K-Pop: 8-Year Reign as Top Korean Image

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Korean pop culture, widely known as Hallyu, continues to captivate the global audience, with K-Pop standing out as the most recognized image associated with Korea for the eighth consecutive year. According to the '2025 Overseas Hallyu Survey' released by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange, 17.8% of respondents who experienced Korean culture identified K-Pop as the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of Korea.

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Following K-Pop, Korean cuisine was the second most recognized aspect at 11.8%, followed by Korean dramas at 8.7%, beauty products at 6.4%, and films at 5.6%. Interestingly, IT products and brands, which have been in the top five since 2012, have fallen out of the top tier for the first time.

Within the K-Pop genre, BTS has solidified its status as the most favored group, maintaining the top spot for seven consecutive years with a preference rate of 24.6%. Blackpink follows closely in second place at 12.3%, marking its sixth consecutive year in that position. Notably, individual members like Jungkook from BTS and Lisa from Blackpink have also been highlighted among the top preferences.

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The overall favorable perception of Hallyu content has seen an increase, with a 70.3% positive response rate, up by 1.5 percentage points from the previous year. The newly included category of 'Korean Language' scored a high favorability of 75.4%, surpassing the average. Southeast Asian countries such as the Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand showed particularly high favorability ratings.

In terms of media consumption, the average monthly time spent on Korean content per person has increased to 14 hours, with dramas and variety shows leading at 17.5 and 17 hours respectively. The Philippines, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates recorded the highest consumption times.

(서울=연합뉴스) 진연수 기자 = 배우 이민호가 18일 오후 서울 구로구 더 세인트에서 열린 tvN 새 토일드라마 '별들에게 물어봐' 제작발표회에서 포즈를 취하고 있다. 2024.12.18 [e-mail]

Among Korean dramas, 'Squid Game' continues to be a favorite, topping the list for the fourth consecutive year. Other popular dramas include 'Queen of Tears' and 'Crash Landing on You'. In the realm of cinema, Bong Joon-ho's 'Parasite' remains the most favored film, followed by 'Train to Busan'.

The influence of Hallyu extends beyond entertainment, as 58.9% of those who have experienced Korean culture expressed willingness to purchase Korean products or services, marking an 8.2 percentage point increase from the previous year. This interest is particularly high in the Middle East and Asian countries.

However, the growing influence of Hallyu is accompanied by an increase in negative perceptions. About 37.5% of respondents agreed with negative views on Hallyu, citing reasons such as excessive commercialization and geopolitical concerns related to North Korea.

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The survey was conducted online from November 29 to December 27, 2024, involving 26,400 participants from 28 countries, with new inclusions like the Philippines and Hong Kong. Based on these findings, the Ministry plans to establish legal frameworks to support the Hallyu industry and will host three comprehensive Hallyu expos, as well as opening a permanent Hallyu promotion center in Dubai.

These developments reflect the complex dynamics of Hallyu's global presence, highlighting both its widespread appeal and the challenges it faces.