Foreigners’ favorability toward South Korea has climbed to an all-time high, buoyed by the global spread of Korean cultural content and positive perceptions of the country’s dynamic democratic system, a government survey showed Tuesday.
According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST), 82.3% of foreign respondents expressed a favorable view of South Korea in 2025, up 3.3 percentage points from the previous year. This marks the highest level since the national image survey was first conducted in 2018, when favorability stood at 78.7%.
The findings are based on a survey of 13,000 respondents across 26 countries worldwide.
By country, the United Arab Emirates recorded the highest favorability toward South Korea at 94.8%, followed by Egypt at 94%, the Philippines at 91.4%, Türkiye at 90.2% and India at 89%. South Africa also ranked high at 88.8%.
In Europe, the United Kingdom stood out as the only country to post an above-average favorability rating, at 87.4%. Thailand rebounded to 86.2% after a temporary decline last year.
Although favorability levels remained comparatively lower in China (62.8%) and Japan (42.2%), both countries recorded notable year-on-year gains of 3.6 percentage points and 5.4 percentage points, respectively. Japan posted its highest rating since the survey began.
Courtesy of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
Cultural content emerged as the strongest driver of South Korea’s positive image, cited by 45.2% of respondents. K-pop, television dramas and films were found to be particularly influential in the Asia-Pacific region, including the Philippines and Japan. In the Middle East and Africa, respondents also pointed to the quality of Korean products, brand reputation and the country’s level of economic development as key factors boosting favorability.
Foreigners most commonly encountered South Korea through online video platforms such as YouTube (77.4%) and Netflix (65.1%). On social media, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook were the most frequently used platforms for accessing Korea-related content.
By contrast, South Koreans’ own assessment of their country’s image remained lower, with domestic favorability measured at 60.4%, underscoring a persistent gap between internal and external perceptions.
“This survey highlights the strong global favorability toward South Korea and the growing influence of K-culture and K-content,” said Kong Hyung-sik, head of public communications at the ministry. “We will continue to analyze the data through expert discussions and ensure the findings are effectively reflected in future policies.”