Shaping Perceptions, One Post at a Time: Military Public Diplomacy of the U.S. and Its Influence on Host Country Sentiments

The United States maintains an extensive global military presence with many overseas bases strategically positioned in allied countries. These bases have increasingly become subjects of controversy within host nations, raising concerns ranging from cultural clashes to crimes committed by U.S. soldiers. We explore the potential for military public diplomacy utilizing social media to maintain positive perceptions of the U.S. military in allied countries hosting its bases. Departing from existing studies, we categorize the U.S. military’s public diplomacy messaging strategy into the traditional, security-centered one and an alternative highlighting non-traditional, civil-society-oriented roles. We posit that non-traditional messaging is expected to yield stronger positive effects. Our empirical analysis focuses on South Korea, a nation with complex sentiments towards the U.S. alliance. Through an original survey conducted in October 2023 with 626 South Korean citizens, the study finds that both traditional and non-traditional messaging via X (formerly Twitter) significantly improves perceptions of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) and the U.S. itself. While we do not find a statistically significant difference in the effect of traditional and non-traditional messages, our results show that respondents exposed to non-traditional messaging exhibit significantly less conflict perception than others. The findings offer insights for policymakers seeking to bolster confidence in the U.S. military among allied nations, particularly in contexts where public sentiment towards the alliance is multifaceted.