Sofia Trisni, Putiviola E. Nasir, Rika Isnarti, Ferdian | South Korean Government’s Role in Public Diplomacy: A Case Study of the Korean Wave Boom South Korean Government’s Role in Public Diplomacy: A Case Study of the Korean Wave Boom Sofia Trisni1, Putiviola Elian Nasir2, Rika Isnarti3, Ferdian4 1International Relations, Universitas Andalas, Padang, Indonesia 2International Relations, Universitas Andalas, Padang, Indonesia 3International Relations, Universitas Andalas, Padang, Indonesia 4Pascasarjana, Universitas Andalas, Padang, Indonesia ARTICLE INFORMATION ABSTRACT Korean wave has became a current booming popular culture; reaching all continents of the world. The phenomenon is the result of cooperation from various actors, namely state and SUBMISSION TRACK non-state actors. This paper aims to determine the role of the South Korean government in the accomplishments of the Recieved : 14, January, 2019 Korean wave to date, by studying the literature that focuses Final Revision : 15, May, 2019 on the Korean wave success. We conducted library research Available Online: 30, May, 2019 to some related articles and government‟s policy paper in order to get our finding. Our research concludes that the KEYWORD South Korean government acts as a stimulator, regulator and Korean wave, popular culture, public diplomacy facility provider for the cultural industry to develop. While the success of the Korean wave in penetrating the world market is the result of the formulation of strategies and promotions conducted by non-state actors involved in the process of producing the Korean wave. ABSTRAK KATA KUNCI Korean wave, budaya populer, diplomasi publik Korean wave telah menjadi budaya populer yang sedang booming saat ini; menjangkau semua benua di dunia. Fenomena tersebut merupakan hasil kerjasama dari berbagai aktor, yaitu aktor negara dan non-negara. Tulisan ini CORRESPONDENCE bertujuan untuk menentukan peran pemerintah Korea Selatan dalam pencapaian Korean wave hingga saat ini, E-mail: [email protected] dengan mempelajari literatur yang fokus pada keberhasilan Korean wave. Tulisan ini menggunakan studi pustaka terhadap beberapa artikel terkait dan dokumen kebijakan pemerintah untuk mendapatkan temuan. Tulisan ini menyimpulkan bahwa pemerintah Korea Selatan bertindak sebagai stimulator, regulatir dan penyedia fasilitasi bagi industri budaya untuk berkembang. Sedangkan keberhasilan Korean wave dalam menembus pasar dunia adalah hasil dari perumusan strategi dan promosi yang dilakukan oleh aktor non-negara yang terlibat dalam proses Korean wave. Introduction penetrating the American market. In the Korean wave is taking over the same column, it was reported that BTS was world. In May 2018, the New York Times the first music group outside of the United released an article titled “BTS Becomes the States to reach the top position on the First K-Pop Act to Top Billboard Album American Billboard in the last 12 years, Chart”. This news piece shared the success which was previously “occupied” by Il Divo story of BTS, a South Korean boy band, in in 2016. Apart from outrivaling famous Andalas Journal of International Studies| Vol 8 No 1 May 2019 31 DOI: https://doi.org/10.25077/ajis.8.1.31-42.2019 Sofia Trisni, Putiviola E. Nasir, Rika Isnarti, Ferdian | South Korean Government’s Role in Public Diplomacy: A Case Study of the Korean Wave Boom names such as Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande its own country.5 Korean wave includes a and Selena Gomez on the Billboard top wide range of cultural products such as charts, BTS became the first South Korean drama series, movies, k-pop, dance, games, music group invited to speak at the UN culinary, fashion dan language (Jang and session.1 Meanwhile Korean Dramas such as Won, 2012).6 Korean wave‟s popularity is the Descendant of the Sun, were able to gradually spreading; with the estimation attract viewers from 32 countries, with a reaching East Asia, South East Asia, Africa total of 1 billion viewers per each episode on and Europe. iQiyi in 2016.2 This presents a small There is a unique element present in example South Korea's popular culture the Korean wave boom. Although the success in penetrating the world, after in Korean wave is a component of South 2012, PSY struck the global music industry Korea‟s Public Diplomacy, the authors find by being first place in Britain's pop charts that the success of the Korean wave is not and number two in America.3 accompanied by increased interest in The United States and Great Britain accessing South Korean government have not been the only countries affected by programs in the city of Padang in 2017. This this popular culture, Indonesia has also been means, there is a separation of objects by heavily experiencing Korean wave effects. fans in this city between cultural products One of the examples is the success of South and their home countries (South Korea). This Korean cultural festival in Palembang on indication generated interest; specifically, in August 13, 2018. The festival arranged by understanding the government‟s role in the the Korean Cultural Center Indonesia success of the Korean wave. This then (KCCI) captivated 3,000 people, higher than becomes the basis for recognizing the reason the 1,000 attendees that KCCI targeted.4 In behind Korean wave fans enthusiasm with addition, Indonesia has the largest South Korean wave products, but not accompanied Korean popular culture fan base in Asia by increased curiosity about the South (Milia, 2015). This indicates the Indonesian Korean government program. To understand people‟s high interest in the cultural products government‟s role in Korean wave exported by the country of ginseng. production, this article is divided into four Hallyu or more familiar as Korean wave or segments; the introductory section as the first Hallyu describes the phenomenon of South part, Research Methodology in the second Korean popular culture outbreak outside of part and in the Discussion and Analysis in third part, we present the importance of 1 BBC, BTS : Who are they and how did they become public diplomacy as the rationale for why so successful?, view online 5 Oktober 2018, 20 :10 countries are competing to use public https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/45721656, diplomacy. Further in the third part we also 2 J.A. Son, “Descendants of the Sun Heads to 32 provide an explanation of South Korea's countries”, Koreanet 4 April 2016 view online 10 Oktober 2018 policies regarding Korean wave including http://www.korea.net/NewsFocus/Culture/view?articl the state actors involved, and also the eId=134818 discussion of South Korean government role 3 The Economist, Bubbly pop, view online 5 Oktober in the industry. The fourth part is a 2018, 20:19 conclusion of our writing. https://www.economist.com/banyan/2012/10/02/bubbl y-pop, 5 N.P.E Suryani, “Korena wave sebagai instrument 4 Y. Safitiri, “Korean culture event in Palembang soft power untuk Memperoleh Keuntungan Ekonomi draws thousands of K-pop fans”, The Jakarta Post, 13 Korea Selatan”, Global Vol. 16 No.1 Mei 2014 6 August 2018, view online 25 Nov 2018, G.Jang and W.K. Paik, “Korean wave as Tool for https://www.thejakartapost.com/life/2018/08/13/korea Korea‟s New Cultural Diplomacy”, Advances in n-culture-event-in-palembang-draws-thousands-of-k- Applied Sociology, 2012. Vol.2, No.3, 196-202 pop-fans.html Andalas Journal of International Studies| Vol 8 No 1 May 2019 32 DOI: https://doi.org/10.25077/ajis.8.1.31-42.2019 Sofia Trisni, Putiviola E. Nasir, Rika Isnarti, Ferdian | South Korean Government’s Role in Public Diplomacy: A Case Study of the Korean Wave Boom Research Method Result and Discussion We conducted library research to Before explain the result of our fulfil our aims. We collected some related research, we would like to begin with the articles to Korea‟s government involvement discussion about Public Diplomacy as in Korean wave industry and we also look Korean wave‟s activities are claimed as part into Korean government policy that was of Public Dipomacy by the South Korean written on diplomatic white paper, government. government‟s website and policies that quoted by some expert. There are thirty three The Significance of Public Diplomacy articles and policy that we studied. From our observing to those articles, we then put these In today‟s era, achieving state articles into some grouping under some interests can not only be done by coding. Those coding brought us into some strengthening hard power assets, but can also government‟s effort such as stimulator, be achieved by strengthening soft power regulator and facility provider. We based our assets. The term soft power was coined by grouping according to the definition offered Joseph Nye, who explains soft power as an by the dictionary. For the definition of a approach using attraction in order to attract stimulator, Oxford dictionary tells that other parties to voluntarily follow our desires stimulator is “A person or thing that without feeling forced.10 Furthermore, Nye11 encourages the development of or increased explained that the use of soft power assets is activity in a state or process”. 7 It means, for important because "a country may obtain every sentence that indicates activities in outcomes it wants in world politics because accordance with this definition will group other countries want to follow it, admitting into stimulator. Further, there are three its values, emulating its example, and / or definitions offered by Oxford dictionary for aspiring to its level of prosperity and Regulator ; First, “a person or body that openness ". This means that through the use supervises a particular industry or business of soft power, the state no longer has to activity”, Second , “a device for controlling struggle to achieve its interests, because the rate of working of machinery or for people of the target country who have controlling fluid flow, in particular a handle admired and fallen in love with that specific controlling the supply of steam to the country, will voluntarily follow its wishes cylinders of a steam engine” and lastly “a without being forced to.