Korea's cultural wave continues to grow in global reach and commercial impact, according to the latest annual survey released by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) on March 30. Conducted across 30 countries and regions with 27,400 respondents aged 15 to 59, the 2026 Overseas Hallyu Survey — based on data collected in November–December 2025 — is the most expansive edition since the survey began in 2012, with Singapore, Chile, and Poland added to the sample for the first time.

Seven in Ten Favor Korean Culture

Overall favorability toward Korean cultural content stood at 69.7%, with Southeast Asian nations leading: the Philippines (87.0%), India (83.8%), Indonesia (82.7%), and Thailand (79.4%). Significantly, favorability rose sharply in markets that have historically shown more modest interest, including the United Kingdom (+8.0 percentage points), Japan (+6.4), Spain (+6.2), the United States (+6.1), and Australia (+6.0). K-pop held its position as the top image associated with Korea for the ninth consecutive year, followed by Korean food, drama, beauty products, and film — while "Korean War" and "North Korean nuclear threat," once among the top associations, fell outside the top ten, reflecting a meaningful shift in Korea's international image.

Food and Beauty Consolidate as Core Hallyu Sectors

When respondents were asked about the popularity of Korean cultural content in their home countries, food ranked first (55.1%), followed by music (54.0%), beauty (52.6%), drama (51.3%), and film (48.9%). Character merchandise and live performance (excluding K-pop concerts) were surveyed as new categories for the first time, with character content showing an experience rate of 52.6% — comparable to established categories — and live performance at 35.1%, indicating early-stage but meaningful growth potential.

Squid Game, Parasite, and BTS Retain Global Dominance

Squid Game topped the preferred Korean drama rankings for the fifth consecutive year with 12.4% of respondents naming it their favorite, while newcomer When Life Gives You Tangerines (폭싹 속았수다) debuted at second place with 4.6%. Parasite remained the most popular Korean film for the sixth straight year. Among music acts, BTS held the top spot for the eighth consecutive year (21.9%), with BLACKPINK second (12.6%). The survey also introduced a new question on the most influential Hallyu figure, with BTS ranked first (6.9%) and actor Lee Min-ho second (4.6%). Notably, e-sports player Faker entered the rankings at joint fifth place, reflecting the expanding reach of Hallyu into gaming culture.

Fusion Content Seen as Attractive and Trendy

The survey broke new ground by asking respondents about content that incorporates Korean cultural elements but is not produced in Korea — citing examples like the animated series K-Pop Demon Hunters. Respondents identified "content that reflects Korean cultural elements" (23.3%) as the most important factor in defining something as Korean cultural content, ranking it above whether the content was directed or produced by Koreans. Attitudes toward such fusion content were broadly positive: 60.0% described it as "attractive" and "trendy," 57.3% as "easy to accept," and 55.0% as "original."

Hallyu Drives Purchase Decisions

Respondents spent an average of 14.7 hours per month consuming Korean cultural content and spent an average of USD 16.6 per category — increases of 0.7 hours and USD 1.2 respectively compared to the previous year. Quality remained the top reason for purchasing Korean products and services (61.8%), followed by price (43.0%) and ease of use (33.4%). The proportion of respondents saying Hallyu influences their consumption of Korean products and services rose to 64.8%, up from 57.9% in 2023 and 63.8% in 2024.

OTT and Short-Form Video Drive Discovery

Drama, film, and music are primarily accessed through OTT and video platforms, while variety content is increasingly consumed through SNS and short-form video platforms — a shift reflecting the growing role of clips and reels in driving audiences toward full-length content. Food, beauty, and fashion are primarily encountered through online and offline retail channels, with user-generated SNS reviews playing a significant role in purchase decisions for food and beauty categories.

Building on these findings, MCST plans to expand K-Expo — a comprehensive Hallyu showcase — to additional markets including the United States, France, and Mexico, and to extend its Korea360 overseas promotional hubs to the United States and Vietnam.

---------------------------------------------------------------

MCST Press Release translated by AI, edited by David Kendall