As the world keeps developing and advancing due to globalization, countries across the world were competing against each other to be more acknowl- edgeable than others. The use of nation branding appears to be better suited to solve that problem. The use of public diplomacy such as gastrodiplomacy is believed to be the perfect tool in achieving that goal. South Korea was one of the countries to do so. The country does not solely rely on the concept of gastrodiplomacy alone, rather it combines diplomacy with the use of media and entertainment industry. This research aims to elaborate the use of Ko- rean television programs as the medium for cultural representation through gastrodiplomacy performed within. This research attempts to interpret gastro- diplomacy performances within the Korean Drama, ‘Weightlifting Fairy: Kim Bok-Joo’ and Korean Reality Show, ‘BTS: In The Soop’. By applying diplo- macy and performance concept, and food as nation branding theory, this study shows that television drama and reality show were able to create an engagement and connection with their audience, making both drama and re- ality show effective in delivering the campaign message. This resulting in the commercialized gastrodiplomacy campaign became more strategic and ef- fective compared to traditional gastrodiplomacy campaign. While the tradi- tional gastrodiplomacy focuses on the tangible sensory interaction, such as touch, smell, taste, and sight to form an emotional connection, the commer- cialized gastrodiplomacy campaign may influence the audience through the food and national cuisine exposure within television program.

Keywords: Gastrodiplomacy, Korean television programs, Korean Drama ‘Weightlifting Fairy: Kim Bok-Joo’, Korean Reality Show: ‘BTS: In The Soop’, cultural diplomacy and television performance, cultural representation