The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism released the result of the 2023 Survey on Hallyu Wave Abroad (taken in 2022) on the 10th. Starting with this survey, the target countries and the number of samples were expanded from 8,500 people in 18 countries to 25,000 people in 26 countries.
First, the result of the question “What first image comes to mind when you think of Korea?” was as follows: K-pop (14.3%), K-food (13.2%), Hallyu Stars (7.4%), K-dramas (6.6%), and IT (5.6%). K-pop took the top spot for six consecutive years.
The global popularity of K-content, which was revitalized by the pandemic, has continued even in the endemic phase. The influence of Squid Game, which enjoyed explosive popularity worldwide in 2021, continued in 2022 as well. Squid Game (11.3%) took the top spot in the “Favorite Drama” category, followed by Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2.8%), All of Us Are Dead (2.6%), and Business Proposal (1.9%), all three dramas aired in 2022.
In particular, Lee Min Ho was named the “Favorite Hallyu Star” in 22 countries, including China, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Australia, America, Canada, Mexico, the UK, Italy, Spain, Russia, and Saudi Arabia. This can be interpreted as a direct result of the success of the drama Pachinko, which premiered on Apple TV in March 2022.
As for the “Favorite K-pop Star” category, BTS (31.3%) and BLACKPINK (10.8%) came in first and second, respectively. “Favorite Movie” list is as follows: Parasite (9.1%) and Train to Busan (6.9%) – two movies from before 2022 – and Carter (2.5%), Hunt (2.0%), and 20th Century Girl (1.8%) – three movies from 2022.
