Diplomacia digital de corea del sur en Instagram: donaciones de seguridad y marca país (2024).

Abstract

This article analyzes the digital diplomacy strategies employed by the South Korean Embassy in Ecuador in 2024, as reflected on its official Instagram account. The primary objective is to investigate how security donations are integrated into country brand building, employing a mixed-methodology approach that combines qualitative semiotic analysis with quantitative engagement metrics. From an interdisciplinary approach that encompasses strategic communication, digital public diplomacy, and soft power studies, it addresses the transformation of traditional diplomacy towards a 4.0 diplomacy based on digital platforms. The study reveals that publications that combine international cooperation with local security issues obtain greater interaction, evidencing a strategic adaptation of the content. Through the semiotic analysis of Roland Barthes, connotative meanings are identified that project modernity, trust, and technological leadership, positioning South Korea as a strategic ally in an Ecuadorian context marked by insecurity. Digital platforms, especially Instagram, are configured as scenarios of symbolic dispute, where the legitimacy and soft power of States are negotiated. The results show that South Korean digital diplomacy not only informs but also builds symbolic links through cohesive visual narratives in a transmedia ecosystem. The Korean country brand is consolidated through the effective combination of cultural values, international cooperation, and technology, reaffirming its influence as a geopolitical power in the contemporary Latin American digital environment.