K-pop and autocrats A nation's two sides laid bare

While some say last week's political turmoil has harmed South Korea's reputation, others say it proves resilience

- Justin McCurry

In the global battle for softpower supremacy, a clear winner has emerged in recent years: South Korea. Spearheaded by the boyband phenomenon BTS, the Korean Wave has turned a country that few knew much about into a cultural behemoth.

But last week, as anticipation grew over the start later this month of the second season of Squid Game - the first season of which is Netflix's most-watched show-real-life dystopia intervened when the South Korean president, Yoon Suk Yeol, announced he was imposing martial law to root out "anti-state forces" and overcome political opponents who were obstructing his policy agenda.

Yoon, an arch-conservative, reversed course about six hours later after parliament, including some members of his party, voted to oppose the decree. But by then the reputational damage had been done, with the US - Seoul's most important allyJapan and the UK among those voicing "grave concern" over the short-lived slide into government by force.

A global audience more accustomed to the positive vibes of K-pop were witnessing in real-time a side to South Korea that few recognised - one that for older citizens evoked the trauma of a time when their country was ruled by military dictators and democracy campaigners were shot dead in the street.

The most striking contrast between the Hallyu Wave - a portfolio of film, drama, pop music and literature- and the recent turmoil was evident outside the national assembly building in Seoul last Tuesday, where lawmakers clambered over walls and confronted soldiers to retake the democratic rights seized by their president, while military helicopters hovered overhead.

As the uncertainty continued - a motion to impeach Yoon failed last weekend after members of his party boycotted the vote - South Koreans wondered whether their country would emerge from the chaos with its reputation intact.

"Our reputation has taken a serious hit," said Seoul resident Kim Jung-ho.