South Korea’s Soft Power in the Era of the Covid-19 Pandemic : An Analysis of the Expert Survey in Europe

Seo-Young Cho ; Eric J. Ballbach ; Daniela Claus-Kim ; Hyun Gyung Kim ; Eun-Jeung Lee ; Jaemin Shim

Seo-Young Cho, Corresponding Autor, Free University of Berlin (FU-Berlin), Institute of Korean Studies (IKS), KDI School-FU-IKS Korea-Europe Program, Otto-von-Simson-Str. 11, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Tel: +49 30 838 56894 scho@zedat.fu-berlin.de
Eric J. Ballbach, Free University of Berlin (FU-Berlin), Institute of Korean Studies (IKS)
Daniela Claus-Kim, Free University of Berlin (FU-Berlin), Institute of Korean Studies (IKS)
Hyun Gyung Kim, Free University of Berlin (FU-Berlin), Institute of Korean Studies (IKS)
Eun-Jeung Lee, Free University of Berlin (FU-Berlin), Institute of Korean Studies (IKS)
Jaemin Shim, Hong Kong Baptist University, Department of Political Science

JEL Classification: C83, H12, I18

Abstract

Since the recent outbreak of the Covid-19, South Korea has demonstrated successful pandemic management that can be exemplary to other countries. This paper analyzes how South Korea’s responses to the Covid-19 pandemic has changed the perceptions of the country in Europe. Through a survey conducted with Korea experts in 16 European countries, this paper documents the positive recognition of South Korea’s pandemic management by the European public. Part of the positive appraisal can be attributed to South Korea’s extensive testing, high technology, and the culture of wearing a face mask, while the opinions were more mixed regarding its comprehensive tracking and tracing strategy due to privacy concerns. Furthermore, the findings of the survey show that Europeans’ overall perception of South Korea has improved together with its Covid-19 management. This evidence suggests that the country’s success in pandemic management can be an instrument of public diplomacy to enhance its soft power, for which the government of South Korea currently invests considerable efforts.

Keywords:

Covid-19, South Korea, Expert survey, Public perceptions, Pandemic management, Soft power, Public diplomacy

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the KDI School of Public Policy and Management for providing financial support. We also thank the Korea experts who participated in the survey.

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