1. Full name of the doctoral candidate:Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa2. Gender: Female
3. Date of birth: February 19, 1985 4. Place of birth: Ho Chi Minh City
5. Decision to admit doctoral students:Decision No. 4055/2022/QD-XHNV dated December 28, 2022, of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities,Vietnam National University, Hanoi, period from December 9, 2022 to December 31, 2025.
6. Changes to the training process (if any): None
7. Thesis title:Cultural relations between South Korea and Japan (2003 - 2024)
8. Major: International Relations 9. Code:9310601.01
10. Scientific supervisor:(Supervisor 1) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Van Thuy
(Supervisor 2) Dr. Pham Thi Yen
11. Summary of the new findings of the thesis:
This dissertation focuses on clarifying the evolution of cultural relations between South Korea and Japan (2003-2024), through its research subject.Cultural relations between Korea and Japan. Several research methods were used to ensure the in-depth, objective, and logical nature of the topic, including:Methods of analysis include synthesis, comparison, historical analysis, policy research, expert opinions, surveys, case studies, forecasting, literature review, and inductive reasoning.
Through this, the main results that make a new contribution to the field of research on cultural relations can be concluded as follows:
From the perspective of international relations theories, the cultural relationship between South Korea and Japan reflects the intersection of various logics: soft power becomes the central driving force, constructivism explains the changing identity, liberalism and neoliberalism open up prospects for cooperation based on common interests, while realism and nationalism always harbor the risks of conflict. This combination has created a bilateral relationship that is both cooperative and antagonistic, reflecting the unique characteristics of the relationship between these two Northeast Asian neighbors.
1. Soft power shapes the landscape of South Korea-Japan cultural relations. While Japan focuses on a "bottom-up" strategy to sustainably maintain its traditional cultural foundations while promoting them through anime and manga, South Korea chooses a "top-down" strategy to commercialize its culture, creating the powerful Hallyu wave globally. Both countries utilize culture as a soft diplomacy tool to increase attractiveness, improve national image, and build their standing in the international environment.
2. Diverse forms of bilateral cooperation projects are increasingly expanding in scale, allowing the two countries to complement each other in cultural development strategies with economic achievements. South Korea learns from Japan's experience in preserving traditional culture, academic exchange, and people-to-people interactions, while Japan learns from South Korea's ability to globalize popular culture. This is a transformation of identity according to the logic of technological advancement, with each country maintaining its unique characteristics while adapting to globalization.
3.From the perspective of liberalism and neoliberalism, cooperation in the field of traditional culture...It has matured along a trajectory from cautious and reserved to boldly institutionalizing and looking towards the future. With traditional culture, cPrograms for heritage preservation, traditional cultural exchange, academic exchange, and people-to-people interactions are regularly implemented, increasing mutual understanding between the people of the two countries. Not only do they satisfy people's spiritual needs, but popular cultural products also generate enormous revenue, contributing to economic growth, social welfare, and political stability within the country.These shared interests have fostered an increasingly deep interdependence, driving South Korea and Japan to cooperate in order to strengthen their position as "cultural powerhouses" in the region.
4. However, barriers stemming from the logic of realism and nationalism, specifically the history of war, territorial disputes, sensitive issues related to national symbols, or the fear of "cultural invasion," always create potential conflicts and antagonisms in cultural relations. Culture can bridge gaps, but it can also become a tool to affirm national spirit and protect national interests. Entering the digital age, the rise of the cultural industry as a leading economic sector means that conflicts between the two countries are increasingly defined by market-driven interests rather than solely by historical memory and nationalism as before. From another perspective, conflicts in the relationship between South Korea and Japan are manifestations of competition for national identity, historical legitimacy, and, more broadly, cultural standing in the region and the world.
5. Based on the fluctuations in the international and regional security and political situation, the leadership ideology of the governments, and the reciprocal cultural reception of the public in both countries, the following three scenarios for future cultural relations between South Korea and Japan are presented:The first,Cultural relations between South Korea and Japan will strike a balance between cooperation and competition. This equilibrium is necessary to maintain the status quo in the relationship, aiming to foster social connection and ensure mutual benefits, but without completely resolving the rifts stemming from political and historical issues.Monday,Cultural relations between South Korea and Japan will further strengthen cooperation. This is the most positive state of mind when overcoming historical memories and orienting towards building a common cultural alliance in the Northeast Asian region.Tuesday,Cultural relations between South Korea and Japan will intensify competition. This represents a decline in the level of relations when culture becomes a tool for retaliation and competition. Considering the current influencing factors, the first scenario is the most likely to occur.
6. In this context, Vietnam needs to proactively develop a balanced cultural relations strategy with both Japan and South Korea – two comprehensive strategic partners. The "Japan-Korea-Vietnam Co-creation of Culture" initiative contributes to balancing trilateral cooperation while enhancing Vietnam's domestic creative capacity. By combining Japan's experience in preserving traditions and South Korea's global commercialization capabilities, Vietnam can develop a cultural industry with its own unique identity and international standards. Establishing direct media offices in South Korea and Japan will help promote the national brand and expand Vietnam's influence in East Asia. Furthermore, Vietnam enhances its cultural industry capacity while maintaining its perspective on national cultural and historical values. This prevents the risk of conflict and negative impacts on the development of its domestic culture, as well as the adoption of "foreign cultures."
12. Directions for further research:
- Cultural relations between Japan and Korea in heritage preservation and film cooperation.
- Digital cultural diplomacy between South Korea and Japan
- The historical legitimacy of cultural relations between Korea and Japan.
13. Publications related to the dissertation:
Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa (2023), "Development orientation for Vietnam's cultural diplomacy based on the strategy and achievements of cultural diplomacy in South Korea-Japan relations",Proceedings of The International Conference on South Korea and Vietnam Relations: 30-year Cooperation & Development,Ho Chi Minh City University of Foreign Languages - Information Technology, Information and Communication Publishing House, pp. 52-61.
Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa (2023), “Mutual impacts of South Korea & Japan on popular culture in the 21st century from both positive & negative viewpoints”, Proceedings of The International Conference 2023 International graduate research symposium,Hanoi University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Vietnam National University Press, Vol. 1, pp. 188-195.
Pham Thi Yen & Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa (2024), “Japans' strategic autonomy in the Indo - Pacific from a soft power perspective: Prospect of Vietnam - Japan Relations”,Proceedings of The International Academic Conference: Sustainable Trade Development: 2024 Cross - Culture Management and Corporate Social Responsibility,Chihlee University of Technology, Taiwan,pp. 289-306.
Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa (2025), “Popular culture cooperation: sustainable or temporary progress in Korea-Japan relations”,Proceedings of The International Conference: Regional and sub-regional cooperation in East and Southeast Asia: Toward a sustainable and innovative future,Hanoi University of Social Sciences & Humanities, Vietnam National University, The Gioi Publishers, pp. 125-145.
Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa (2025), “Content industry: South Korea's strategy in maintaining and developing cultural position on the global stage”, Proceedings of The third International Conference on the Issues of Social Sciences and Humanities,Hanoi University of Social Sciences & Humanities, Vietnam National University, VNU Publishing House, pp. 510-532.
Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa (2025), “The development and dissemination of traditional Japanese culture from the beginning of the 21st century””, Journal of Cultural Studies3 (53), pp. 43-57.
Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa (2026), “Cultural Exchange Festivals: A Sustainable Cultural Diplomacy Strategy between Japan and Vietnam in the period 2009-2024”,Culture and Arts Magazine(642), pp. 50-55
INFORMATION ON DOCTORAL THESIS
Full name: Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa
Sex: Female
Date of birth: February 19, 1985
Place of birth: Ho Chi Minh City
decision number4055/2022/QD-XHNVdated December 28, 2022 by December 28, 2025
Changes in academic process: None
Official thesis title: Cultural Relations between South Korea and Japan (2003 – 2024)
Major: International Relations
Code:9310601.01
Supervisors: (1st) Associate Professor, Ph.D. Pham Van Thuy
(2nd) Ph.D. Pham Thi Yen
Summary of the new findings of the thesis:
The thesis aims to elucidate the dynamics of cultural relations between South Korea and Japan during the period 2003–2024, with a primary focus on the cultural interactions between the two countries. To ensure the depth, objectivity, and logical coherence of the study, a combination of research methods was employed, including synthetic analysis, comparative analysis, historical analysis, policy analysis, expert interviews, survey research, case studies, forecasting methods, document analysis, and deductive–inductive reasoning.
Based on these approaches, the thesis generates several key findings and original contributions to the field of cultural relations studies, which may be summarized as follows:
Viewed through the lens of international relations theories, cultural relations between South Korea and Japan reflect the intersection of multiple analytical logics. Soft power serves as the central driving force; constructivism explains transformations in identity; liberalism and neoliberalism provide insights into cooperation based on shared interests; while realism and nationalism reveal the persistent risks of conflict. The interaction of these forces has produced a bilateral relationship characterized by both cooperation and rivalry, reflecting the unique nature of relations between two neighboring countries in Northeast Asia.
1. Soft power has played a decisive role in shaping the contours of Korea–Japan cultural relations. While Japan has pursued a “bottom-up” strategy by maintaining its traditional cultural foundations and promoting them through anime and manga, South Korea has adopted a “top-down” strategy of cultural commercialization, generating the global spread of the Korean Wave (Hallyu). Both countries have utilized culture as an instrument of soft diplomacy to enhance attractiveness, improve national images, and strengthen their positions in the international arena.
2. Bilateral cooperation projects of increasing diversity and scale have enabled the two countries to complement each other in their cultural development strategies while generating substantial economic benefits. South Korea has learned from Japan's experience in preserving traditional culture, promoting academic exchanges, and facilitating people-to-people interactions, whereas Japan has benefited from South Korea's expertise in the globalization of popular cultural products. This process illustrates identity transformation through the logic of constructivism, whereby each country preserves its distinctive characteristics while adapting to the forces of globalization.
3. From the perspectives of liberalism and neoliberalism, cooperation in the field of traditional culture has evolved from a cautious and reserved approach toward a more institutionalized and future-oriented form of engagement. In the traditional cultural sphere, heritage preservation programs, traditional cultural exchanges, academic cooperation, and people-to-people diplomacy have been implemented regularly, thereby enhancing mutual understanding between the peoples of both countries. In addition to satisfying cultural and spiritual needs, popular cultural products have generated substantial revenues, contributing to economic growth, social welfare, and domestic political stability. These shared benefits have fostered increasingly deep interdependence, creating incentives for South Korea and Japan to cooperate in consolidating their positions as leading cultural powers in the region.
4. Still, barriers rooted in the logic of realism and nationalist sentiment remain significant. Historical memories of war, territorial disputes, sensitive issues related to national symbols, and concerns regarding “cultural invasion” continue to generate anxiety and antagonism within cultural relations. While culture has the capacity to bridge divisions, it can also serve as a means of reinforcing nationalism and protecting national interests. In the digital age, the rise of cultural industries as strategic economic sectors has increasingly shifted bilaterally toward market-driven competition rather than being determined solely by historical grievances and nationalist sentiment. From another perspective, conflicts in Korea–Japan relations may be interpreted as manifestations of competition over national identity, historical legitimacy, and, more broadly, cultural status and influence at both regional and global levels.
5. Based on changes in the international and regional security–political environment, Government leadership orientations, and the reciprocal cultural reception of the publics in both countries, three future scenarios for Korea–Japan cultural relations can be envisioned. First, cultural relations may remain balanced between cooperation and competition. This scenario would preserve the status quo by maintaining social connectivity and mutual interests while leaving historical and political disputes largely unresolved. Second, cultural relations may move toward greater cooperation. This represents the most optimistic scenario, in which historical grievances are transcended and a common Northeast Asian cultural alliance gradually emerges. Third, cultural relations may become increasingly competitive. In this scenario, culture would serve as an instrument of retaliation and rivalry, resulting in a decline in the overall quality of bilateral relations. Considering current conditions and influencing factors, the first scenario appears to be the most plausible.
6. Within this context, Vietnam should proactively develop a balanced cultural strategy toward both Japan and South Korea, its two Comprehensive Strategic Partners. The proposed “Japan–Korea–Vietnam Cultural Co-Creation Initiative” could contribute to balancing trilateral cooperation while simultaneously enhancing Vietnam's domestic creative capacity. By combining Japan's experience in preserving traditional culture with South Korea's expertise in global cultural commercialization, Vietnam can develop a distinctive cultural creative industry that meets international standards. Establishing media offices in South Korea and Japan will facilitate the promotion of Vietnam's national brand and expand its influence throughout East Asia. At the same time, Vietnam should strengthen the capacity of its cultural industries while maintaining a firm commitment to national cultural and historical values. Such an approach would help prevent potential conflicts, mitigate impacts on indigenous cultural development, and ensure a more appropriate and sustainable reception of foreign cultural influences.
Further research directions
Historical Legitimacy in Cultural Relations between South Korea and Japan
Thesis-related publications
1.Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa (2023), "Development orientation for Vietnam's cultural diplomacy based on the strategy and achievements of cultural diplomacy in South Korea-Japan relations”,Proceedings of The International Conference on South Korea and Vietnam Relations: 30-year Cooperation & Development,Ho Chi Minh City University of Foreign Languages - Information Technology, Information and Communication Publishing House, pp. 52-61.
2.Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa (2023), “Mutual impacts of South Korea & Japan on popular culture in the 21st century from both positive & negative viewpoints”, Proceedings of The International Conference 2023 International graduate research symposium,Hanoi University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Vietnam National University Press, Vol. 1, pp. 188-195.
3.Pham Thi Yen & Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa (2024), “Japans' strategic autonomy in the Indo - Pacific from a soft power perspective: Prospect of Vietnam - Japan Relations”,Proceedings of The International Academic Conference: Sustainable Trade Development: 2024 Cross - Culture Management and Corporate Social Responsibility,Chihlee University of Technology, Taiwan,pp. 289-306.
4.Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa (2025), “Popular culture cooperation: sustainable or temporary progress in Korea-Japan relations”,Proceedings of The International Conference: Regional and sub-regional cooperation in East and Southeast Asia: Toward a sustainable and innovative future,Hanoi University of Social Sciences & Humanities, Vietnam National University, The Gioi Publishers, pp. 125-145.
5.Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa (2025), “Content industry: South Korea's strategy in maintaining and developing cultural position on the global stage”, Proceedings of The third International Conference on the Issues of Social Sciences and Humanities,Hanoi University of Social Sciences & Humanities, Vietnam National University, VNU Publishing House, pp. 510-532.
6. Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa (2025), “The development and dissemination of traditional Japanese culture from the beginning of the 21st century””( The Development and Dissemination of Japanese Traditional Culture since the 21st Century)Journal of Cultural Studies3 (53), pp. 43-57.
7. Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa (2026), “Cultural exchange festivals: A sustainable cultural diplomacy strategy between Japan and Vietnam (2009-2024)”Culture and Arts Magazine(642), pp. 50-55.
Author:Department of Training and Non-profit Organization
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