Soft power sells best when not force-fed

South Korea knows how to sell its products. Apart from K-entertainment, the country has also popularised K-merchandise through pop culture. From fried chicken and ramyeon cup noodles to egg drop sandwiches and soju, instant coffee and dietary supplements, we have seen countless products from South Korea in series and movies successfully create a huge customer base in Thailand.

Now South Korea is selling Thai culture too with the popular K-series King The Land, putting Thailand’s tourism in the global spotlight. Starring Lee Jun-ho and Lim Yoon-a, the 16-episode romantic comedy series follows Gu Won, an heir of the King conglomerate, who has a crush on his hardworking hotel employee Cheon Sa-rang amid an intense inheritance fight with his half-sister.

In Episode 10 which aired on Netflix a few weeks ago, Gu Won takes Sa-rang and her friends on a trip abroad. And the…