Japan is crazy for Galaxy and Korean… Why?

This shift suggests that Japanese consumers' negative perceptions of Korean products are gradually disappearing.

This means that proficiency in Korean has begun to positively influence individuals' status within companies.

It is also widely known in Japan that Samsung and SK semiconductors boast the world's leading market share, especially in memory semiconductors. News of Nvidia's partnership with Samsung and SK has also been reported by Japanese media, contributing to the firm establishment of Korean companies' global status in Japan.

Japan, once a kingdom of electronics, is now losing its former glory. This is because the perception that there are not many good Japanese electronic products has become dominant. This has led to a decrease in tourists visiting Akihabara and major corporations like Hitachi abandoning their home appliance divisions.

Twenty years ago, Koreans traveling to Japan would buy Zojirushi rice cookers, which were considered the world's best. However, Japan's rice cooker market is now struggling and is not as popular among Japanese people as it once was. The reality is that an increasing number of Japanese people feel that Korean products are much better.

The Korean government actively invested large budgets into fostering Hallyu, and this has continued to yield results. In contrast, Japan pursued its 'Cool Japan' policy, but despite starting around the same time as Korea, it allocated less budget and left almost everything to individual companies. As a result, Korea succeeded in cultivating Hallyu as a fundamental national industry, while Japan did not.

The Korean government allocates its budget well to support the National Museum of Korea. However, the Tokyo National Museum in Japan is struggling with maintenance due to budget cuts. Thus, a nation's cultural interest and budget allocation are key factors in maintaining cultural competitiveness.

Surpassing the status once held by Chinese, an increasing number of Japanese are learning Korean not just for hobbies but for career and study abroad purposes. This shows that the power of cultural content greatly influences language learning.

This signifies that as the importance of Korea-related business grows, Korean language proficiency is becoming a strategic tool for career growth.

This reflects the phenomenon where Korean words like 'gwaenchanayo' (it's okay) and 'jinjja' (really) are frequently used in Japanese daily conversations and naturally mixed.

Unlike in the past, generations under 60 tend to view Korea more positively. As the elderly population (70s-80s) retires from the workforce and younger generations increase mutual understanding through active cultural exchange between the two countries, this change is accelerating.