ABSTRACT
Since the 2000s, Korean dramas (K-dramas) have reached the national television markets of the Middle East, and their popularity has suddenly risen among younger audiences. Popular K-dramas and their wider appeal have sparked discussions around the cultural power of the Korean Wave in the Middle East because of their increasingly visible success and unprecedented influence in this region. This chapter explores the implications of K-dramas in Turkey, Iran and Israel, and in the Arab countries to understand the intricate relationship between transnational media flows and cultural consumption as transnational popular culture can possibly cultivate Korean soft power in the Middle East. Promoted by the Korean government as well, the consumption of K-dramas has become part of the Middle Eastern audiences’ daily media habit. This routinized consumption and associated participatory practice can enhance the national image and reputation of Korea and potentially cultivate its soft power in the Middle East.
