Influence of the Olympic winter games PyeongChang 2018 on the Korean Wave: Comparison of perceptions between Koreans and Americans

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate the effects of the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 on South Koreans’ and Americans’ perceptions of the “Korean Wave,” or Hallyu. To achieve this purpose, a survey that included questions about the awareness of Hallyu among South Koreans and Americans was conducted before and after the Olympics. The results show that the Olympics positively influenced Hallyu and that the effect was greater for Koreans than for Americans. After watching the Olympics, Koreans had a greater sense of cultural soft power and their perception of Hallyu’s influence on the United States than before they watched the Olympics. However, for American participants, enduring involvement with Hallyu was the only factor that reflected a positive influence. This study demonstrates the relationship between international mega-sport events and a host country’s perceived cultural values.

Understanding South Korea’s Use of Sports Mega-Events for Domestic, Regional and International Soft Power

“…However, as claimed before, South Korea's Hallyu (especially K-pop, K-drama and films) was already famous in the East Asian region early on and did well in maintaining the number of Hallyu consumers in the region [81]. It seems that the two cultural resources, an SME and Hallyu, work well in leveraging each other, therefore creating an even more favourable outcome regionally and internationally [88]. This was mentioned by one of this study's interviewees (Seong-Il Baek, Vice President of the Games Operations of the PyeongChang Winter Games, May, 2019): I'm the only one person who has worked at both 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics and 2018 PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics in KOC.…”

“…South Korea wanted to show that the nation was at the forefront in technological advancements and wanted to maintain their products in the mainstream. It should be noted that Korean technology products are also a type of resource within Hallyu [88]. By hosting Pyeongchang 2018, South Korea believed that it could raise the status of Korean tech products [87] and enhance its global pop culture status [93].…”

Comparison of Beijing and Pyeongchang Winter Olympics

“…The surrounding areas are mainly agricultural and economically backward. A successful Pyeongchang Winter Olympics will not only boost the local economy in a short period of time, but also promote the development of local tourism and cultural industries [5]. According to the International Olympic Committee, the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics will directly contribute 92.9 billion won to the Korean economy and have a significant impact on employment.…”