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Impact of 2018 winter Olympics on the Korea Wave

refers to the phenomenon of South Korean popular culture, such as TV shows, fashion, cuisine, and music, becoming
immensely popular in other countries (Nye, 1967). By 2016, it had grown to generate $6.2 billion, or about 1% of
Korea’s total exports per year (Korea Creative Contents Agency, 2018). The success of Hallyu can be explained by both
direct and indirect factors. First, localization strategies with different approaches for each market were successful. To
enter the global market, cultural aspects of Hallyu were adjusted for each country through the efforts of private cultural
content companies, such as SM Entertainment and JYP Entertainment (Kim, 2016; Cho, 2017). Indirect factors include
governmental policies that emphasize soft power, such as cultural content and Hallyu activities that pursue mutual growth
between Korean cultural content and other countries’ content (Jang and Paik, 2012).
Scholars have endeavored to understand Hallyu in diverse ways. Some examine the phenomenon in Asian countries,
such as Japan and China (Kim, 2013), its effects on the country’s image, attracting tourists, and the purchase of products
made by Korean companies (Kim, Agrusa, and Lee, 2007). However, few studies have examined the influence of a mega
sporting event on Hallyu.
To fill this gap, this study focuses on the effects of the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games on the perception of
Hallyu among people of the host country and the United States; thus, the study included Korea, the host country, to
measure the effect of the Olympics on Hallyu in the host country in comparison to another country that shares different
cultures and perspectives. The PyeongChang Olympic Games were held 30 years after the 1988 Olympic Games, the first
to be held in South Korea. The influence of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games was expected to be significant, as it was a
large global event in which 45,000 sports officials and journalists as well as 6500 athletes from more than 90 countries
participated directly. With that in mind, the purpose of this study was to measure the influence of the PyeongChang
Winter Olympic Games on Koreans and Americans in relation to Korean pop culture, Hallyu. For this purpose, this study
assessed the perceptions of Koreans and Americans about Hallyu before and after the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

1.1. The Impact of Sport Mega-events on the Host Country
Scholars have undertaken to understand the potential consequences of mega-sport events, such as the Olympic Games
and the FIFA World Cup, for their host countries (Kaplanidou, 2006). Mega-sport events that people around the world can
see are reported in numerous media (Horne and Manzenreiter, 2006). As a global asset, a mega-sport event affects various
aspects of the host country, including social, political, and psychological aspects (Parent, 2009). Although the magnitude
of the impact of these mega-events is debatable, there is no question that mega-sport events such as the Summer and
Winter Games are influential (Toohey and Taylor, 2008).

1.2. The Cultural Impact of Mega-sport Events
Since the Olympic Games were re-established in 1894, an underlying ideology of the Games has been to acknowledge
the differences in each culture and to make the world a better place by reducing apprehensions between cultures. While
political and economic modernization may change the Olympics at face value, the ideology of the Olympic Games has
not changed much from the beginning (Chatziefstathiou, 2005). Media coverage of the Olympic Games showing fairness,
friendship beyond borders, and the efforts of athletes is an opportunity to enhance national image by linking such positive
aspects with the overall image of the host country. This is also an opportunity to deepen the understanding of a host
country’s culture among the global audience of the Games.
Mega-sport events can improve the image of the host country in various ways. First, successful events can be
transmitted to people around the world through media and affect the awareness and attitudes toward the host country
(Lee, Lee and Lee, 2005). Specifically, those who watch the Games are exposed to and learn about the beautiful cities and
natural landscapes of the host country, the nation’s capability and infrastructure to host mega events, and the cultural and
historical heritage of the country (Hede, 2005). Those who attend the events can learn and experience new facts about
previously unfamiliar host countries, which can affect behaviors in favor of the host country (Kaplanidou and Vogt, 2007).
In particular, because cultural values can affect an individual’s emotions, attitudes, and consequences, mega-sport events
can have a big impact on the public (Allik and Realo, 2004).
Korea’s popular culture, known as Hallyu or the Korean Wave, has developed into a cultural phenomenon that has
transcended national boundaries in the past decade (Yoon and Jin, 2016). Hallyu has already had a significant impact on
the culture of Southeast Asia and is also the reason many foreign tourists choose to visit Korea (Kim and Ryoo, 2007).
Hallyu is the reason Korean popular culture, including popular music, drama, and movies, has become influential and
recognized in other countries (Ryoo, 2009). Now the boundaries of Hallyu are expanding to include Korea’s lifestyle,
cooking, fashion, and so on (Park, 2011).

16 International Journal of Population Studies | 2020, Volume 6, Issue 2