Over 80% of foreign tourists, residents still wary of North Korea threat, K-culture survey finds

South Korea still seems to be perceived as a dangerous country for foreigners due to the continuing national security threat from North Korea, even though it has been 71 years since the countries chose to pause the war, according to a survey.

A trash-laden balloon sent by North Korea near Jamsil Bridge, southern Seoul. [JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF]

South Korea still seems to be perceived as a dangerous country for foreigners due to the continuing national security threat from North Korea, even though it has been 71 years since the countries chose to pause the war, according to a survey conducted by Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI).

CICI surveyed 435 respondents — 223 Koreans and 212 foreigners who visited or stayed in Korea — from July 26 to Aug. 13 to determine how Korean culture, or K-culture, is perceived by the general public. Multiple answers were possible for each question.

CICI, an organization affiliated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was established in 2003 to promote Korean culture abroad and to research Korea’s international image.

A total of 83.96 percent of foreigners answered that the “national security threat from North Korea” is what comes to mind when they think of South Korea in the midst of a turbulent international situation. It was followed by the answers “technology innovation,” at 37.26 percent, and “cultural powerhouse,” at 30.19 percent.

The overseas nationals' responses were quite different from the Korean point of view, as the “national security threat from North Korea” ranked third at 43.05 percent, with “cultural powerhouse” being the top response at 84.75 percent.

When asked what they liked the most about K-culture, the top response from both groups was “K-films and K-drama," making up over 80 percent of responses in both groups. The survey revealed that foreigners demonstrated greater interest in “Korean traditional culture,” at 40.09 percent, over “K-pop,” which stood at 27.83 percent.

However, the survey showed that foreigners think that K-pop has more potential on online platforms, which contrasts with their perceived ambivalence over K-dramas and K-films.

A total of 89.15 percent of foreign respondents chose “K-pop” as the K-culture sector that holds the most potential to gain the spotlight through online platforms in the digital era.

“K-pop music, which is relatively shorter in length and easier to understand compared to dramas or movies, is considered to be a more accessible and convenient form of content for international audiences,” CICI said in a press release.

The leading barrier that is keeping K-culture from advancing to the next level is localization and language, according to the survey responses by foreigners, as this stood at 91.98 percent.

“This highlights the need for Korean cultural content to enhance accessibility for people with diverse languages and cultural backgrounds,” CICI said. “Localization and breaking down language barriers is essential for K-culture to exert greater influence across various cultural contexts, underscoring the importance of content translation and subtitling, as well as marketing strategies tailored to local cultures.”

BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]