft power peaked? Asia Specific podcast host Mariko Oi is joined by BBC Seoul correspondent Jake Kwon and Fan Wang, BBC journalist based in Singapore. 00:00 - Coming up 00:15 - Introduction 01:08 - When did Asian culture become mainstream cool? 02:40 - Shifting attitudes in the West towards Korean culture 04:03 - How South Korea eclipsed Japanese cultural influence abroad 05:40 - What made South Korea's entertainment industry so strong 07:00 - China's efforts to increase soft power 08:29 - Labubu as an example of Chinese soft power 09:49 - Will Chinese music and shows become mainstream abroad? 11:40 - What benefits did soft power bring to Japan in the 1980s? 13:16 - Is K-pop Demon Hunters Korean? 15:00 - Has South Korean soft power peaked? 17:10 - The challenges facing Asian countries for soft power Watch more episodes of Asia Specific here 👉🏽 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz_B0PFGIn4c3njIxB0KHuO8SS2mBMtUc Instagram: @bbcworldservice Email: asiaspecific@bbc.co.uk Presenter: Mariko Oi Producer: Siobhan Leahy Video journalist: Bill Birtles Camera: Aimran Supardi, Muhammad Firdaus Bin Mohd Ansary, Rosalehin Bin Rosli, Syaik Muhammad Sidik Editor: Bill Birtles ---------------- This is the official BBC World Service YouTube channel. If you like what we do, you can also find us here: Instagram 👉🏽 https://www.instagram.com/bbcworldservice Twitter 👉🏽 https://twitter.com/bbcworldservice Facebook 👉🏽 https://facebook.com/bbcworldservice BBC World Service website 👉🏽 https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldserviceradio Thanks for watching and subscribing! #BBCWorldService #WorldService #Korea #SouthKorea #China #Japan #Kpop