CCULTURAL DIPLOMACY THROUGH TELEVISION EXPORTS: ANALYSING THE IMPACT OF CHINESE AND SOUTH KOREAN PERIOD DRAMAS ON YOUTH IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

SAVIĆ Dalibor (Associate Professor, Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Banja Luka, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina), dalibor.savic@fpn.unibl.org
STEVIĆ Ljiljana (Assistant Professor, Faculty of Philology, University of Banja Luka, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina), ljiljana.stevic@flf.unibl.org
MUDRENOVIĆ Anja (Teaching Assistant, Faculty of Philology, University of Banja Luka, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina), anja.mudrenovic@flf.unibl.org

This paper assesses the impact of Chinese and South Korean historical TV dramas on youth in Bosnia and Herzegovina, considering this format as one of the instruments of cultural diplomacy. The primary goal of the research is to determine how these media contents shape the cultural values and attitudes of the target population. Additionally, the paper analyses the development, characteristics, and mutual relationships between Chinese and South Korean TV productions. The research was conducted in two phases, employing a comparative-historical method and thematic analysis of data collected through focus group interviews with sinology students at the Faculty of Philology, University of Banja Luka. The results indicate that Chinese and South Korean historical TV dramas have no significant impact on young people in BiH, with the absence of their influence representing an epiphenomenon of Western cultural hegemony. In this context, the findings contribute to the understanding of the soft power dynamics and cultural interactions in BiH, as well as the challenges faced by alternative cultural contents in a globalised society.

Keywords: Cultural diplomacy; Chinese and South Korean TV production; historical TV drama; youth; Bosnia and Herzegovina.