ABSTRACT
This chapter elaborates on the implications of the preceding arguments about Hallyu for a broader understanding of the nature of soft power. Three important points are highlighted. One, though studies of soft power have focused primarily on the state, it is important to take into account the role of other actors, in this case, artists and the creative industries. Two, once the contributions of other actors are taken into account, then soft power need not always be an extension of hard power. The Hallyu case demonstrates clearly that soft power success can come about when the state works with the creative industries to promote a positive image of the country. Three, the Hallyu case also demonstrates that the relationship between the state and these other institutions in fostering soft power cannot be too close, especially when creativity is involved. A state that co-opts other institutions to the point where the latter are perceived as nothing more than agents of the state returns the discussion to the lesson of the first point: that soft power success rests on states working with other actors rather than subsuming them.
