How K-pop, K-drama and ramen are shaping tourism choices in India

Long before statistics confirmed it, Indian audiences were already swept up in a global cultural tide, from the unforgettable beats of Gangnam Style and the global fandom around BTS, to the emotional pull of K-dramas like Crash Landing on You. Korean ramen challenges became a staple of YouTube content in India, while Korean beauty routines travelled from reels to Indian bathroom shelves. These references now act as cultural markers that many young Indians instantly recognise.

As this Hallyu (Korean) wave, South Korea’s cultural influence tends to be deepened worldwide, India emerged as one of its most enthusiastic audiences. What began as casual streaming evolved into what could be one of the world’s highest engagement levels with Korean content. India records 18.6 hours of monthly K-content consumption per person, the highest globally. This intense cultural connection is now translating directly into tourism. A new generation of Indian travellers is visiting South Korea not just for leisure, but to experience the world they see in K-dramas and K-pop, from themed cafés to street food alleys and shooting locations.

South Korea recorded 16.37 million foreign visitors in 2024, a 48.4% jump from the previous year, and India has become one of the fastest-growing contributors to this recovery. Indian arrivals grew 44% year-on-year, reaching 176,668 visitors in 2024. The Korea Tourism Organisation (KTO) targeted 250,000 Indian visitors in 2025, showing the importance of the Indian market. Photos of themed tours and Seoul locations can be added here to visually complement this shift.

This rise in travel is directly linked to perception. 85.3% of Indian respondents said Korean content improved their perception of South Korea, a rate higher than many countries with longer histories of cultural exchange. Among young Indians, 32% said Hallyu was a primary motivator to visit the country. Korean food, frequently shown in dramas, has become a major travel trigger, prompting the KTO to spotlight Korean cuisine in its India campaigns.

Back home, this cultural influence has strongly shaped India’s consumer markets. K-beauty, once a niche interest, is now a major retail segment. The Indian K-beauty market is expected to grow from USD 400 million in 2024 to USD 1.5 billion by 2030, at an aggressive 25.9% CAGR. Active buyers will more than double, from 11.9 million to 27.2 million by 2030.

Korean brands such as Innisfree, Laneige, The Face Shop and Cosrx are expanding aggressively. Indian brands have also adapted by incorporating Korean skincare styles, textures and ingredients into their own lines. Sheet masks, snail mucin, niacinamide serums and sleeping masks, once unique to Korean brands, are now mainstream in Indian skincare aisles.

This localisation goes both ways. Korean brands are not only entering India but also tailoring products and distribution strategies for Indian skin types, climate and price sensitivity. At the same time, Korean manufacturers like Cosmax are preparing to open local subsidiaries in India, looking at long-term market presence and possibly future production.

The transformation is equally visible in the food industry. Korean instant foods, especially noodles, have become part of everyday consumption. Imports of Korean noodles, pasta and similar products grew from USD 1.5 million in FY20 to USD 12 million in FY24, an 800% jump. South Korea’s share in India’s imported pasta market climbed from 0.8% in 2014 to 37% in FY24.

On Swiggy, orders for Korean food rose 50% year-on-year in July 2025, with non-metro cities such as Surat and Mysuru showing even higher adoption. Gen Z alone accounts for 27% of all Korean food orders. Keywords like Korean bun and ramen dominate search trends.

Indian brands have embraced this momentum. Companies like Too Yumm! have rolled out Korean-themed snacks, while Yu Foods adjusted the spice levels of Korean dishes to fit Indian tastes. Global chains like McDonald's added Gochujang-based burgers, and Maggi introduced its own Korean noodle range. Marketing has become equally localised, ITC Bingo!’s collaboration with Korean artist Aoora for the song Maeun Maeun reached 20.4 million users on YouTube and 45.7 million impressions on Instagram, showing how Indian brands use Korean cultural cues to engage Gen Z.

The fashion sector is no exception. Korean minimalist style, loose silhouettes, soft pastels and functional casualwear have quietly influenced Indian youth fashion. The growing appeal has encouraged Korean apparel companies to explore deeper partnerships, with Youngone Corporation even considering building a fashion technology university in Hyderabad.

This cultural shift is reinforced by India’s growing K-pop live event ecosystem. India's live entertainment market, valued at Rs 10,100 crore in 2024, is projected to cross Rs 16,700 crore by 2027, and K-pop concerts are becoming a major part of this growth. Festivals like K-Town 2.0 in 2024 seem to have paved the way for larger shows.

The Indian media industry has also played a bridging role. Interviewers like Sakshma Srivastav have brought Korean artists closer to Indian fans. Her interviews with K-pop groups and K-drama actors often include Hindi phrases for Indian fans, have gained massive traction. With 461K subscribers and over 334 million YouTube views, her channel demonstrates how localised content can increase connection and trust.

K-dramas also influence India’s creator economy. The success of Squid Game sparked commentary, social analysis and themed content among Indian creators. Netflix India capitalised on this by holding a creator event, where 19 Indian creators recreated the show’s games to promote the new season. This shows how global pop culture enters India’s entertainment system through localized creator collaborations.

Together, these cultural, commercial and media trends show how the Korean Wave in India has become a closed-loop ecosystem, where content consumption drives perception, perception drives tourism, and tourism drives consumer markets. With India recording the highest global K-content consumption and showing a 44% surge in tourism to Korea, the relationship between the two countries is growing through culture first, and commerce next.

Following a playbook started by the US in the 20th century, where Hollywood films and pop culture sold the aspirational ‘American Dream’ globally, Korea and Japan have strategically leveraged their own cultural exports as a powerful form of soft power.

This shift highlights a modern truth about global travel: tourism is no longer solely about monumental infrastructure, nature, or ancient ruins. Instead, the contemporary traveller seems to be increasingly motivated by niche cultural immersion, a desire to experience the intangible facets of a society.

From touring K-drama filming locations and learning the everyday lifestyle and culinary habits of Seoul to exploring the hyper-specific subcultures of Japanese manga and anime, these nations are monetising their media-fueled appeal. Their soft power is trying to convert digital fascination into physical travel, turning K-pop fandom or an appreciation for animation into a tangible economic force by offering an intimate window into the country's ‘living culture’ and distinct values.