[Viewpoint] Soft Power and Snack Culture

Suh Yonggu, Professor at Sookmyung Women's University Graduate School of Business

Soft power is a concept that corresponds to hard power, which refers to physically measurable forces such as military strength or economic power. It denotes influence through subtle attraction rather than coercive physical force. In the wake of COVID-19, the world has shifted from a focus on relentless growth to prioritizing sustainability, with inclusive capitalism becoming the new standard. This suggests that soft power will become an increasingly important criterion for success in everyday life. It is often said that the 21st century is the century of culture and an era led by soft power. Is the era of soft states, where culture takes center stage, truly dawning after the era of hard states characterized by wealth and military strength?

Recently, we have witnessed the limitations of hard power exercised by authoritarian states, as Russia’s hard power, demonstrated by its military invasion of Ukraine, has failed to exert its full force due to the unified response of European Union (EU) countries. The Russia-Ukraine war exemplifies the shift in importance from hard power to soft power. Ukraine, which is overwhelmingly outmatched in hard power, has gained absolute support from NATO member countries including the United States through the soft leadership and communication skills of comedian-turned-president Zelensky. Even in national survival, the power of soft power created by voluntary consent and empathy is felt more than unilateral commands.

South Korea has grown into a top 10 country in hard power, ranking 10th in economic power and 6th in military strength. It can be argued that pushing these rankings higher no longer holds significant meaning, as the practical benefits are limited in terms of feasibility and effectiveness. Rather, it is time to reposition as a cultural production advanced country by strengthening the cultural content ecosystem such as K-pop, K-webtoons, and K-dramas, and producing various snack culture content. Snack culture refers to the consumption of cultural content within 5 to 10 minutes, much like eating a snack. Digital content such as webtoons, web novels, web dramas, and videos are representative examples.

Since the widespread popularization of smartphones after 2010, enjoying video content through various applications (apps) has become a mainstream form of popular culture. Popular webtoons have been adapted into mobile movies under 10 minutes or into five-part films, leading to the production of short-form content in diverse fields such as broadcasting, fashion, and food. As snack culture has flourished, Naver has accelerated the establishment of a video content platform, and Kakao is also strengthening the production of snack culture content specialized for mobile.

The global Generation Z, numbering about one billion, are digital natives who have been supplied with unlimited information from birth alongside the internet and are connected through Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and other platforms. As they become the main consumers in the future, the snack culture they create could become the most dynamically growing global market. A massive consumer force has emerged that prefers videos over text and images and frequently consumes 15-second short-form content. On Instagram, video content now accounts for over 80% of traffic. In the snack culture market, which includes 10-minute YouTube videos, approximately 1-minute Instagram videos, and 15-second TikTok videos, who receives the majority of choices will be an indicator determining future soft power. It is hoped that K-content will successfully carry out content marketing that delivers maximum enjoyment and core information effectively in a short time, making South Korea a soft power powerhouse.