How Korea Made the World Crave Its Soft Power: Hallyu and Korean Cuisine
- Ummo
- 11 hours ago
- 3 min read
The bowl of Samyang noodles you crave at 12 a.m. didn’t become a favorite for no reason. It all traces back to Hallyu, a cultural wave our Food and Travel writer, Ummo, will unpack for you in this article.
When I was eleven, I moved from Milan, Italy, to Karachi, Pakistan. My best friend at the time was half Korean and half Italian. One day, she asked me, “So, who’s your BTS bias?”
That simple question started a love affair with K-pop that’s lasted nearly nine years. I was there when Blackpink came back with As If It’s Your Last, and now I’m watching K-pop go global with new-generation groups like CORTIS.
So, as LE SSERAFIM’s Spaghetti plays in the background as I write, it feels like the perfect moment to talk about Hallyu.
Growing up in Pakistan, anything beyond local food was rare. My dad would take me out for sushi if I got good grades, because it was only available at a five-star hotel. At home, we lived on staples like pulao and daal. But as the years went by, I started noticing Samyang noodles stacked in our pantry.
By the time I was in high school, Karachi’s dining scene had changed. Fusion Chinese spots popped up, reflecting growing economic ties with China. But after the pandemic, a new wave arrived — Korean food. Suddenly, every supermarket shelf carried Samyang noodles and ready-to-cook tteokbokki. Recently, convenience stores inspired by Korea’s CU have opened up.
And this isn't a coincidence. It’s a strategy.
Korea has spent decades mastering the art of soft power: the ability to influence others through culture.The government has invested in this for years: K-pop, K-dramas, K-beauty, K-fashion, K-cuisine. K is everywhere.
In Karachi today, Korean food is wildly popular, even among middle-class families who might not know much about Korea itself. Part of this shift came from the screen. Mukbangs and K-dramas. Seeing idols and actors devour those foods made them irresistible. For many fans, curiosity turned into craving.
Korean-style hotpot restaurant in Karachi
However, this globalisation doesn’t come without its cons. Hallyu often romanticizes South Korea as a flawless utopia. But behind the filters lie social issues: gender inequality, overwork, and a shrinking population. Essentially, South Korea exports a curated version of itself that millions willingly buy into. In 2024, South Korea welcomed over 16 million foreign visitors, while K-Food exports hit a record US$13 billion. Additionally, 38.3% of foreign visitors to South Korea cited exposure to Hallyu content (K-pop, K-drama) as their main reason for visiting, up from 32.1% in 2023.
Still, soft power connects societies more effectively than diplomacy ever could. It makes people curious; curious to discover what makes another culture’s food, music, or stories so beloved. When my grandmother, in the middle of Umrah in Saudi Arabia, ate Samyang noodles with me and said she liked them, that was cultural diplomacy in action — a simple meal bridging faiths, generations, and nations.
Maybe it’s that Korean food is just that good, or maybe what we’re savoring is something bigger. Maybe what we’re really savoring is a connection that stretches halfway across the world.
Food, after all, is the most democratic form of culture. You don’t need to know the language, lyrics, or choreography to share a meal. All you need is curiosity: a willingness to taste something new.
Food is the universal language, and South Korea has mastered how to speak it — other countries could take note! There are so many dishes, stories, and traditions waiting to travel. With the right bridge, they too could cross borders and bring people together in the same way.
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