(1) Overview
Repository location
Context
This data was produced as part of a research paper titled “Interpreting Emerging Strategies in Soft Power: Model & Modalities of India and South Korea.” India and South Korea have emerged as influential soft power actors in Asia, shaping global perceptions through culture, media, education, and democratic values. Nye (2021) defines soft power as the ability to attract rather than coerce, exercised through policies, institutions, and engagement via traditional and new media. Both countries exemplify distinct yet effective soft power pathways rooted in their historical experiences, cultural assets, and strategic choices.
India’s soft power derives largely from its ancient civilization, cultural diversity, and extensive diaspora networks. It leverages Bollywood, yoga, spirituality, and pluralistic traditions to foster cooperation and build regional and global identities. Tharoor (2012) characterizes India’s soft power as an “unplanned by-product” of its culture rather than a consciously engineered strategy, while Isar (2017) notes India’s preference for “international cultural relations,” viewing cultural engagement as a moral and civilizational responsibility beyond instrumental diplomacy. Scholars emphasize that India’s soft power ethos is grounded in civilizational identity, cultural pluralism, spiritual heritage, and traditions of peace and coexistence (Gundara, 2008; Chakrabarti, 2016; Pradhan & Mohapatra, 2020).
South Korea, by contrast, represents a highly strategic and institutionalized soft power model driven by the global success of the Korean Wave (Hallyu). Hallyu, or the Korean Wave, describes the worldwide popularity of South Korean pop culture since the 1990s. It includes K-dramas, K-pop, movies, fashion, food, gaming, skincare, and lifestyle. The journey of Hallyu occurred in stages: it started with the export of TV dramas (Hallyu 1.0) and later grew to include music, movies, and digital content, establishing South Korea as a key soft power actor (Ghosh, 2024). Additionally, technological advances and ongoing economic growth have played a vital role in supporting this phenomenon (Yecies et al., 2020; An, 2022). Kang (2015) distinguishes between explicit, state-led strategies—such as cultural policy frameworks, national branding, and foreign aid—and implicit, market-driven globalization of cultural products (Kwon & Kim, 2013). The formal incorporation of soft power into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s foreign policy in 2011 marked a turning point, with cultural diplomacy identified as a pillar of national competitiveness (MOFAT, 2011). Lee (2019) describes South Korea as a “new patron state,” balancing democratic, neoliberal, and statist agendas in promoting national culture.
Hallyu functions as both a diplomatic and ideological resource, enhancing national visibility and emotional connections with global audiences (Yoon, 2023). Further, Yoon (2023) argues that the Korean government now positions the country as a “strong soft power nation”, with scholars noting its transformation into a global cultural powerhouse (Roh et al., 2025). Cultural branding aligns narratives and symbols to build emotional resonance, reinforcing prestige, economic competitiveness, and diplomatic influence (Holt, 2004; Schroeder, 2009).
Comparatively, India’s soft power is organic, civilizational, and relational, while South Korea’s is strategic, institutionalized, and market-driven. Both rely heavily on media, especially social media, to project cultural narratives. Hallyu, combining culture, government policy, and digital engagement, has reshaped South Korea’s image from a marginal industrial nation into a culturally compelling and influential global force, providing valuable insights for countries like India aiming to use culture as a tool for diplomacy and growth. This study, therefore, examines a comparative analysis of the soft power approaches adopted by India and South Korea, including normative initiatives, civilizational legacies, international standing, national branding practices, and economic drivers linked to national development and global influence.
(2) Method
The methodology and experimental design of this study examined the emerging soft-power strategies of India and South Korea. The structured questionnaire, diverse participant selection, and rigorous data screening ensured the reliability and validity of the collected data. The dataset was generated through the following steps.
Software and Instrument
The questionnaire was carefully revised in accordance with the Ethical Committee’s guidelines and received approval from the Institutional Human Ethics Committee (IHEC) at Goa University for research involving human participants. After thorough review and modifications, a final version with 29 questions in diverse formats, including single- and multiple-choice, open-ended, and quiz-type questions, was produced. It is available as part of the data repository. The questionnaire collected demographic information and assessed public awareness of India’s and South Korea’s soft power strategy. India’s soft power strategy emphasizes normative initiatives and its civilizational legacy. In contrast, South Korea’s soft power approach towards being economically driven and aligning with national progress. The survey further explored perceptions of how both countries utilize soft power strategies for enhancing international standing and national branding. The questionnaires were distributed via Google Forms, a widely used online research platform. Before distribution, the questionnaire underwent a small-scale pretest with 20 respondents, which allowed adjustments to the questions and the survey length. This process ensured clarity and accuracy in the final questionnaire.
Sampling strategy
This study used simple random sampling to obtain a comprehensive and diverse dataset. In this approach, n units are randomly selected from a total of N units, ensuring each possible sample has an equal chance of selection (Gupta & Shabbir, 2008).
We aimed to ensure survey respondents comprehensively represented the population across all age groups in India.
The main requirements for sampling were:
Respondents must be residents of India.
Respondents were divided between the age categories of 18–30, 31–40, 41–50, 51–60, and 61 and above. This ensured holistic perspectives and representation across age groups in India.
Collection Process
The questionnaire was made accessible to all participants in India, aged 18 to 61 and above, via Google Forms, email, and WhatsApp.
Data Screening
After the questionnaire was released, 511 responses were collected. To ensure data quality and eliminate incomplete or irregular responses, all essential questions were made mandatory in the Google Form, ensuring that responses could only be submitted if all required questions were answered. As a result, all 511 responses were complete and retained for analysis.
Table 1 shows the respondents’ basic demographic information.
Table 1
Demographic profile of respondents, including gender, age, education, and profession.
| CHARACTERISTICS | PERCENTAGE |
|---|---|
| Gender | |
| Male | 47.9 |
| Female | 52.1 |
| Age | |
| 18–30 | 81.1 |
| 31–40 | 10.8 |
| 41–50 | 6.1 |
| 51–60 | 1.8 |
| 61- Above | 0.2 |
| Education | |
| Undergraduate | 54.8 |
| Post-Graduate | 29.9 |
| Doctorate | 9.2 |
| Vocational | 0.2 |
| Engineering and Technical Education | 1.8 |
| Law | 1.0 |
| Medicine and Healthcare | 0.4 |
| Management | 0.4 |
| Journalism and Mass Communication | 0.8 |
| Others | 1.6 |
| Professions | |
| Professor/Teacher/academician/Assistant Librarian/Education | 16.6 |
| Fresher/Students/Post Graduate Student | 58.7 |
| House Wife | 0.2 |
| Junior CSA/Luxury Client Advisor | 0.4 |
| Unemployed | 1.0 |
| Engineer/Research Engineer/Civil Engineer | 0.4 |
| Laboratory Assistance | 0.2 |
| Service/Branch Manager/QA manager/Communication executive/corporate employee/Marketing executive/HR/ | 7.0 |
| Government job/government servant | 1.0 |
| Business/Baker/Content strategist/Self-employed | 2.0 |
| Research Analyst/Intelligence analyst/Global incident Analyst/Independent researcher/Research and Development | 2.2 |
| Journalist/Sub editor/Media/social media executive/tech journalist | 1.6 |
| Army officer/defence | 0.4 |
| PhD Scholar/Research Scholar/Doctorate Students/researcher | 2.5 |
| Software Developer/Software engineer/Data mapping editor/Software consultancy/Digital marketer | 1.8 |
| Lawyer/Advocate | 0.4 |
| Zoologist | 0.2 |
| Freelancer/Writer | 0.8 |
| Clinical Psychologist/Psychologist | 0.4 |
| Scientist | 0.2 |
| Retired | 0.2 |
| Medical/Naturopathy physician | 0.2 |
| Development Sector Job | 0.2 |
| Sport | 0.8 |
| Agriculture/farmer | 0.6 |
| NGO | 0.2 |
The table provides a detailed summary of respondents’ demographics, including gender, age, education, and profession. This information is crucial for understanding participants’ varied backgrounds and viewpoints, helping contextualize the research and ensuring the findings reflect different social, professional, and educational groups.
Additionally, notable correlations exist among the variables, such as age and educational background, in relation to awareness of India’s and South Korea’s soft power strategies. For instance, a Pearson correlation analysis showed a weak yet statistically significant positive link between age and awareness of India’s soft power strategies (r = .189, p < .01, N = 511). Similarly, there was a weak but significant positive correlation between educational background and awareness of India’s soft power strategies (r = .155, p < .01, N = 511). The scatterplot (Figure 1) visually depicts the relationships between participants’ age, educational background, and their awareness of India’s soft power strategies.
Figure 1
Scatterplots illustrating the relationships between respondents’ age and educational background and their awareness of India’s soft power strategies.
Furthermore, Pearson correlation analysis showed a weak but statistically significant positive link between age and awareness of South Korea’s soft power strategies (r = .179, p < .01, N = 511). The same type of analysis found a similar weak positive relationship between educational background and awareness of these strategies (r = .171, p < .01, N = 511). The scatterplot (Figure 2) visually illustrates the connections between participants’ age, educational background, and their awareness of South Korea’s soft power strategies.
Figure 2
Scatterplots illustrating the relationships between respondents’ age and educational background and their awareness of South Korea’s soft power strategies.
In Table 1, the 18–30 age group has significantly more respondents because it accounts for the majority of the young generation, which is well connected on social media, and has a strong awareness of India’s and South Korea’s soft power. At the same time, their strong interest in contemporary international and global developments makes them share their opinions and express views on popular trends, such as South Korea’s K-pop and K-drama, and India’s contemporary trends in Bollywood, fashion, politics, and culture.
Quality control
This data was collected through Google Forms, and quality control was performed using Google’s quality control features, including viewing respondent feedback. Since quality checks were mandatory, all essential questions were made compulsory in the Google form, ensuring that incomplete forms and data were eliminated. As a result, all 511 responses were valid.
(3) Dataset Description
Repository name
Mendeley Data
Object name
Dataset of ‘Interpreting Emerging Strategies in Soft Power: Model & Modalities of India and South Korea.’
Format names and versions
Raw data (XLSX – Excel) and Survey instrument – Questionnaire (Docx)
Creation dates
2025-07-18–2025-10-15
Dataset creators
Mukund V. Narvenkar was responsible for conceptualization, research design, data extraction and validation, and dataset creation. Clerina Alleny Fernandes was responsible for Investigation, Methodology, Project Administration, Resources, and Supervision.
Language
All variable names are in English.
License
CC BY 4.0
Publication date
2025-12-8
(4) Reuse Potential
With a sample size of 511 participants, multiple variables, and a statistically representative survey, this dataset provides a strong basis for further statistical analysis for reuse across multiple academic disciplines, both within and beyond International Relations.
Within International Relations and Political Science, researchers can reuse the data to:
Conduct comparative analyses of soft power models among middle powers by aggregating these findings with similar datasets on countries such as Japan, Brazil, or Turkey.
Perform secondary statistical analyses, including factor analysis, regression modelling, or structural equation modelling, to test alternative theoretical frameworks of soft power, public diplomacy, and national branding.
Use the data for theory validation, particularly of Nye’s (2021) soft power framework, constructivist approaches, or debates on normative versus economically driven diplomacy. This dataset includes variables such as awareness of K-pop, K-drama, Korean cinema, cultural diplomacy events, Korean cuisine, and tourism appeal. Creating a cultural attraction index from these variables would examine correlations among cultural exposure, positive attitudes towards South Korea, strategic partnerships, and trust perception. Therefore, this analysis supports Nye’s assertion that attraction preferences are formed.
Support policy-oriented research, allowing scholars to examine how public perception aligns with official foreign policy narratives and diplomatic initiatives.
Beyond International Relations, the dataset offers interdisciplinary value:
Media and communication studies scholars can analyse patterns of media consumption, cultural exports, and digital diplomacy, especially concerning Bollywood and Hallyu.
Sociology and cultural studies researchers may explore identity formation, cultural reception, diaspora influence, and transnational cultural flows.
Economics and development studies scholars can examine the perceived relationship between economic growth, innovation, and soft power effectiveness, particularly in South Korea’s case.
Area studies researchers can use the data to assess the impact of cultural diplomacy and cultural institutions on national image.
This questionnaire serves as an effective teaching tool in research methods, public diplomacy, and comparative politics courses. It demonstrates a structured survey design through clear sectional organisation, paired dependent and independent variables, and multiple Likert-scale formats (agreement, frequency, perception). It helps students understand the operationalisation of abstract concepts like soft power, national branding, and normative leadership. The comparative framework between India and South Korea illustrates different soft power models, including the civilizational versus developmental models. Additionally, the inclusion of open-ended questions enables mixed–methods teaching, combining quantitative analysis (correlations, regression, index construction) with qualitative content analysis, making it ideal for advanced methodological training.
(5) Limitations
Despite its reuse potential, several limitations should be acknowledged. First, geographic bias is a limitation, as the survey respondents are primarily from India, which may limit the generalizability of findings for global audiences or for non-Indian perceptions of India and South Korea. Second, this is a perception-based dataset; thus, it measures subjective perceptions rather than objective policy outcomes, which may restrict causal inference. Third, some questionnaire items are normatively framed and may reflect Indian or Asian cultural assumptions, potentially affecting cross-cultural replication. Fourth, the use of a web-based questionnaire may underrepresent populations with limited digital access. Lastly, soft power dynamics are time-sensitive; future geopolitical developments may reduce the dataset’s applicability without updates or replication.
Acknowledgements
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Directorate of Research & Development and Resource Mobilization (DRDRM), Office of the Director, DRDRM, Goa University, and the Institutional Human Ethics Committee (IHEC), Goa University, for their timely approval to conduct this survey involving human participants. I extend my heartfelt appreciation to all participants in this study, without whom this research would not have been possible.
Competing Interests
The authors have no competing interests to declare.
Author Contributions
Dr. Mukund V. Narvenkar – Conceptualization, Data Curation, Formal Analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Project Administration, Resources, Software, Supervision, Validation, Visualization, Writing- Original Draft, Writing – Review & Editing.
Ms. Clerina Alleny Fernandes – Conceptualization, Investigation, Methodology, Project Administration, Resources, Supervision, Validation.