BTS and Son Heung-min Included... South Korea Ranks 2nd in Soft Power Among World Cup Participating Countries

US Pocheon "Intense Play, Passionate Cheer Culture Are Strengths"

Son Heung-min, captain of the South Korean national football team, departed through Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport on the morning of the 13th to return to his club, Tottenham Hotspur of the English Premier League. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] The U.S. economic media outlet 'Fortune' has drawn attention by ranking South Korea as the 2nd strongest soft power at the '2022 Qatar World Cup.' This was due to showcasing stars like BTS and Son Heung-min, who captured the world's attention.

On the 19th (local time), Fortune announced the rankings of countries that stood out for their soft power rather than athletic performance at this year's World Cup. Soft power measures the cultural influence of countries and is considered, along with military and economic capabilities known as 'hard power,' a hallmark of developed nations.

Fortune selected South Korea as the 2nd strongest soft power at the World Cup. The media described Korea as having "inspirational soft power," citing BTS member Jungkook, who was in charge of the World Cup opening ceremony, and the official sponsor Hyundai Motor Group as examples.

Despite a facial injury, national team captain Son Heung-min's fighting spirit and Korea's passionate cheering culture were also cited as key reasons for its high soft power. The media evaluated, "The intense play of the Korean national team and the energetic cheering culture of the fans perfectly fit Korea, which has become a giant in 21st-century popular culture."

The top spot went to France, the World Cup runner-up. It was explained that France achieved excellent results not only in the 2018 Russia World Cup but also in the 2022 Qatar World Cup with overwhelming performance.

Fortune commented, "The skills of the French national team have enhanced France's national image and reputation." It particularly noted that second-generation African immigrants, such as forward Kylian Mbapp?, led the team. This demonstrated France's multicultural yet united image.

Meanwhile, Morocco, the first African country to reach the World Cup semifinals, was ranked 3rd, and Japan was ranked 4th. In Japan's case, its unique fan culture was highlighted. Fortune stated, "The Japanese national team and spectators cleaned the locker rooms and stadium trash thoroughly," evaluating that they showed themselves as champions of benign soft power.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.