Abstract

Globalisation has brought challenges to international relations. Marked the 30th anniversary of Korea-Vietnam relations in 2022, Korea and Vietnam established closer diplomatic relations by establishing a comprehensive and strategic partnership. Based on this development, it is worth investigating how the image of Korea has been formed among the Vietnamese public. Against this backdrop, this study examines Vietnam's perceptions of South Korea and Hallyu using 580 YouTube videos created between 2012 and 2023. For exploring such images, this study employed semantic network analysis. Results show three major framings about Korea-'lifestyle', 'cultural contents' and 'global affairs'-which underpin subordinate perceptions and images of South Korea in Vietnam. The findings suggest Vietnamese perceptions of South Korea can be summarised into three thematic framings-lifestyle, cultural contents and global affairs. In particular, Hallyu plays a vital role in forming Vietnamese perceptions of Korea. Finally, this research underscores the necessity for additional research to examine South Korean attitudes towards Vietnam, assess Vietnamese expectations towards South Korea, and delve deeper into bilateral cultural relations.