Beyond Music to Literature and Food... 1.5 Million Big Data Points Prove the Evolution of the Korean Wave [Real-Life Hallyu]

MCST Releases "2025 Global Trend" Report
Korean Wave Once Centered on K-pop Diversifies
"K-Pop Demon Hunters" Global Success Drives Tourism Demand

Stills from the animated film 'K-Pop Demon Hunters'

The landscape of Korean Wave consumption, once heavily dependent on K-pop, has diversified into literature, film, and food. Intellectual property (IP) has evolved into a key industrial engine that enhances Korea's brand value while also driving tangible tourism demand and export revenues.

On the 25th, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Culture and Information Service released the "2025 Global Korean Wave Trend Analysis Report Based on Foreign Media and Social Data," which substantiates this phenomenon. They thoroughly analyzed 1.5 million articles and social networking service (SNS) posts from media outlets in 30 countries, producing indicators that quantitatively demonstrate how the Korean Wave is spreading. The sample size was more than doubled from 680,000 cases in the previous year to improve accuracy.

The most notable change is the diversification of interests by region. Asia accounted for the largest share of total coverage at 44%, but the focus that used to be concentrated on music has shifted toward literature in Africa and toward film in Oceania. By country, the largest volumes of data came from the United States, India, Argentina, and Vietnam, in that order. Japan focused on literature, Vietnam on dramas, and Brazil on films, establishing consumption patterns tailored to their respective cultural environments.

Still cut from the drama 'Squid Game'

Over-the-top (OTT) platforms have been the key catalyst transforming simple curiosity about Korean food into massive industrial synergies. For core keywords such as kimchi, soju, and ramyeon, terms like "taste," "chef," and "Squid Game" appeared as top related search queries. This reflects how Korean dishes featured in the cooking variety show "Black And White Chef" and the drama "Squid Game" have directly targeted dining tables around the world.

The influence of individual content pieces has extended beyond the screen and translated directly into offline tourism. The animated film "K-Pop Demon Hunters (K-Pop Demon Hunters)" is a representative example. Its powerful fandom, proven by surpassing 300 million views and topping the Billboard Hot 100 chart, has led to an increase in foreign visitors to the National Museum of Korea, among other effects. The drama "When Life Gives You Tangerines," set in Jeju, also boosted local tourism demand immediately after its broadcast by leveraging a localized title and the universal theme of family love.

Season 3 of "Squid Game" ranked first in viewership in 93 countries, consecutively driving global brand collaborations and large-scale investments. Its strong impact is clearly evidenced by global keyword data. In drama-related searches, "Squid Game" (27.1%) and its lead actor "Lee Jungjae" (4.5%) took first and second place, respectively. In the film category, "K-Pop Demon Hunters" (15.9%), director Bong Joonho (14.1%), and "Mickey 17" (9.6%) dominated the top ranks, demonstrating the solid competitiveness of Korean screen content.

Han Kang, Yonhap News Agency

The box-office foundation laid by video content has spread into literature through the written word. In particular, author Han Kang's Nobel Prize in Literature instantly elevated the status of Korean literature, previously on the periphery, to the center of the global stage. In the quarter immediately after the award, the share of related foreign news reports jumped by 30 percentage points from the previous quarter. Foreign media outlets collectively highlighted "The Vegetarian" and "Human Acts," reporting that her achievement as the first Asian woman laureate opened a new chapter in world literary history.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism plans to use this analysis as a springboard to advance Korean Wave policies through the use of international big data. To ensure the findings are reflected in actual policy, the ministry analyzes around 100 foreign news items each week and provides them in a weekly report. Lee Eunbok, Director-General for International Public Relations Policy, said, "The Korean Wave has become a core strategic asset that goes beyond a simple content fad to drive our national brand and industrial competitiveness," adding, "We will meticulously design customized overseas promotion strategies based on big data analysis."