How algorithms shape the global visibility of Korean content

Abstract

The global diffusion of Hallyu, once understood primarily through the lens of soft power and national branding, is increasingly shaped by algorithmic infrastructures that mediate cultural visibility, affective resonance, and symbolic legitimacy. Recommendation systems, dubbing technologies, generative idols, and personalization engines now determine how Korean culture circulates and is received across platforms. This study conceptualizes Algorithmic Hallyu as a case of cultural epistemic infrastructure, illustrating how AI systems reconfigure not only the distribution of cultural products but also the meanings and values attached to them. Drawing on analysis of publicly articulated discourse and AI-assisted qualitative simulation, the study identifies recurring interpretive patterns, including the privileging of emotional amplification over national identity, the emergence of synthetic performances that appear polished yet affectively hollow, pragmatic acceptance of algorithmic personalization, and persistent trade-offs between global scale and cultural nuance. The analysis argues that Hallyu can no longer be understood solely as a cultural export of Korea, but rather as a platformed cultural formation increasingly governed by algorithmic systems. Situating Algorithmic Hallyu within broader debates on algorithmic culture, epistemic authority, and platform governance, the study highlights how AI mediates both truth and culture in ways that challenge established notions of authenticity, sovereignty, and cultural legitimacy.