Squid Game Phenomenon: Forms and the Projections of Culture in Communication via Entertainment Media Impacting in Soft Power Level

Abstract

According to the highest popularity of Netflix’s Squid Game series to another Korean wave phenomenon across the planet, the research Squid Game Phenomenon: Forms and the Projections of Culture in Communication via Entertainment Media Impacting in Soft Power Level was conducted with the objectives: (1) to study the forms of Korean culture mentioned in the entertainment media, and (2) to study the approaches of cultural projections in entertainment media in order to be the guideline for Thailand’s entertainment industry to develop the cultural communication creating the further impact toward the soft power level. The qualitative methods were employed in this research with the content analysis approach applied to 9 episodes of Squid Game series, and document analysis.

The results revealed that forms of Korean culture mentioned in the media were in material culture such as food and dining habits which appeared differently in all 9 episodes, housing and places which were mentioned in both tangible and via-dialog forms, tools equipment symbols and clothing, and trading and economics which could be seen via the Korean banknotes in all episodes. Yet, there were non-material cultures in 2 levels – the subjective culture, and social culture – such as languages, religions and beliefs, values, norms, philosophy, rules and regulations, social structures, and rituals. Both material and non-material cultures were projected via all 6 components of entertainment media. Material culture was projected via the plot, settings, and atmosphere in the series, whereas non-material culture was mainly projected via dialogs and characters. The series’ theme was projecting the norms and values of people under the capitalist system in the society, inequality, and economic despair which were the current situations globally encountered by people. Hence, the content in the series corresponded to the attitudes, experiences, and emotions of people without the factors of location, age, or demographic. This followed the psychological principles of persuasion making the Squid Game series get its maximum popularity including the global scale soft-power-level reproductions.