Pushing soft power for big impact


Global recognition: This image released by Netflix shows characters (from left) Mira, Rumi and Zoey in a scene from ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’. The global phenomenon film is now expanding from Netflix dominance to cinema screens following its recordbreaking summer success. — AP

Enter­tain­ment companies riding the Korean Wave, or Hallyu, are scrambling to widen their global reach as Asia’s fourth-largest economy bets on cultural exports at a time of growing protectionist barriers for traditional manufacturers.

Although growing fast from a low base, thanks to substantial government support and high visi­bility on the world stage with some recent dramatic successes, the industry’s contribution to the economy is still only a fraction of that of manufacturing.

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