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The Role of Korean Film in Korea’s International Image Growth, Outline
Introduction
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A country's international image is very crucial in its association with other countries
abroad. A country with a positive image before other countries finds it easier to conduct
business with others regarding imports and exports.

Body
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While Korean culture is a blanket for so many aspects that have had a significant presence
in the local and international markets for years, Parasite's win is a stunning culmination of
Korean cultural products' global appeal.

•

To express its exclusivity as a Korean product, the actors and crew did interviews with
foreign media in Korean. Those who won the Oscars did their acceptance speeches in the
Korean language and only reached their international audiences through interpreters.

•

Before Parasite's win at the Academy Awards, its strong appeal had been noticed and

awarded. On May 21, 2019, the film won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes film festival. By so
doing, Parasite became the first-ever South Korean film to win the award. The historical
context of Korea film
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Parasite's astounding success at the Academy Awards has got the Korean Wave plastered
all over it. The Korean Wave is a blanket term that defines the South Korean country's
cultural economy and its rapid growth in exporting its culture across seas and
geographical boundaries to millions of audiences abroad.

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Today, South Korea has grown into a global cultural powerhouse because of its enormous
ability to export cultural products accepted by many audiences on a global scale.

Film's role in cultural diplomacy
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Several mediums for cultural diplomacy exist, and the film is one of its most powerful
ones. What makes the film a potent tool is its vast range of accessibility and its ability to
draw large audiences.

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According to Lovric (2018), film exports have a vast potential of improving a country's
soft power. Lovric compared Chinese and Japanese films with South Korean ones and
determined that South Korea has a higher potential for soft power through film than those
two countries.

The role of the Korean Wave in Parasite's success

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Parasite director, Bong, has said in interviews that Parasite's win at the Academy Awards
is the embodiment of the Korean Wave's extraordinary success for the past two decades.

•

South Korean culture, particularly film, has grown beyond ordinary entertainment and
becomes a tool that the South Korean government can use to establish good relations
between them and foreign countries.

South Korean government role in boosting its international image through the film
industry
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The South Korean government has created a significant role in the growth of its cultural
industry. The government's significant role is embodied in its 2009 decision to establish a
presidential council whose role was to lead coordination efforts to improve its national
brand and image (Jang and Paik, 2012).

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In 1984, the Korean Film Council, a unit under the Culture, Sports, and Tourism industry,
established the Korean Academy of Film Arts (KAFA). The government-funded KAFA to
identify and nurture film arts talents in the country.

The role of technology in Korean film industry growth
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Production of film in the Korean film industry is one thing, and its exportation to other
countries is another. Film needs a medium to reach global audiences, and the role of
technology in doing so has been phenomenal.

Support from the private sector
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South Korean investors and entertainment companies have also been instrumental in the
growth of the film industry.

Ripple effects created by the Parasite film
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While the film has been a phenomenon on its own, it has created ripple effects that, on
the whole, are growing South Korea tremendously. There have been commercial and
cultural ripple effects from the film through exclusive South Korean spin-offs.

•

One of the most significant spin-offs from the film is the noodle dish that has gained much
popularity since it won the Oscars.

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The film impact has also been felt in Goyang city, where the shooting studio used to make
Parasite is located.

Boost in sentiments and the national brand

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A Leximancer analysis was used to determine the extent of the influence Parasite had
created globally after its Academy Award win. The period of analysis started from May
2019 to June 2020.

•

The sentiments toward South Korea in the wake of Parasite's win are pretty favorable. From
May 2019 to June 2020, a social media analysis was done, and the findings showed that
among 19743 Instagram and Twitter posts, 82.3% of them were positive things about
Parasite.

Conclusion
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In conclusion, the film has played a significant role in growing the international image of
South Korea. The film Parasite exemplifies the role film can play in cultural diplomacy
and creating a national brand for South Korea.

References
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Books and articles


Running head: THE KOREAN FILM INDUSTRY’S GROWTH AND ITS ROLE IN
BOOSTING KOREA’S INTERNATIONAL IMAGE

THE KOREAN FILM INDUSTRY’S GROWTH AND ITS ROLE IN BOOSTING
KOREA’S INTERNATIONAL IMAGE
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Date:

1

THE KOREAN FILM INDUSTRY’S GROWTH AND ITS ROLE IN BOOSTING KOREA’S
INTERNATIONAL IMAGE

2

The Korean Film Industry’s Growth and its Role in Boosting Korea’s International
Image
A country's international image is very crucial in its association with other countries
abroad. A country with a positive image before other countries finds it easier to conduct business
with others regarding imports and exports. Various factors determine the perception other
countries would have of another. For instance, a factor like safety and security makes a country
attractive to others. Other factors include economic stability, sporting prowess, political stability,
culture, etc. Culture is one of the primary tools that help build a national brand, and Korea has
utilized this to its advantage. Among the various aspects of Korean popular culture, the film has
played a significant role in Korea's cultural diplomacy and national branding.
The South Korean movie, Parasite, which was produced in 2019, won the best picture in
the Academy Awards on February 10, 2020. By so doing, the movie set the record as the first-ever
film that wasn't produced in the English language ever to win the award (Kim and Lee, 2020). The
win was a massive statement from the South Korean cultural industry and a breakthrough that
propelled the Korean country high on the international brand charts. Parasite's win reflects the
incredible efforts Korea's cultural industry has put into the global appeal of its cultural products.
The win also presents a massive opportunity for South Korea's growth in cultural diplomacy and
soft power.
While Korean culture is a blanket for so many aspects that have had a significant presence
in the local and international markets for years, Parasite's win is a stunning culmination of Korean
cultural products' global appeal. What makes this movie a stunning example of the role film can
play in branding a country is that it was purely done in Korea and within South Korean landscape
and studios. The film's primary language is Korean, while the setting is in South Korea, with
filming done in Seoul and the studio used located in Goyang (Kim and Lee, 2020). The production
utilized Korean casting and crew. In essence, the movie was exclusively Korean from the language,
the actors, and the setting.
To express its exclusivity as a Korean product, the actors and crew did interviews with
foreign...