A recent report from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has revealed that South Korea now ranks first in soft power globally.
Soft power, as opposed to hard power—which relies on military, economic, or resource-based force—draws its influence from culture, knowledge, and other intangible factors. While the United States has traditionally held the top spot in these rankings, the IMF’s latest findings indicate a shift in global influence.
The IMF’s study, released this month under the title Measuring Soft Power: A New Global Index, analyzed data from 2021. According to the report, S. Korea achieved the highest soft power score with 1.68 points, followed by Japan (1.25), Germany (1.18), and China (1.17). The U.S. ranked seventh, trailing behind Italy and France.
The IMF noted that traditional methods of measuring soft power often relied on subjective judgments, prompting the need for a more transparent index based on objective criteria. Their research, conducted over a period from 2007 to 2021 and involving 66 countries.
The study divided soft power into six broad categories, covering areas such as economic attractiveness, cultural presence, digital capabilities, educational influence, global reach, and institutional strength. These categories were further broken down into 29 sub-indicators
For instance, commercial appeal was assessed using data such as foreign investment and patent applications, while culture took into account metrics like cultural exports and UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The data used for these indicators was drawn from publicly available sources, including statistics from organizations like the World Bank and UNESCO.
The results of this soft power assessment showed that Asian countries, including South Korea, Japan, and China, scored particularly high. South Korea and Japan were singled out among the top-ranking nations for their exceptionally strong performance in economic factors, though their scores in the cultural category were more moderate.
For example, South Korea scored lower than Italy (with 60 UNESCO World Heritage Sites) and China (with 59), as these heavily weighted elements played a significant role in the rankings. However, some critics pointed out that the rankings could vary depending on how much weight is assigned to each category, suggesting a degree of subjectivity in the results.
These findings contrast with previous studies, where the U.S. has traditionally held the top spot. For instance, in the annual survey conducted by the UK consulting firm Brand Finance, which is one of the most frequently cited sources for global soft power rankings, the U.S. ranked first this year. S. Korea, meanwhile, maintained its position at 15th, the same as last year. This survey is based on responses from over 170,000 people in more than 100 countries.
