Dancers in traditional Korean costumes prepare to perform at Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul, May 14. Korea Times photo by Wang Tae-sok Most people overseas mention threats from North Korea when South Korea comes to mind, not K-culture By Anna J. Park While many Koreans believe their country is known around the world for K-pop or K-dramas, what actually comes to mind for people from other countries when they think of Korea is still the North Korean nuclear threat, a survey showed.
According to the survey conducted by the Corea Image Communication Institute, 83.96 percent of foreign respondents who have visited or resided in Korea said the security threat from North Korea is the first thing that comes to mind about Korea. In contrast, 84.
75 percent of Korean respondents said Korea would be known for its culture powerhouse status. Only 30.19 percent of foreign respondents associated Korea with the image of a cultural powerhouse, which ranked third.
This shows a significant gap between how Koreans view themselves and how the international community perceives them. The gap is also evident in preferences for Korea-related purchases. While 65.
4 percent of Korean respondents believed that K-beauty cosmetics would be the most preferred, 78.7 percent of overseas respondents chose Korean food as their top choice. In particular, non-Koreans expressed interest in a variety of Korean dishes, including snacks and seaweed, in addition to bibimbap and kimchi.
Koreans also named K-dramas an.