Aggressive yet benign: Korea's engagement in creative industries in Africa

Korea's global strategy of disseminating its audio-visual products (AVPs) reflects developmentalism driven by short-term commercial motivation. In Africa, however, the Korean government distributes AVPs free of charge, sometimes in the form of foreign aid with the aim of creating a market in the long run. This paper suggests 'granted developmentalism' as an explanation for Korea's expansion strategy into Africa. Whereas growing cultural transactions within the global South provoke protectionist narratives, Korean AVPs are viewed as rather benign or even inspiring despite their aggressive developmentalism. Drawn on policy analysis and field research, this paper seeks to understand the dissemination and reception of Korean AVPs in South Africa and Ghana. The current pattern of Korean engagement, characterised by provision of entertainment content on the digital platform, is boosting its image as a bearer of soft power. Nonetheless, this strategy may result in reproducing existing inequality in societies that are marked by acute digital divide.