The Use of K-Wave on ROK’s New Southern Policy Implementation: A Study Case of Indonesia – ROK Bilateral Relations

Abstract

The New Southern Policy is the first ROK’s foreign policy that centered towards ASEAN countries and India. This foreign policy under President Moon Jae-in based on three principles which People, Prosperity, and Peace that aims to achieve ‘a people-centered community of peace and prosperity’. K-Wave as one of ROK’s public diplomacy elements has successfully created a positive image for ROK and becomes their nation branding by using its cultural attractiveness. This paper has come up with the research question for the topic which to what extend the implementation of NSP which People, Prosperity, and Peace (3Ps) in Indonesia as the ASEAN member states (AMS) could strengthen the relations in trade, investment, and tourism between Indonesia and ROK? By use theory of Public Diplomacy by Joseph Nye and Multi-track Diplomacy by Diamond and McDonald. This paper uses a qualitative method to see and analyze the effectiveness of K-Wave as public diplomacy in NSP implementation. As the result, K-Wave has indeed proven to be very effective as one of public diplomacy elements that succeeded in achieving NSP goals, where K-Wave has created people-to-people exchange through engaging minds-to-minds. And close bilateral relationship between ROK – Indonesia has become closer with this NSP that resulted the interdependence between them. It also supported by the emergence of K-Wave as a very popular phenomenon in Indonesia makes ROK very accepted in various aspects.