[K-wave] K-pop ranked as top image associated with Korea: Survey

The culture ministry has released its annual Global Hallyu Survey, revealing the most popular aspects of Korean culture captivating fans around the world.

While the global reach of Hallyu, or the "Korean Wave" continues to grow, the survey also points to a rise in negative perceptions.

Our Han Da-eun brings us the highlights.

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Korea? The Culture Ministry and the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange posed that very question to some 26,400 people across 28 countries who have experienced Korean culture.

According to survey results released on Monday, K-pop came out on top, with nearly 18% of respondents naming Korean pop music as the strongest image associated with Korea. It marks the eighth consecutive year that K-pop has been reaffirmed as the country's defining cultural icon.

Korean cuisine followed in second place, trailed by K-dramas, K-beauty products, and Korean films, rounding out the top five.

Among the many K-pop acts that have captivated global audiences, BTS continues to lead the pack.

The seven-member global sensation retained its crown as the world's most beloved K-pop group for the seventh straight year, with over 24% of respondents naming the group as their top pick. Following closely were the "pretty savages" BLACKPINK and versatile singer-songwriter IU.

In the realm of K-dramas, Netflix hit "Squid Game" was the most preferred series, while "Queen of Tears" and "Crash Landing on You" ranked second and third, respectively.

On the K-cinema front, Bong Joon-ho's Oscar-winning masterpiece "Parasite" topped the list, with the gripping zombie action film "Train to Busan" and the occult thriller "Exhuma" close behind.

Global favorability toward Hallyu content rose to over 70%, up 1.5 percentage points from a year ago, led by strong support in Southeast Asia.

But the growing global influence of K-culture has also brought a rise in negative perceptions. Those with unfavorable views of Hallyu climbed to 37.5%, the highest in the past five years, with many citing it as "overly commercialized."

Based on the survey findings, the Culture Ministry aims to further enhance global outreach by hosting large-scale Hallyu expos and expanding K-culture promotion centers worldwide riding the unrelenting wave of global interest in Korean culture.

Han Da-eun, Arirang News.