When Euny Hong moved to South Korea in 1985, it was by her own description not a wealthy country and yet now it’s one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world. We know how Euny grew up over the last three decades (the natural human growth process) but how did Korea do it? And why does one Korean leader believe that pop culture is the country’s best weapon against North Korea? In her incredibly fun book,  The Birth of Korean Cool, Euny Hong uses fun anecdotes and cultural tidbits to show us not just what makes Korean Culture tick but a practical demonstration of the Soft Power that Professor Joseph Nye was talking about. You don’t need to nuke North Korea out of existence, you can make them disappear with a pop culture invasion.

The Birth of Korean Cool is available from all good booksellers. You can follow Euny Hong on twitter at @Euny.