K-Pop Demon Hunters and Digital Cultural Diplomacy: Measuring Brand Identity-Image Convergence in Animated K-Content

Abstract

This study proposes the Brand Identity–Image Convergence Model (BIICM) as an integrative framework for analyzing how animated cultural content contributes to nation branding within digital ecosystems. Focusing on the global reception of K-Pop Demon Hunters, the research examines 12,000 YouTube comments in six languages to assess the degree of alignment between Korea’s domestic brand identity aspirations and its international brand image perceptions. The BIICM operationalizes convergence through computational text analysis of user-generated content, enabling empirical measurement across six brand dimensions. Findings reveal substantial variation among these dimensions: while entertainment excellence demonstrated strong congruence between domestic and international perceptions, dimensions such as modern innovation and tourism appeal exhibited significant divergence. Complementary social network analysis identified distinct communicative structures across linguistic communities, with Korean networks displaying higher density and foreign networks greater modularity—indicating different modes of cultural diffusion and engagement. By bridging identity construction and audience perception within a unified analytical model, this study advances theoretical understanding of nation branding in interactive media environments. The results offer actionable insights for policymakers and cultural strategists, suggesting that animated cultural content attains the highest brand convergence through entertainment-oriented narratives, yet necessitates more deliberate strategies to strengthen innovation and tourism associations in Korea’s global brand architecture.

1. Introduction

The convergence of digital media, cultural content, and nation branding has opened new avenues for nations to project cultural identity, attract global audiences, and stimulate tourism-driven economic growth (Gosling, 2021). Nation branding operates not only as a form of cultural diplomacy but also as a catalyst for tourism promotion, as the international popularity of cultural products increasingly shapes travel motivations and destination perceptions. Among these cultural forms, animated content represents a particularly powerful medium that merges visual storytelling with national symbolism, enabling cross-cultural communication while preserving cultural authenticity. K-Pop Demon Hunters, a groundbreaking animated series that integrates Korean popular culture with supernatural narrative elements, exemplifies how contemporary cultural products can simultaneously function as instruments of nation branding and as drivers of tourism interest. By embedding recognizable cultural icons and urban landmarks, such content fosters curiosity about Korea’s culture and geography, thereby linking media exposure directly to tourist engagement. Yet assessing the effectiveness of this dual function remains a persistent challenge. Traditional evaluation methods—such as surveys or analyses of official communications—capture only static perceptions, neglecting the dynamic and interactive nature of digital cultural exchange. In contrast, social media platforms now provide real-time arenas for examining how national brand meanings—and associated tourism appeals—are constructed, negotiated, and reinforced through participatory audience engagement.

Empirical evidence illustrates the tangible impact of popular cultural content on tourism and public diplomacy. BTS’s Billboard-topping hit Dynamite produced an estimated economic effect of 1.7 trillion won (approximately $1.43 billion) for South Korea (Global Times, 2020; Korea Herald, 2020). Likewise, Netflix’s Squid Game stimulated a 40% surge in global Korean language enrollments (Duolingo, 2021) and fueled heightened tourism interest in Korea (Mental Floss, 2021). Comparable effects have been observed elsewhere: Japan’s Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba reached over 200 million manga copies in circulation (Anime News Network, 2025) and generated $1.2 billion in merchandise sales (Oricon Group, 2024), while European series such as Emily in Paris and Lupin significantly boosted tourism to France (Le Monde, 2024; News18, 2024). These cases underscore the need for advanced analytical frameworks capable of capturing the complex relationship between projected national images and audience-driven perceptions. As digital media redefine how cultural meanings circulate, the field of cultural diplomacy must evolve beyond static measurement models to embrace theories that account for the velocity, reach, and interactivity of contemporary cultural communication.

The present study is structured around four interrelated research questions that carry significant implications for both theoretical advancement and the practice of cultural diplomacy. First, how do Korean and foreign language comments differ in their thematic focus and emotional valence regarding Korean cultural elements? Second, what patterns of convergence and divergence exist between internal brand identity, as reflected in Korean comments, and external brand image, as reflected in foreign comments? Third, how do social network structures vary across language communities, and what implications do these patterns have for cultural transmission? Fourth, what strategic recommendations emerge from the convergence analysis for Korean tourism marketing and cultural diplomacy? These questions are formally articulated as follows:

• RQ 1. How do Korean and foreign language comments differ in their thematic focus and emotional valence regarding Korean cultural elements?
• RQ 2. What patterns of convergence and divergence exist between internal brand identity (Korean comments) and external brand image (foreign comments)?
• RQ 3. How do social network structures vary across language communities, and what implications do these patterns have for cultural transmission?
• RQ 4. What strategic recommendations emerge from the convergence analysis for Korean tourism marketing and cultural diplomacy?

These questions directly address key gaps in the existing scholarship. While K-pop has been extensively analyzed as a central engine of Korean soft power (Băjenaru, 2022; Kim et al., 2023), animated K-pop content remains underexplored despite its growing potential as a form of cultural diplomacy. Moreover, dominant approaches to nation branding continue to rely primarily on surveys and official communication analyses (Passow et al., 2005; Fetscherin, 2010), offering limited insight into authentic, user-driven audience responses available through large-scale social media data. Finally, although brand identity–image convergence models have been well developed within corporate branding research (Buhmann & Ingenhoff, 2015), their theoretical adaptation to nation branding—particularly in the context of digital cultural environments—remains embryonic (Kaneva, 2011). In addressing these limitations, this study seeks to extend both conceptual and methodological frontiers in the analysis of animated cultural content as an emergent instrument of digital-era nation branding.

2. Literature Review

2.1. Nation Branding and Cultural Diplomacy

Nation branding, conceptualized as the strategic management of a country’s reputation and image in the global marketplace, has become increasingly vital as nations compete for economic, political, cultural, and tourism influence. In particular, tourism promotion has emerged as one of the most tangible outcomes of successful nation branding, as positive national images directly translate into increased destination appeal and visitor flows. The digital transformation of media consumption has fundamentally reshaped how these national images are constructed, disseminated, and perceived by global audiences. Social media platforms—especially YouTube—now serve as critical arenas where national brand identities and tourism narratives are negotiated, contested, and reinforced through user-generated content and participatory engagement.

Nation branding as a formal concept gained traction in the late twentieth century, when governments began recognizing the economic and political value of actively managing national reputations (Anholt, 2007; Dinnie, 2015). Anholt’s (2007) seminal framework established the foundation for understanding nations as brands whose identities can be strategically managed to achieve competitive advantages, including those related to tourism and cultural export industries. Subsequent scholarship has expanded this perspective to encompass cultural diplomacy, soft power projection, and digital communication strategies that together shape how nations attract not only political and economic partnerships but also global travelers (Nye, 2004; Cull, 2019).

The influence of cultural products on nation branding is well established in research on the Korean Wave. K-pop, Korean dramas, and films have significantly enhanced Korea’s global image, attracting tourism and strengthening economic relations (Novienthia, 2022). Yet, most scholarship remains focused on these traditional media forms, with limited attention to animation and other digital-native cultural products (Jin, 2016; Nguyen & Özçaglar-Toulouse, 2021; Jin & Yoon, 2017). Studies on Japanese animation reveal that animated content offers unique advantages in cross-cultural communication, as it creatively interprets cultural symbols while sustaining aesthetic appeal for diverse audiences (Price, 2001; Cooper-Chen, 2012).

Recent developments underscore this potential in the Korean context. The global success of the Netflix show K-Pop Demon Hunters in 2025, which integrates Korean cultural icons such as the tiger and magpie, K-pop choreography, and Seoul landmarks, demonstrates how animation can universalize local cultural narratives without diluting their authenticity (Chosun Ilbo, 2025; SBS News, 2025). Through such hybridization, both animated K-pop and K-drama content function as cultural bridges that render Korean identity simultaneously accessible and appealing to global audiences (Simorangkir, 2023; TheMiilk, 2025). The expansion of the Korean Wave into animation and other digital media forms thus signifies an evolution in Korea’s nation branding strategy—one that harmoniously integrates cultural heritage with creative innovation to strengthen and sustain its soft power on the global stage.

2.2. Brand Identity-Image Convergence Theory

The theoretical distinction between brand identity and brand image, originally formulated within commercial marketing, provides a powerful analytical lens for understanding nation branding dynamics. In this framework, brand identity denotes how a nation seeks to define and project itself—its internal, strategic articulation of values, culture, and aspirations—whereas brand image reflects how external audiences perceive that nation. The degree of convergence or divergence between these two dimensions reveals the effectiveness and authenticity of national brand communication, offering critical implications for cultural diplomacy. As first articulated by Kapferer (2012), this distinction has become foundational in brand management theory. Brand identity captures the intended meaning constructed by brand strategists, while brand image encapsulates the interpreted meaning as experienced by consumers (Aaker, 1996; Keller, 2012). When identity and image align, the brand achieves communicative coherence and authenticity, enhancing its credibility and emotional resonance with audiences (Temporal, 2014; Fetscherin, 2010). Applied to nation branding, this convergence serves as a key indicator of whether a country’s projected cultural narratives are effectively internalized and positively received within the global media ecosystem.

In nation branding contexts, this framework translates to the alignment between how a nation wishes to be perceived (often reflected in domestic discourse) and how it is perceived by international audiences (Buhmann & Ingenhoff, 2015; Kaneva, 2011). High convergence suggests effective cultural communication and authentic brand positioning, while divergence indicates potential areas for strategic intervention (Szondi, 2008; Passow et al., 2005). Recent developments in computational social science have enabled more sophisticated measurement of brand identity-image convergence through large-scale text analysis and sentiment mining (Blei et al., 2003; Griffiths & Steyvers, 2004). These methodological advances allow researchers to capture organic, unfiltered expressions of brand perceptions across diverse linguistic and cultural communities (Roberts et al., 2014).

In the digital era, aligning brand identity with brand image has become a central concern in nation branding. The democratization of media production has fragmented state control over national narratives, enabling citizens and global audiences to co-construct and reinterpret a nation’s image through digital interaction. The accelerated speed and reach of online communication further amplify both favorable and unfavorable perceptions, necessitating real-time assessment of brand coherence to sustain effective cultural diplomacy and economic competitiveness. Moreover, the multi-directional nature of digital discourse creates feedback loops in which international perceptions influence domestic identity formation and vice versa. This dynamic interdependence underscores the need for advanced analytical models capable of capturing the fluid interplay between internal brand aspirations and external receptions within globally networked media environments.

Building on established brand management theory while addressing the evolving dynamics of digital cultural diplomacy, this study advances the Brand Identity–Image Convergence Model (BIICM) as an adaptation of existing frameworks to the social media environment. Rather than proposing an entirely new theoretical paradigm, the BIICM refines and extends prior models by introducing computational methods for measuring convergence across large-scale user-generated content and diverse linguistic contexts. This framework responds to three persistent limitations in the nation branding literature. First, it offers a quantitative means of capturing brand alignment in dynamic, real-time digital environments, moving beyond survey-based approaches that tend to provide only static snapshots of perception. Second, it incorporates the multi-linguistic character of global communication, allowing for comparative analysis of how brand meanings shift across cultural and linguistic boundaries. Third, it foregrounds the particularities of animated cultural content, which presents distinctive dynamics of cultural translation and audience engagement compared to live-action media.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the BIICM operates through a structured flow of four interrelated components. Brand Identity Extraction captures the intended national brand identity by analyzing domestic audience discourse, while Brand Image Analysis identifies how this identity is perceived by international audiences across cultural and linguistic contexts. The subsequent stage, Convergence Analysis, quantifies the degree of alignment or misalignment between these two dimensions. Finally, Strategic Outcomes translate these findings into practical implications for cultural diplomacy effectiveness and tourism marketing strategies. By situating both internal perceptions (e.g., patriotism, cultural pride, national values) and external perceptions (e.g., entertainment appeal, cultural curiosity, tourism attraction) within a unified analytical framework, the model highlights the dynamic interplay between identity and image in shaping a nation’s brand presence.

Figure 1. Conceptual Framework: Brand Identity-Image Convergence Model (BIICM).

The application of the BIICM to animated cultural content offers a distinct advancement in both the theory and practice of cultural diplomacy. Animation’s capacity for visual storytelling that transcends language, its fusion of culturally specific and universal symbols, and its aesthetic universality make it an especially potent medium for cross-cultural brand transmission. In the case of K-Pop Demon Hunters, the BIICM enables a systematic analysis of how Korea’s cultural identity, reflected in domestic audience discourse, converges or diverges from the international brand image shaped by foreign audiences. This framework not only measures the degree of identity–image alignment but also identifies dimensions requiring strategic adjustment to enhance branding coherence and diplomatic impact. Grounded in the realities of social digital media, the BIICM recognizes that cultural diplomacy now unfolds through decentralized, user-driven ecosystems rather than state-directed communication. By emphasizing authentic audience interaction, it captures the organic processes through which national brand meanings are negotiated, offering both a conceptual foundation for understanding animation’s diplomatic role and a practical tool for advancing cultural exchange, tourism, and cultural exports.

2.3. Digital Cultural Consumption and Social Media Analysis

The digitization of cultural consumption has profoundly transformed the ways in which audiences encounter cultural products and construct perceptions of their countries of origin (Jenkins, 2006; Burgess & Green, 2018). Among digital platforms, YouTube has emerged as a pivotal arena for cultural exchange and nation branding, functioning not only as a site of distribution but also as a participatory space where audiences actively negotiate cultural meanings (Lange, 2019; Shifman, 2013). The comments sections of such platforms, in particular, provide a rich corpus for analyzing audience responses, capturing both individual affective reactions and broader patterns of cross-cultural dialogue (Thelwall et al., 2012; Madden et al., 2013). To systematically examine these large-scale audience discourses, computational text analysis methods have gained prominence. Topic modeling—especially Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA)—enables the detection of recurrent thematic patterns within vast textual datasets (Blei et al., 2003; Griffiths & Steyvers, 2004). When extended to multilingual data, such techniques reveal how cultural perceptions diverge or converge across linguistic communities (Roberts et al., 2014). Complementing this, social network analysis (SNA) provides insight into the structural dynamics of interaction and influence, mapping how discourse circulates within and across digital communities (Wasserman & Faust, 1994; Newman, 2010).

Together, these methodological approaches align seamlessly with the BIICM framework. The integration of topic modeling and network analysis enables a dual-level understanding of digital brand dynamics—revealing the thematic structure of brand identity and image while mapping the relational networks through which these meanings circulate, evolve, and stabilize across cultural contexts. Through this synthesis, research on digital cultural consumption becomes instrumental in quantifying brand identity–image convergence, providing both conceptual clarity and methodological precision for examining the complex mechanisms of cultural diplomacy in the social media era.

2.4. Korean Wave and Tourism Marketing (2020–2024)

The nexus between Korean cultural exports and tourism has been well established, with empirical research consistently evidencing strong correlations between popular culture consumption and tourism demand through herding behavior mechanisms (Lim et al., 2023). Fan and Supalakwatchana (2026) further argue that animation uniquely reduces cultural entry barriers while preserving authentic Korean elements, thereby extending Korea’s global appeal. These insights align with broader international findings that cultural products exert measurable influence on tourism, economic performance, and nation branding. As illustrated in Table 1, global cases such as BTS, Squid Game, Japan’s Demon Slayer, and India’s RRR exemplify how popular culture can stimulate tourism flows, drive industrial growth, and reshape international cultural perceptions. What unites these examples is the convergence between projected national identity and international audience reception—a dynamic that simultaneously generates economic dividends and amplifies national soft power. However, as summarized in Table 2, despite the growing recognition of these outcomes, current analytical frameworks remain insufficiently equipped to explain the underlying mechanisms of such convergence, particularly regarding ani-mated cultural content circulating within social media ecosystems. It is this critical gap that the BIICM framework seeks to address, offering a theoretically grounded and empirically adaptable approach to understanding how digital animation contributes to nation branding in the contemporary media environment.

Table 1. Global Popular Cultural Content and Its Impact on Tourism and Public Diplomacy (2020–2024).

Cultural Product	Country	Tourism Impact	Economic Value	Cultural Metrics	Strategic Implications
BTS “Dynamite” & “Butter”	South Korea	Significant tourism boost	$1.43B economic effect	High global recognition	Entertainment-focused campaigns
Squid Game	South Korea	+40% Korean language learning	$2.3B cultural export value	142 countries viewership	Cultural authenticity messaging
BLACKPINK	South Korea	Beauty tourism increase	$890M beauty industry growth	75M global followers	Lifestyle and fashion tourism
Demon Slayer	Japan	Anime tourism increase	$1.2B merchandise sales	220M manga sales	Animation-driven cultural tourism
RRR (Telugu film)	India	Indian cultural tourism boost	$150–200M global box office	Global recognition surge	Regional culture globalization
Encanto	Colombia	Colombia tourism interest boost	Tourism revenue impact	High cultural accuracy rating	Authentic cultural representation
Money Heist	Spain	Spanish language learning increase	$1.1B Netflix value	65 countries broadcast	Language and culture integration
Lupin	France	French cultural tourism increase	Tourism boost impact	Global viewership	Heritage and modern culture blend

Table 2. Key Concepts and Definitions.

Concept	Definition	Key References
Nation Branding	The strategic management of a country’s reputation and image to achieve economic, political, and cultural influence in the global marketplace.	Anholt (2007); Dinnie (2015)
Cultural Diplomacy	The use of cultural products, exchanges, and interactions to foster mutual understanding, build relationships, and enhance soft power between nations.	Cull (2019); Nye (2004)
Brand Identity	The intended meaning and perception of a brand as conceived by its creators or managers; in nation branding contexts, it represents how a nation wishes to be perceived by international audiences.	Aaker (1996)
Brand Image	The actual perception of a brand as interpreted and experienced by its audience; it reflects how a nation is perceived by international audiences based on their exposure and engagement.	Keller (2012); Fetscherin (2010)
Brand Convergence	The degree of alignment or congruence between a brand’s intended identity (internal perspective) and its perceived image (external perspective); high convergence indicates effective brand communication.	Buhmann and Ingenhoff (2015); Temporal (2014)
Animated Cultural Content	Cultural products that employ animation techniques to convey narratives, values, and cultural elements, enabling cross-cultural communication while maintaining aesthetic appeal across diverse global audiences.	Jin (2016); Jin and Yoon (2017)
Digital Cultural Diplomacy	The practice of cultural diplomacy is conducted through digital platforms and social media, characterized by multi-directional communication, user-generated content, and real-time audience engagement.	Jenkins (2006); Burgess and Green (2018)
BIICM (Brand Identity-Image Convergence Model)	An analytical framework developed in this study to quantitatively measure the alignment between domestic brand identity aspirations and international brand image perceptions in digital environments through computational analysis of user-generated content.	The present study

3. Methodology

3.1. Research Design

This study employs a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative text analysis with qualitative interpretation to examine brand identity-image convergence in “K-Pop Demon Hunters” YouTube comments. The selection of “K-Pop Demon Hunters” as the case for this study was guided by four key criteria that ensure both theoretical relevance and methodological rigor. First, it represents a premier example of a cultural product that explicitly merges K-pop with animation, two of Korea’s most successful cultural exports, thereby embodying a strategic effort in contemporary cultural content production. Second, as an officially promoted project with clear intentions of cultural diplomacy and nation branding, it provides an ideal context for examining the alignment between intended brand identity and perceived brand image. Third, its significant popularity on YouTube has generated a large and linguistically diverse dataset of user comments spanning multiple languages, making it ideal for the proposed computational cross-cultural analysis. Finally, the timing of its release and the observation period allowed for the accumulation of a sufficient volume of authentic audience discourse, ensuring robust data for measuring brand convergence across diverse international communities.

The research design integrates three complementary analytical frameworks: (1) topic modeling to identify thematic patterns, (2) social network analysis to examine community structures, and (3) convergence analysis to measure brand alignment. The comprehensive research framework shows the integration of data collection, processing, analytical methods, and strategic implications for Korean tourism marketing and cultural diplomacy. The topic modeling process illustrates the systematic approach to extracting thematic patterns from Korean and foreign language comments, including preprocessing, language separation, LDA implementation, and convergence analysis.

3.2. Data Collection

Data collection for this study centered on audience responses to K-Pop Demon Hunters hosted on YouTube, specifically targeting the ten most-viewed videos from the official Sony Pictures Animation channel. A stratified sampling strategy was employed to ensure representativeness across content types and temporal intervals. The selection process and dataset characteristics are summarized in Table 3. Video selection adhered to the following operationalized criteria: (1) a minimum view count of one million to ensure sufficient audience exposure; (2) an engagement rate of at least two percent, calculated as the ratio of combined likes and comments to total views; (3) balanced content diversity, encompassing trailers, full episodes, behind-the-scenes features, and music videos; (4) temporal distribution across the entire release period, from June 2025 to the time of data collection, to capture longitudinal variation in audience reception; and (5) multilingual subtitle availability to ensure accessibility across major linguistic groups. This stratified sampling strategy was designed to ensure representativeness across content types and temporal intervals, thereby capturing diverse audience responses to different narrative formats and release phases. The minimum view count threshold (1 million) and engagement rate criterion (2%) were established to focus on high-impact content with sufficient audience interaction, ensuring that the dataset reflects meaningful cultural discourse rather than marginal or niche commentary. The requirement for multilingual subtitle availability was essential for enabling cross-cultural comparison, as it ensures that international audiences had equal access to content comprehension.

Table 3. Video Selection Criteria and Dataset Characteristics.

Video Type	Count	Total Views	Total Comments
Official Trailers	3	15.2M	4847
Highlight Episodes	4	28.7M	6770
Behind-the-Scenes	2	8.1M	1876
Music Videos	1	12.4M	2354
Total	10	64.4M	15,847

Audience comments were retrieved via the YouTube Data API v3 over a four-week collection window (1–28 July 2025) to maintain temporal consistency. The YouTube-comment-downloader Python library (Python 3.11, version 0.1.78) was employed to enhance retrieval efficiency and coverage, with a rate limit of 100 API requests per minute to comply with platform usage policies. Comment data were extracted in chronological order and included both top-level comments and threaded replies, with a maximum nesting depth of three reply levels to preserve the structural integrity of conversational exchanges. This protocol ensured a robust, replicable dataset reflective of authentic user engagement patterns within the platform’s global audience ecosystem.

Following a rigorous preprocessing pipeline—duplicate removal, language detection, and length-based filtering—the final dataset comprised 12,000 comments representing authentic, user-generated discourse. These comments spanned six major languages, with English (48.2%), Korean (18.1%), Japanese (11.9%), Chinese (8.9%), Spanish (8.1%), and French (4.8%) providing a multilingual perspective on audience perceptions. As illustrated in Figure 2, the research design followed a structured three-step process: (1) channel access and video identification, (2) video selection based on engagement and diversity criteria, and (3) systematic comment extraction and processing. The figure further details the data processing pipeline, language distribution, and technical implementation, underscoring the methodological rigor applied to ensure both comprehensiveness and reliability of the dataset. This framework provides a robust empirical foundation for applying the BIICM to examine brand identity–image convergence in digital cultural diplomacy contexts.

Figure 2. Research Design and Analytical Framework.

3.3. Data Preprocessing and Language Detection

Data preprocessing involved multiple stages to ensure analytical validity and cross-linguistic comparability, as summarized in Table 4. Language detection was performed using the langdetect library, with manual verification for ambiguous cases. Comments shorter than 10 characters or consisting primarily of emojis were excluded to focus on substantive textual content. Text normalization procedures included lowercasing, punctuation standardization, and removal of URLs and user mentions while preserving emoticons and cultural expressions that might carry semantic meaning. Korean text was processed using the KoNLPy library for proper tokenization and morphological analysis.

Table 4. Data Preprocessing Pipeline and Quality Metrics.

Processing Stage	Input Count	Output Count	Retention Rate	Quality Metrics
Raw Collection	15,847	15,847	100%	Complete dataset
Duplicate Removal	15,847	14,923	94.2%	924 duplicates removed
Language Detection	14,923	14,156	94.9%	767 unidentifiable languages
Length Filtering	14,156	13,245	93.6%	911 too short comments
Content Filtering	13,245	12,000	90.6%	1245 spam/irrelevant comments
Final Dataset	15,847	12,000	75.7%	High-quality analytical corpus

3.4. Topic Modeling

Topic modeling was conducted using Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), with language-specific preprocessing to ensure accurate semantic representation across multilingual data. To facilitate direct comparison, separate models were trained for Korean comments, conceptualized as indicators of domestic brand identity, and for aggregated foreign-language comments, representing international brand image. Model parameters and optimization settings are summarized in Table 5. Hyperparameter tuning employed a grid search approach, with coherence score maximization serving as the primary objective function, complemented by perplexity analysis and qualitative assessment of interpretability.

Table 5. LDA Model Configuration and Hyperparameters.

Parameter	Korean Model	Foreign Model	Justification
Number of Topics (k)	6	6	Optimized through coherence analysis
Alpha (α)	0.1	0.1	Sparse document-topic distributions
Beta (β)	0.01	0.01	Sparse topic-word distributions
Iterations	1000	1000	Convergence validation
Coherence Score	0.523	0.487	High interpretability
Perplexity	245.7	289.3	Lower values indicate better fit

As illustrated in Figure 3, topic number optimization was carried out through a dual evaluation process combining coherence score maximization and perplexity minimization. Across both Korean comments (representing brand identity) and foreign-language comments (representing brand image), the analyses converged on k = 6 as the optimal number of topics. The optimal number of topics (K = 6) was determined through a systematic grid search approach. We tested topic numbers ranging from 3 to 12, evaluating each configuration based on coherence scores, perplexity metrics, and qualitative interpretability. This point, indicated by the orange dashed line, reflects the balance between statistical robustness and interpretability, with coherence values of 0.523 for Korean data and 0.487 for foreign data, and corresponding perplexity values of 246 and 289. These results confirm that six topics provide a sufficiently granular yet conceptually coherent representation of thematic structures, enabling a meaningful comparison between domestic and international discourses.

Figure 3. Topic Number Optimization Analysis.

Building on this optimization stage, Figure 4 details the subsequent implementation of the LDA algorithm within the BIICM framework. The process begins with corpus construction and language-specific preprocessing—including tokenization, stopword removal, stemming, and normalization—before advancing to model training with the optimized hyperparameters (k = 6, α = 0.1, β = 0.01, 1000 iterations). The LDA outputs, expressed mathematically as the document–topic distribution (θ) and topic–word distribution (β), form the basis for extracting parallel sets of Korean and foreign topics. These topics were then subjected to manual labeling, semantic analysis, and cross-linguistic expert validation to ensure interpretive rigor. The final stage integrates topic outputs into the BIICM framework through convergence measurement, operationalized via cosine similarity. This procedure quantifies the alignment between domestic brand identity and international brand image, providing a computational bridge between large-scale social media discourse and theoretical constructs in nation branding. Together, Figure 3 and Figure 4 demonstrate not only the technical rigor of model optimization and implementation but also their direct applicability to the study’s central concern: measuring and interpreting the convergence of brand identity and image in digital cultural diplomacy.

Figure 4. Detailed LDA Algorithm Process and Implementation.

3.5. Social Network Analysis

Social network analysis was conducted to examine interaction patterns and community structures within the comment ecosystem. Networks were constructed based on reply relationships, user mentions, and temporal proximity of comments, following established methodologies in digital social science (Wasserman & Faust, 1994; Newman, 2010). Community detection was performed using the Louvain algorithm (Blondel et al., 2008), which identified distinct thematic communities within each language group. As shown in Table 6, the Korean network demonstrated higher density and clustering coefficients, indicating more cohesive discussion patterns, whereas the foreign network exhibited greater modularity and a larger number of distinct communities, suggesting a more diversified and specialized interaction structure.

Table 6. Social Network Metrics and Community Detection.

Metric	Korean Network	Foreign Network	Interpretation
Nodes (Users)	2174	7826	Active participants
Edges (Interactions)	3892	12,456	Communication links
Density	0.0016	0.0004	Connection intensity
Clustering Coefficient	0.342	0.287	Local cohesion
Average Path Length	4.23	5.67	Information flow efficiency
Modularity	0.456	0.523	Community structure strength
Number of Communities	8	12	Distinct discussion groups

3.6. Brand Identity-Image Convergence Model (BIICM)

The BIICM framework operationalizes brand convergence through cosine similarity measurement between topic distributions. For each brand dimension, convergence scores were calculated using the formula:

Convergence Score = cos(θ) = (A · B)/(||A|| ||B||)

where A represents the Korean topic vector (brand identity) and B represents the corresponding foreign topic vector (brand image). Convergence scores range from 0 (complete divergence) to 1 (perfect alignment). As summarized in Table 7, the highest convergence was observed in the dimension of “Entertainment Appeal” (0.85), indicating strong alignment between Korean and foreign representations, while lower convergence values in “Travel Interest” (0.47) and “Modern Innovation” (0.43) suggest greater perceptual divergence between domestic identity and international image.

Table 7. Brand Dimension Mapping and Convergence Calculation.

Brand Dimension	Korean Topic	Foreign Topic	Convergence Score	Interpretation
Entertainment Appeal	Cultural Pride & Achievement	Entertainment & Aesthetic Experience	0.85	High alignment
Cultural Discovery	Traditional Values	Cultural Discovery	0.67	Moderate alignment
Global Community	National Identity	Global Community	0.52	Moderate alignment
Authentic Experience	International Recognition	Authentic Experience	0.58	Moderate alignment
Travel Interest	Domestic Promotion	Travel Interest	0.47	Low alignment
Modern Innovation	Innovation	Modern Innovation	0.43	Low alignment

4. Results

This section presents the empirical findings organized according to the four components of the Brand Identity-Image Convergence Model (BIICM) illustrated in Figure 1. We begin with the Brand Identity Extraction phase, followed by Brand Image Analysis, then Convergence Analysis, and conclude with insights that inform Strategic Outcomes.

4.1. Topic Analysis Results

The topic modeling analysis corresponds to the Brand Identity Extraction and Brand Image Analysis components of the BIICM framework (Figure 1), revealing the core thematic dimensions that constitute domestic brand identity and international brand image perceptions. The LDA modeling produced six distinct topics each for Korean-language and foreign-language comments, corresponding, respectively, to brand identity and brand image dimensions. These topics exhibit clear thematic coherence and illuminate how domestic and international audiences interpret Korean cultural content through different yet intersecting lenses. As summarized in Table 8, Korean comments reveal a strong emphasis on cultural pride and achievement (28.4%), traditional values (19.7%), and national identity (18.2%), alongside notable references to international recognition (15.8%), domestic promotion (10.6%), and innovation (7.3%). Collectively, these themes reflect an inward-facing discourse rooted in cultural authenticity, national pride, and the aspiration to position Korea as a globally respected cultural actor.

Table 8. Korean Comments Topic Analysis (Brand Identity).

Topic ID	Topic Label	Top Korean Keywords Examples	Prevalence	Interpretation
K1	Cultural Pride & Achievement	한국 (Korea), 자랑스럽다 (proud), 문화 (culture), 성공 (success), 세계적 (global)	28.4%	National pride in cultural success
K2	Traditional Values	전통 (tradition), 가치 (values), 한국적 (Korean style/identity), 정체성 (identity), 역사 (history)	19.7%	Emphasis on cultural authenticity
K3	National Identity	우리나라 (our country), 한민족 (Korean people/ethnic identity), 정체성 (identity), 대한민국 (Republic of Korea)	18.2%	Strong national identification
K4	International Recognition	세계 (world), 인정 (recognition), 글로벌 (global), 한류 (Hallyu/Korean Wave), 영향력 (influence)	15.8%	Global recognition and influence
K5	Domestic Promotion	홍보 (promotion), 알리다 (to inform/promote), 소개 (introduce), 국내 (domestic), 관광 (tourism)	10.6%	Domestic tourism promotion
K6	Innovation	혁신 (innovation), 기술 (technology), 발전 (development/progress), 미래 (future), 창의 (creativity)	7.3%	Technological and creative innovation

By contrast, Table 9 illustrates how foreign audiences frame their engagement with the content. Entertainment and aesthetic experience dominates with 31.2% prevalence, followed by cultural discovery (22.1%) and global community (16.8%). Additional topics include authenticity-seeking (13.9%), travel interest (9.7%), and recognition of modern innovation (6.3%). These findings highlight the outward-facing orientation of international discourse, which privileges affective enjoyment, cultural curiosity, and tourism-related motivations while still acknowledging Korea’s technological and creative dynamism. Taken together, the two sets of topics underscore the divergence between domestic narratives of national pride and international receptions centered on entertainment value and cultural exploration. This thematic differentiation provides the empirical foundation for subsequent convergence analysis, allowing the BIICM framework to assess where identity and image align and where strategic interventions may be required.

Table 9. Foreign Comments Topic Analysis (Brand Image).

Topic ID	Topic Label	Top Keywords Examples	Prevalence	Interpretation
F1	Entertainment & Aesthetic Experience	amazing, beautiful, love, music, animation	31.2%	Aesthetic appreciation
F2	Cultural Discovery	culture, learn, interesting, traditional, Korea	22.1%	Cultural learning interest
F3	Global Community	fans, worldwide, together, international, unity	16.8%	Global fan community
F4	Authentic Experience	authentic, real, genuine, experience, visit	13.9%	Authenticity seeking
F5	Travel Interest	travel, visit, Korea, tourism, destination	9.7%	Tourism motivation
F6	Modern Innovation	technology, modern, innovation, future, advanced	6.3%	Innovation recognition

4.2. Brand Identity-Image Convergence Analysis

The convergence analysis highlights substantial variation across brand dimensions, indicating that alignment between Korean brand identity and foreign brand image is far from uniform. As shown in Figure 5, entertainment excellence demonstrates the strongest convergence, with scores ranging from 0.72 (French) to 0.85 (English), underscoring the centrality of performance and aesthetic appeal in mediating cultural diplomacy. Cultural curiosity and global reach also register relatively high levels of alignment, particularly among Japanese and Chinese audiences. By contrast, convergence weakens considerably in dimensions such as tourism attraction, cultural authenticity, and especially innovation recognition, where scores fall as low as 0.32. These results suggest that while Korea’s animated K-pop content effectively communicates entertainment value and fosters cultural engagement across linguistic markets, challenges remain in translating deeper narratives of authenticity, tourism promotion, and innovation into international perceptions. The differentiated convergence patterns therefore provide a diagnostic lens for identifying both strengths to be reinforced and gaps requiring targeted intervention in future cultural diplomacy strategies.

Figure 5. Brand Identity-Image Convergence Heatmap.

The heatmap in Figure 5 visualizes this cross-linguistic variation, with darker green tones indicating stronger alignment and lighter shades reflecting weaker convergence. To synthesize these results across language groups, Figure 6 presents average convergence scores by brand dimension. Here, entertainment excellence again emerges as the only dimension reaching a high level of convergence (0.78), cultural curiosity (0.66) and global reach (0.57) occupy the medium range, while tourism attraction (0.46), cultural authenticity (0.45), and innovation recognition (0.38) remain consistently low. Together, the two figures illustrate not only the dominance of entertainment-driven convergence but also the persistent weaknesses in dimensions most directly tied to tourism marketing and innovation branding.

Figure 6. Average Convergence by Brand Dimension.

The average convergence results reveal differentiated performance across brand dimensions when aggregated across all foreign language communities. As shown in Figure 6, entertainment excellence achieves a high convergence score (0.78), cultural curiosity (0.66) and global reach (0.57) register in the medium range, while tourism attraction (0.46), cultural authenticity (0.45), and innovation recognition (0.38) remain consistently low and signal areas in need of strategic attention. Building on this overview, Figure 7 disaggregates convergence by language community, highlighting how foreign audiences interpret Korean brand dimensions differently. English-speaking audiences show the highest convergence in entertainment excellence (0.85), followed closely by Japanese (0.82) and Chinese (0.78) communities. By contrast, innovation recognition remains persistently weak across all groups, with scores falling as low as 0.32 in French-language comments, indicating a universal difficulty in translating Korea’s technological advancement into internationally resonant narratives.

Figure 7. Convergence Scores by Language Community.

These findings are further elaborated in Table 10, which aligns specific Korean brand identity topics with corresponding foreign brand image topics. The strongest alignment occurs between “Cultural Pride & Achievement” and “Entertainment & Aesthetic Experience” (0.85), suggesting that animated K-pop content successfully bridges domestic pride with international aesthetic appreciation. Similarly, “Traditional Values” align with “Cultural Discovery” (0.67), reinforcing the role of Korean content in fostering cultural learning abroad. However, weaker matches—such as “Domestic Promotion” with “Travel Interest” (0.47) and “Innovation” with “Modern Innovation” (0.43)—point to critical strategic gaps. These results imply that while entertainment-driven narratives provide a solid foundation for cultural diplomacy, sustained efforts are needed to strengthen tourism messaging, highlight cultural authenticity, and close the innovation recognition gap.

Table 10. Topic Matching and Convergence Analysis.

Korean Topic (Brand Identity)	Foreign Topic (Brand Image)	Convergence Score	Strategic Implication
Cultural Pride & Achievement	Entertainment & Aesthetic Experience	0.85	Leverage entertainment excellence
Traditional Values	Cultural Discovery	0.67	Enhance cultural education
National Identity	Global Community	0.52	Build inclusive communities
International Recognition	Authentic Experience	0.58	Emphasize authenticity
Domestic Promotion	Travel Interest	0.47	Improve tourism messaging
Innovation	Modern Innovation	0.43	Address innovation gap

4.3. Social Network Analysis Results

These network structural differences provide crucial context for understanding the mechanisms of brand transmission and convergence, informing the Strategic Outcomes component of the BIICM by revealing how cultural narratives flow differently across linguistic communities. The social network analysis uncovers distinctive community structures and interaction patterns across language groups, offering deeper insight into the mechanisms of cultural transmission and influence within the digital sphere. As visualized in Figure 8, English occupies the most central position in the interaction network, functioning as a key bridge language that connects diverse communities, while Korean also demonstrates high centrality within the discourse. By contrast, French and Spanish networks appear more peripheral, reflecting weaker integrative roles in cross-linguistic cultural exchange. These structural differences highlight the asymmetric dynamics of cultural flow, where certain language communities act as hubs of dissemination while others serve more localized functions. The heatmap of centrality measures reinforces these findings: English exhibits the highest degree, closeness, and eigenvector centrality, positioning it as the dominant conduit for discourse circulation, whereas Korean ranks strongly in closeness centrality, reflecting its central role within domestic cultural conversations. Other languages such as Japanese and Chinese occupy intermediary positions, suggesting their role as important but secondary nodes in the global conversation.

Figure 8. Social Network Analysis and Community Structure.

Complementing these network dynamics, Table 11 identifies distinct community types and their relative prevalence across Korean and foreign networks. Cultural enthusiasts are more prominent within Korean networks (34.2%) compared to foreign ones (28.7%), reflecting stronger domestic engagement with national pride and heritage discourses. Conversely, casual viewers dominate foreign networks (35.1%), where entertainment rather than cultural depth constitutes the primary mode of engagement. Tourism-motivated communities are also more pronounced among foreign audiences (18.9% vs. 15.3%), underscoring the role of cultural exports in stimulating international travel interest. Music-focused subcommunities appear consistently across both networks, while cultural critics and innovation-oriented groups remain marginal, mirroring the generally low convergence observed in the innovation recognition dimension. Taken together, these results demonstrate how network structures and community compositions jointly shape the processes of identity–image convergence. Whereas domestic communities consolidate around pride and cultural authenticity, international networks diversify into tourism-driven, entertainment-focused, and fan-centered clusters, revealing both synergies and gaps in the circulation of Korean cultural narratives.

Table 11. Community Analysis by Language Group.

Community Type	Korean Network	Foreign Network	Characteristics
Cultural Enthusiasts	34.2%	28.7%	Deep cultural engagement
Casual Viewers	28.9%	35.1%	Entertainment-focused
Tourism Interested	15.3%	18.9%	Travel motivation
Music Fans	12.1%	11.2%	K-pop specific interest
Cultural Critics	6.8%	4.3%	Analytical discussions
Innovation Focused	2.7%	1.8%	Technology discussions

4.4. Statistical Analysis

To further validate the convergence findings and identify the underlying drivers of brand alignment, a multiple regression analysis was performed. As presented in Table 12, entertainment content quality (β = 0.67, p < 0.001), cultural authenticity (β = 0.45, p < 0.01), and visual aesthetics (β = 0.38, p < 0.05) emerged as statistically significant predictors of convergence. Among these, entertainment quality exerted the strongest positive effect, underscoring the pivotal role of performance value and production standards in shaping cross-cultural brand resonance. Cultural authenticity also contributed a moderate positive effect, highlighting the importance of perceived genuineness in sustaining international credibility. Visual aesthetics, while weaker, nonetheless provided an additional positive influence, reflecting the role of design and artistic quality in audience engagement.

Table 12. Regression Analysis: Predictors of Brand Convergence.

Predictor Variable	Beta Coefficient	Standard Error	t-Value	p-Value	Interpretation
Entertainment Quality	0.67	0.12	5.58	<0.001	Strong positive effect
Cultural Authenticity	0.45	0.15	3.00	<0.01	Moderate positive effect
Visual Aesthetics	0.38	0.18	2.11	<0.05	Weak positive effect
Innovation Content	0.23	0.21	1.10	0.27	Non-significant
Tourism Information	0.19	0.19	1.00	0.32	Non-significant
Community Interaction	0.15	0.16	0.94	0.35	Non-significant

Model R² = 0.73, F(6,93) = 42.1, p < 0.001.

By contrast, innovation content (β = 0.23, n.s.) and tourism information (β = 0.19, n.s.) did not reach statistical significance, aligning with earlier results that revealed consistently low convergence in these dimensions. Community interaction likewise failed to exert a measurable effect, suggesting that dialogic engagement within digital platforms does not directly predict brand identity–image alignment. The overall model demonstrated strong explanatory power (R² = 0.73, F(6, 93) = 42.1, p < 0.001), indicating that the identified predictors account for nearly three-quarters of the variance in convergence scores. Collectively, these findings reinforce the centrality of entertainment quality and authenticity in animated K-pop cultural diplomacy, while pointing to ongoing challenges in translating innovation and tourism-related narratives into effective global brand messaging.

5. Discussion

5.1. Theoretical Implications

This study makes theoretical contributions to the fields of nation branding, cultural diplomacy, and digital media studies. This study advances nation branding theory by demonstrating the applicability of the Brand Identity–Image Convergence Model (BIICM) within digital cultural contexts. Our methodological advancement addresses a persistent limitation in nation branding research, which has traditionally relied on survey-based approaches that capture only static snapshots of perception and fail to account for the dynamic, organic nature of digital cultural exchange.

In the present research, the observed variation in convergence scores across brand dimensions (0.43–0.85) underscores the multidimensional character of nation branding and affirms the need for dimension-specific strategies rather than uniform approaches. The consistently high convergence in entertainment excellence (0.85) provides empirical support for Kotler and Keller’s (2016) assertion regarding the centrality of authentic brand positioning. When Korea’s cultural pride in entertainment achievement aligns with foreign audiences’ aesthetic appreciation, brand convergence reaches its optimal state, extending Aaker’s (1996) brand equity framework to nation branding by illustrating how brand value is co-constructed through identity-image alignment.

Conversely, the notably low convergence in innovation recognition (0.43) exposes a critical gap between Korea’s self-perception as an innovative nation and the relatively weak acknowledgment of this dimension abroad. This discrepancy reflects Kapferer’s (2008) brand identity prism, suggesting that certain cultural attributes do not automatically transcend national boundaries and instead require targeted communication and framing strategies to gain traction internationally. Furthermore, the social network analysis highlights the mediating role of community structures in nation branding processes. Korean digital networks exhibited higher density and clustering (0.342 vs. 0.287), reflecting more cohesive and collective cultural discourse, whereas foreign networks demonstrated greater modularity (0.523 vs. 0.456), indicating the presence of specialized communities organized around distinct cultural interests. These findings contribute to the literature on digital community dynamics in nation branding (Wasserman & Faust, 1994; Newman, 2010), showing that network structures influence not only the diffusion of cultural narratives but also the degree to which identity–image alignment is sustained across linguistic and cultural boundaries.

This finding extends Nye’s (2004) soft power theory by revealing that cultural diplomacy operates through multiple, semi-independent channels, each requiring distinct strategic approaches. The dimension-specific convergence patterns observed in this study suggest that nation branding effectiveness cannot be reduced to a single metric but must be understood as a portfolio of brand attributes, each with its own dynamics of identity-image alignment. This perspective has important implications for how scholars conceptualize and measure the impact of cultural products on national image.

Our findings both corroborate and advance existing scholarship on the Korean Wave and nation branding. Jin (2016) established the pivotal role of K-pop in amplifying Korea’s soft power and stimulating international tourism. The present study substantiates these conclusions while introducing greater granularity: the soft power effects of K-pop–related content are differentiated across brand dimensions. While entertainment appeal exhibits strong cross-cultural convergence, strategic objectives such as projecting technological innovation or stimulating direct tourism engagement require more targeted and complementary interventions beyond entertainment-driven content alone. These results also extend Buhmann and Ingenhoff’s (2015) conceptualization of identity–image gaps in nation branding.

Whereas their framework primarily relied on survey-based assessments, our BIICM introduces a computational methodology capable of measuring these gaps dynamically through large-scale analysis of organic, user-generated content. This approach not only enhances methodological precision but also captures the fluidity and authenticity of brand perception within digital environments. Consistent with prior research emphasizing animation’s distinctive cross-cultural potential (Jin, 2016; Jin & Yoon, 2017), our findings reaffirm that animation’s flexibility in visual and narrative expression enables effective transmission of cultural aesthetics and storytelling across global audiences. However, a critical limitation also emerges: animation appears less effective in communicating abstract or cognitively complex brand attributes—such as innovation or modernity—that are central to strategic nation branding. Consequently, animation should be understood not as a self-sufficient vehicle for cultural diplomacy but as a vital component within a diversified portfolio of soft power strategies that integrate entertainment, technology, and tourism branding.

5.2. Practical Implications for Korean Tourism Marketing

The convergence analysis offers clear directions for tourism marketing. High convergence in entertainment excellence indicates that animated K-pop content is an effective cultural ambassador, as seen in the success of K-Pop Demon Hunters. Strategies here should reinforce strengths through expanded content production and celebrity partnerships. For moderate-convergence areas such as cultural discovery (0.67), strategies should focus on deepening understanding of Korean traditions via cultural education programs and immersive experiences. By contrast, low-convergence dimensions require transformational approaches: the innovation gap (0.43) calls for targeted campaigns showcasing Korea’s technological achievements, while the tourism interest gap (0.47) highlights the need for destination marketing that directly links entertainment with real travel experiences.

From a managerial perspective, this strategy requires sustained investment in high-quality animated cultural content production. The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism should foster closer collaborations between animation studios, K-pop agencies, and tourism promotion bodies to create integrated content that seamlessly blends entertainment with destination marketing. Specific actions include establishing co-production funds for animated content featuring recognizable Korean locations, developing celebrity partnership programs where K-pop artists serve as cultural ambassadors, and creating transmedia storytelling campaigns extending animated narratives into virtual reality experiences, mobile games, and location-based tourism activities. Performance metrics for this strategy should focus on reach, engagement, and sentiment analysis of international audience responses.

5.3. Cultural Diplomacy Implications

This study demonstrates the role of animated cultural content as an effective vehicle for soft power and cultural diplomacy. The high convergence in entertainment excellence shows that cultural products can bridge domestic pride and international appreciation when they retain authenticity while resonating with universal aesthetic sensibilities. This finding reinforces Nye’s (2004) soft power theory, while offering empirical evidence of how cultural diplomacy operates within digital environments. The social network analysis further reveals that cultural transmission unfolds through specialized communities rather than through uniform mass diffusion. The higher modularity of foreign networks indicates that different cultural dimensions appeal to distinct audience segments, underscoring the need for targeted, community-specific messaging strategies rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. Messaging strategies should shift from “what” to “why” and “how,” providing educational content that explains the cultural significance of elements featured in animated content. For example, if K-Pop Demon Hunters features traditional Korean mythology or architecture, supplementary content should offer historical context, symbolic meanings, and connections to contemporary Korean society.

5.4. Limitations and Future Research

Several limitations of this study should be acknowledged to provide context for its findings and to suggest directions for future research. First, this study examines a single case—K-Pop Demon Hunters—which necessarily limits the direct generalizability of the findings to other cultural products, national contexts, or time periods. While the BIICM framework is theoretically transferable and can be applied to diverse cultural content and national branding contexts, empirical validation across multiple cases is necessary to assess its robustness and adaptability. Future research should test the model with different types of cultural products (e.g., live-action dramas, video games, traditional performances) and across multiple national contexts (e.g., Japanese anime, Indian Bollywood, French cinema) to determine whether the observed convergence patterns are specific to animated K-pop content or reflect broader dynamics of digital cultural diplomacy. Additionally, longitudinal studies tracking the same cultural product over extended periods would help clarify whether identity-image convergence is stable or evolves as content circulates globally. While the series offers a useful lens through which to conceptualize the BIICM framework, future studies should extend this inquiry to a wider range of Korean cultural exports, including K-dramas, webtoons, video games, and traditional performances, to test the model’s broader applicability and theoretical robustness. Second, the temporal scope of the study captures only a short observation window, reflecting immediate audience reactions rather than long-term trends. Because the relationship between brand identity and brand image may evolve as cultural content circulates globally, longitudinal research spanning multiple years would provide a richer understanding of how convergence patterns strengthen, weaken, or transform over time.

Third, the empirical analysis relies solely on YouTube comment data. Although comments provide valuable access to spontaneous, user-generated discourse, this approach may overrepresent younger and highly active digital audiences while neglecting other forms of engagement. To strengthen representativeness and validity, future research should incorporate complementary data sources—such as large-scale surveys, focus group interviews, and cross-platform analyses spanning TikTok, Twitter/X, Instagram, and regional platforms like Weibo and LINE. Moreover, future studies should move beyond textual analysis to include behavioral metrics such as likes, shares, view durations, and subscriber growth, which can reveal deeper insights into audience sentiment, engagement intensity, and the diffusion of cultural influence across networks. Finally, the study’s binary treatment of Korean-language comments as indicators of brand identity and foreign-language comments as indicators of brand image risk oversimplifying the fluid and overlapping nature of these constructs. In practice, diaspora communities, bilingual users, and transnational fans frequently operate across both identity and image domains, producing hybrid interpretations that blur the boundaries between domestic and international perspectives. Subsequent research should thus pay closer attention to these boundary-crossing audiences and integrate multimodal engagement data to more fully capture the complex, co-constructed dynamics that characterize nation branding in the digital era.

6. Conclusions

6.1. Summary of Key Findings

This study examined how K-Pop Demon Hunters contributes to Korean nation branding by analyzing over 12,000 YouTube comments in six languages through the BIICM framework. The results reveal an uneven landscape of brand alignment: while the dimension of entertainment excellence demonstrated strong convergence (0.85), other domains such as innovation recognition (0.43) and tourism interest (0.47) exhibited considerably weaker alignment. These findings indicate that animated K-pop content effectively translates domestic cultural pride into global appreciation but also exposes strategic blind spots that constrain the full breadth of Korea’s brand resonance. Network analysis further uncovered distinct structural differences between domestic and international audience communities. Korean-language networks appeared denser and more cohesive, suggesting a shared interpretive framework, whereas foreign-language networks displayed greater modularity and thematic specialization, reflecting localized modes of cultural engagement. Longitudinal patterns revealed that foreign discourse gradually shifted from entertainment-oriented reactions toward cultural discovery and tourism interest, highlighting opportunities for targeted strategic intervention.

To operationalize these insights, a policy-oriented priority matrix was developed (Figure 9). This framework delineates four strategic pathways: Leverage, which seeks to reinforce high-convergence dimensions such as entertainment; Enhance, which promotes deeper cultural discovery through educational initiatives; Transform, which targets weaker dimensions like innovation and tourism to broaden Korea’s brand scope; and Monitor, which emphasizes ongoing observation of evolving audience dynamics across linguistic and cultural communities. Collectively, these strategies provide a roadmap for optimizing animated cultural content as an instrument of digital-era cultural diplomacy and nation branding.

Figure 9. Strategic Priority Matrix for Korean Tourism Marketing.

6.2. Contributions

Building on insights from the global success of K-Pop Demon Hunters, this study proposes a strategic framework for advancing Korea’s cultural diplomacy and tourism communication in the digital age. The enhanced implementation roadmap outlines a phased, feedback-driven approach that integrates Korean and global cultural elements, illustrating how sustained, iterative engagement can generate lasting cultural impact. Theoretically, this study makes three key contributions to nation branding and cultural diplomacy research. First, the Brand Identity–Image Convergence Model (BIICM) introduces an original framework for assessing brand alignment within digital cultural ecosystems, extending classical brand management theory to national contexts. Second, by integrating topic modeling, social network analysis, and convergence measurement, the study presents a comprehensive multi-method approach that can be adapted to diverse cultural products and national settings. Third, the findings illuminate the mediating function of animated cultural content in projecting soft power, demonstrating how digital media serve as potent instruments of cultural diplomacy.

Empirically, K-Pop Demon Hunters exemplifies animation’s ability to bridge cultural boundaries while preserving national authenticity. Strong convergence in entertainment excellence, coupled with rising foreign engagement in Korean culture and tourism, underscores the potential of strategic cultural content to achieve both symbolic and economic goals. Nonetheless, the identified gaps in innovation recognition and tourism interest point to the need for focused interventions that rebalance Korea’s brand dimensions. The strategic framework and roadmap proposed here thus offer practical guidance for leveraging cultural content success to strengthen Korea’s global image and tourism competitiveness. As digital cultural consumption continues to reshape global communication, the BIICM provides a replicable and data-driven methodology for measuring, managing, and optimizing cultural diplomacy effectiveness in the evolving landscape of nation branding.