Soldiers of Entertainment
When armies march, the world takes notice. But in the 21st century, not all battles are fought with tanks and missiles. Some unfold through catchy choruses, blockbuster franchises, and carefully curated cultural exports. South Korea’s K-pop juggernaut, for instance, is more than a music scene; it is a state-backed strategy of influence, designed to project power and prestige far beyond its borders (BBC). From Squid Game on Netflix to BTS selling out stadiums from New York to Riyadh, entertainment has become a weapon of choice in the global contest for hearts and minds.
South Korea’s “Korean Wave” (Hallyu) did not happen by accident. Since the late 1990s, Seoul has invested in cultural industries, funding talent incubators, subsidizing film and TV production, and supporting global distribution. BTS’s meteoric rise, coupled with BLACKPINK’s record-breaking YouTube viewership, are emblematic of this policy’s success. It is no coincidence that K-pop’s synchronized choreography and polished visuals appeal to global youth, while dramas like Crash Landing on You frame South Korea as cosmopolitan and dynamic. “These exports aren’t just entertainment – they’re cultural ambassadors, carefully orchestrated to tell the world a story of modern Korea.” (Korea Foundation).
Meanwhile, other countries are equally aware of culture’s potency. Hollywood has long been America’s informal propaganda machine, shaping global perceptions of freedom, heroism, and individualism. Films like Top Gun: Maverick(2022) doubled as both box office hits and military recruitment tools, with the Pentagon even collaborating on production (The Guardian). China, conversely, has tightened its control on cinema, banning Marvel films for years and promoting “patriotic blockbusters” like The Battle at Lake Changjin (2021), which glorified Chinese soldiers in the Korean War. These cultural choices are strategic: they define narratives at home and shape the perception of adversaries abroad.
Music also marches into these battles. Russian state media promotes traditional ballads and militaristic songs to bolster nationalism, while simultaneously trying to silence Western pop culture deemed corrupting. In Iran, censorship battles rage over women singers, yet underground music scenes still push messages of resistance (Amnesty International). The U.S., by contrast, has watched hip-hop – once born in marginalized communities – become a global megaphone for American influence, shaping fashion, language, and politics from Lagos to Seoul. “Songs can be soldiers too, carrying values, frustrations, and aspirations across borders faster than diplomats ever could.”
But the line between art and arsenal is a precarious one. When states lean too heavily on culture as propaganda, audiences grow skeptical. Soviet cinema once served as a model of control, but its formulaic propaganda collapsed alongside the USSR itself. Today, North Korea still stages vast, choreographed mass games and patriotic operas, but the very contrast with South Korea’s vibrant pop exports makes Pyongyang’s attempts seem brittle. The difference between persuasion and coercion lies in authenticity, and the global marketplace usually rewards the former. Yet the sheer scale of streaming platforms like Netflix, YouTube, and TikTok blurs these lines, as recommendation algorithms increasingly decide what stories and sounds dominate.
The future of this cultural battleground is unpredictable but certain to expand. As AI begins generating music, films, and avatars, governments may well harness synthetic entertainment as part of their arsenals – projecting ideology at scale and speed. At the same time, audiences are not passive: global fandoms, from ARMY (BTS fans) to Marvel devotees, wield their own power, shaping narratives and resisting top-down messaging. Entertainment may unify across borders, but it also risks polarizing societies when art becomes overtly weaponized. The question is not whether culture will continue to serve as a strategic tool – it already does – but whether we, as consumers, can distinguish between authentic creativity and manufactured propaganda.