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The British global affairs magazine Monocle in its latest issue has ranked Korea second in global soft power after Germany.


The British global affairs magazine Monocle in its latest issue has ranked Korea second in global soft power after Germany.


In its December 2020/January 2021 edition released on Nov. 27, the monthly published the feature titled "Soft Power Super Stars" containing its annual survey of "which nations' soft power strengths make the grade."


Saying Korea set global standards in entertainment and innovation, the piece added that Korea's soft power strength lies in its films, television shows and music that hit the global market. "Made in Korea" products by companies like Samsung, LG and Hyundai have also strengthened the national brand, it said. 

Korea's effective response to the coronavirus pandemic through its mass testing and tracing strategy, all without enforcing a lockdown, received praise from around the world, it said, adding that the country's COVID-19 death toll of under 500 attests to the strategy's success. 


Third place went to France, followed by Japan, Taiwan, Switzerland, New Zealand, Sweden, Greece and Canada in that order.


Monocle said the pandemic made it difficult to use traditional methods to measure soft power this year and so instead, the criteria for ranking the top 10 were based on challenges overcome over the past year. 


Korea.net