Have we been too soft on soft power?

This paper (re)evaluates the concept of soft power. It (i) examines approaches to and discussions of soft power and how these have informed foreign policy decisions; (ii) considers how the impact of soft power has been evaluated and the limits of these measures; and (iii) the role of culture in understanding soft power (with particular attention to the Hallyu Wave and K-Pop). The paper argues that while culture is important, it is a reflection of deeper processes, values, and institutional arrangements within society - and that this is the source of national soft power.