Glocalisation, soft power and the intercultural circulation of K-drama: The case of Studio Dragon in the global streaming ecosystem
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.34630/e-rei.vi14.7422Keywords:
Cultural industry, Television programmes, Cultural identity, Globalization, Intercultural dialogueAbstract
This paper examines how the South Korean production company Studio Dragon contributes to the intercultural circulation of K-drama within the global streaming ecosystem, with particular attention to the processes of cultural negotiation that connect transnational reception, affective proximity, and local re-readings. The study pursues three objectives: to identify the industrial strategies that enable the global mobility of its series; to describe the narrative and representational mechanisms that foster intercultural intelligibility; and to discuss its contribution to dynamics of soft power and glocalisation within a platform-driven environment. Methodologically, the article adopts a qualitative case-study design, triangulating institutional and industry sources with a content analysis applied to a broad corpus of productions (2016–2024). The findings point to a hybrid model that combines production standardisation, cultural adaptation, and distribution partnerships, thereby extending the circulation and re-signification of Korean cultural imaginaries. The study concludes that Studio Dragon operates as an intercultural mediator across markets, languages, and audiences, while reshaping global flows of television fiction.
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