New Korean Wave: Social Media As Agent of Mediatization Process of the Non-K-Pop Cultural Product Among Malaysian Youth

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Recent literature offers findings on the term mediatization, where mediatization and culture synergy seek to explore their links to the changes in society’s everyday culture. This study strives to understand the role of social media in promoting and maintaining the power of the Korean Wave phenomenon when the world faces COVID-19 and the relevant differences in the post-pandemic future. While there has been a proliferation of research on the Korean Wave, it focuses on K-Pop music and K-Drama. Thus, this research project is designated to highlight elements other than K-Pop and K-Drama in the Korean Wave phenomenon by focusing on non-K-Pop cultural products. Also, examining the role played by social media to further extend the soft diplomacy of South Korea in Malaysia. It is worth noting that Malaysia is the only country where the Embassy of the Republic of Korea initiated a special program, namely Korean Online Supporter. By observing social media accounts and content as well as events related to South Korean products, this study will use qualitative methods, netnography and observation for data collection. It elaborates on the effect of mediatization on youth culture while facing the changing dynamic of media technology in the current era. Keywords: Mediatization, Korean wave, youth, social influencer, social media.