In 2025, exports of dried seaweed from Korea reached a record $1.13 billion worldwide. There were various reasons for the growth, but one is the growing popularity of gim among consumers in North America and Europe. If you aren’t aware of gim, it’s been a staple of Korean tables for many years, a dried, black, crispy seaweed that seems to have little business being a cultural phenomenon, but here we are.
It has been widely remarked that we are at the zenith of K-culture worldwide, with Korea having more influence on our fashion sense, entertainment tastes and cultural leanings than ever before. Below, we wanted to highlight some of the areas where Korea’s cultural exports have really taken hold. Some are obvious, whereas others are not, but they all form part of the Korean cultural vanguard that’s been exported globally.
Food & Drink
For many, kimchi is the gateway food to start getting into Korean cuisine. Korean BBQ and ramyeon (ramen), too, have been popular down the years, but people are getting more adventurous, including with seaweed dishes like gim. And there’s also been an explosion in the popularity of Korean spirits, especially soju.
K-Pop
An obvious one here, but BTS, Seventeen, BLACKPINK, Stray Kids, and the rest have been ruling the airwaves more and more. As we know, the bands are especially popular with Gen-Z, but older generations can’t escape the catchiness of some of the tunes. The recent Grammys also had a breakthrough moment for K-pop, with Golden (from K-Pop Demon Hunters) becoming the country’s first major win at the awards.
Gaming
Korea is clearly a gaming powerhouse, especially in eSports, but its influence is arguably a bit more subtle. You can, of course, find Korean-made masterpieces like Stellar Blade, and if you visit a top online casino site, you’ll likely find Korean-themed games like Ainsworth’s 5 Kings. But the main area of gaming influence is arguably the concept of competitive gaming, i.e., esports.
TV and Film
An area that feels like it is growing exponentially in its influence. Yes, we had the big breakthrough moments like Parasite winning the Best Picture Oscar, and film buffs have been waxing lyrical for years about movies like Oldboy. But we are getting so much more mainstream content now, especially with the rise of K-dramas and K-thrillers on streaming services.
Beauty
K-beauty broadly refers to skincare regimes. If you don’t really bother with skin aesthetics, it will have passed you by, but there’s been a huge following of K-beauty regimens over the last ten years. The focus is on hydration and health, with the ultimate goal being “glass skin”.
Fashion
In 2018, Vogue asked, “What is K-fashion?” and it could not really land on a specific answer. The upshot is that K-fashion is fluid, sometimes following the trends set by K-pop bands, sometimes influencing those bands from what people are wearing in downtown Seoul.