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Film as cultural diplomacy: South Korea’s nation branding through Parasite (2019)

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  • Seow Ting Lee

    (University of Colorado at Boulder)

Abstract

This study examines the nation branding of South Korea through the Oscar-winning film Parasite (2019) to understand the South Korean government’s approach toward cultural diplomacy, and its outcomes. Despite growing depoliticalization and decentralization, South Korea’s cultural diplomacy policy remains unilateral in embracing Parasite’s success for nation branding while drawing on expanding private-sector resources to produce and market the film. To explicate South Korea’s nation brand vis-à-vis Parasite, a Leximancer analysis of 8808 texts investigated concepts that are associated with the film as a complex bundle of images, meanings, associations, and experiences in the minds of international audiences. The texts associate Parasite with the national entity of South Korea and the country’s most significant cultural content export, the Korean Wave. Sentiment analyses through Leximancer also show positive attitudes, thus helping to reinforce the nation branding of Parasite and its successes as a tangible South Korean national resource, consistent with a soft power approach.

Suggested Citation

  • Seow Ting Lee, 2022. "Film as cultural diplomacy: South Korea’s nation branding through Parasite (2019)," Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 18(2), pages 93-104, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:pbapdi:v:18:y:2022:i:2:d:10.1057_s41254-020-00192-1
    DOI: 10.1057/s41254-020-00192-1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Nye, Joseph S., 2008. "Public Diplomacy and Soft Power," Scholarly Articles 11738397, Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
    2. Nicholas J. Cull, 2008. "Public Diplomacy: Taxonomies and Histories," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 616(1), pages 31-54, March.
    3. Joseph S. Nye Jr., 2008. "Public Diplomacy and Soft Power," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 616(1), pages 94-109, March.
    4. Hun Shik Kim, 2018. "When public diplomacy faces trade barriers and diplomatic frictions: the case of the Korean Wave," Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 14(4), pages 234-244, November.
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