The South Korean government, recognizing the economic potential of cultural exports after the 1997 financial crisis, began heavily funding and promoting the entertainment industry. By 2002, this "soft power" strategy was in full effect: South Korea - Entertainment and Media

: There is a massive shift toward "bite-sized" media. YouTube Shorts leads with an 87.1% adoption rate, followed by Instagram Reels (57.9%) and TikTok .