K-Pop Dominates Asia and Europe, While Korean Food Gains Popularity in North America

A new government report highlights the global reach of Korean cultural content, with K-Pop leading in Asia and Europe, while Korean food emerges as the most popular aspect of Hallyu in North America.

K-Pop’s Global Impact

The report, published by the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange, analyzed over 680,000 news articles and online posts from 30 countries between October 2023 and September 2024.

Findings show that K-Pop dominated media coverage in Asia (35.4%), Europe (25.1%), and Latin America (34.9%).

In Asia, groups like BTS and BLACKPINK remained the primary focus, while in Europe, news coverage revolved around K-Pop artists’ chart performances. Latin America saw a surge in reports about Korean idol group tours and visits.

Korean Food’s Rising Popularity

In North America, Korean food (26.7%) outpaced K-Pop (23.5%) as the top Hallyu-related topic. Kimchi and buldak-bokkeum-myeon (spicy chicken ramen) gained significant traction in online searches and social media discussions across the U.S. and Canada.

A similar trend was observed in Africa (38%) and Oceania (30%), where Korean food had a stronger presence than K-Pop. The opening of Korean restaurants was a major point of discussion in these regions.

Country-Specific Hallyu Trends

The report also revealed which countries engaged most with Hallyu content:

• India had the highest number of Hallyu-related news reports (905), followed by the U.S. (769), Thailand (461), Turkey (301), and the Philippines (273).
• K-Pop was the most discussed topic in India (41%), Thailand (37.5%), and the Philippines (32.6%).
• In the U.S., Korean food took the lead (27%), while Turkish media focused more on Korean dramas (29.6%).

Korean Dramas and Films Gain Attention

Apart from K-Pop and Korean cuisine, Korean dramas and films continued to make waves internationally.

Popular movies like “Exhuma,” “Veteran 2,” “The Roundup: Punishment,” and “Concrete Utopia” were widely mentioned. Meanwhile, hit dramas like “Squid Game Season 2,” “Queen of Tears,” and “Lovely Runner“ gained massive attention in multiple countries.

With Hallyu continuing to shape global pop culture, Korea’s entertainment and food industries are expected to see further international growth in the coming years.