Korean Products Research Articles

Foreign but familiar: Hallyu spaces and K-culture in urban Hanoi, a walking and participant observation study

ABSTRACT For over two decades, South Korean pop culture has occupied the Vietnamese' cultural lives as it has conquered numerous other markets, giving rise to the global cultural phenomenon of the Korean Wave, or Hallyu. While Hallyu has spread across Vietnam, businesses serving made-in-Korea or (mimicking) “Korean-style” products and services have also developed in many of its cities, including the capital, Hanoi. Tracing the “Hallyu spaces” which such businesses constitute, this article explores the extent and patterns of those spaces and how they fit into the day-to-day flows of Hanoi and its residents' consumerist lives. It focuses on two main areas of discussion: the kinds of Korean (or Korean-inspired) products and services on offer and the locations in which these are found. Using a combination of methods, including walking, participant observation, photo-taking, mapping, casual interviews, and digital ethnography, the study contributes to the scholarship on the urban spaces and consumption practices in Hanoi and the cultural exchange between Vietnam and South Korea. It reveals how Hallyu spaces add to Hanoi's experience economy as well as the conspicuous and seeping effects of Hallyu in urban Hanoi and Vietnam. Theoretically, the study advances the conceptualisation of “K-culture” and “global Koreanness” in Hallyu studies.

Analisis Evaluasi Kualitas Pelayanan di K3 Mart Graha Pena Surabaya: Pengalaman Konsumen

K3 Mart is a minimarket that markets various kinds of Korean products and from other countries as well as MSME products with a lifestyle theme. The products marketed at the minimarket are halal products. This research was conducted with the aim of finding out the quality of service provided by employee staff to consumers based on the consumer's experience after visiting. This research is qualitative research with a focus on analyzing consumer experiences regarding service quality. This research uses descriptive research. The research method used is a qualitative method with interview and observation data collection techniques. The indicators used in this research are physical evidence, reliability, empathy, responsiveness and assurance. The research results show that the five indicators have been well implicated by business owners and staff employees. Even though it is considered quite good, the business owner and staff are still trying to improve the quality of service at K3 Mart Graha Pena.

The perception and production of Korean stops in second dialect acquisition.

This study investigated the acoustic cue weighting of the Korean stop contrast in the perception and production of speakers who moved from a nonstandard dialect region to the standard dialect region, Seoul. Through comparing these mobile speakers with data from nonmobile speakers in Seoul and their home region, it was found that the speakers shifted their cue weighting in perception and production to some degree, but also retained some subphonemic features of their home dialect in production. The implications of these results for the role of dialect prestige and awareness in second dialect acquisition are discussed.

한국 OTT 콘텐츠의 글로벌 시장 진출 전략

Although Korean video contents began its journey to the global market along with the popularity in Asia in the latter 1990s, the genres exported were mostly drama and most of the importers were Asian countries. However, recently, we have seen a series of successes of Korean OTT contents such as <Kingdom>, <Squid Game> and <The Glory> in the world market. The study explored the strategies for Korean OTT contents to enter the global market by analyzing the story-telling of Korean OTT contents from the perspective of cultural proximity. In the past, Korean video contents focused on specific subjects and genres such as love and socio-historical events. However, the recent Korean video contents are expanding to cover various subjects and genres. Especially, they pro-actively use the subjects and genres represented by Hollywood such as zombies, science and adventures, constructing universal story-telling that can heighten cultural proximity and adding characteristics of Korean culture, which secured competitiveness as Korean contents. While <Kingdom> and <All of Us Are Dead> chose zombies, a regular subject representing Hollywood, unlike the existing zombie products, they presented an epic for the zombies to induce sympathy of the recipients. Also, they secured differentiation from the existing zombie products by arranging unique backgrounds such as the Chosun Dynasty and the school. Also, unlike the Hollywood contents such as zombies or monsters emerging as a result of viruses or environmental pollution, in the Korean products, the alien creatures were born as variables of human desire and this resulted in destruction of the human race. This puts emphasis on human spiritual culture, meaning the Oriental value system. Also, while increasing cultural proximity by using the universal problems of the contemporary society such as materialism and violence, they led the recipients to take interest in Korean play culture such as ‘Red Light Green Light’, ‘Dalgona Candy’ and ‘Squid Game’. As can be seen from this, Korean OTT contents, while securing familiarity by adding Oriental cultural characteristics to universal culture codes, constructed new stories, resulting in favorable responses from the recipients.

중국 대학생의 K-콘텐츠 인식이 한국에 대한 행동의도에 미치는 영향

This study examined the impact of k-content awareness on behavioral intention toward Korea, namely intention to purchase Korean products and the intention to visit korea among chinese college students, thereby determining how culture affects individuals. We sought to determine how it is related to psychology and behavior and to understand the relationship among culture, psychology, economy, and society more deeply. For the study, a survey was conducted among college students in heze city, shandong province, china, and 627 copies were used in the final analysis. The research results showed that among k-content, the level of awareness of k-food, k-cosmetics, k-movies·dramas, and k-games influences the intention to purchase korean products. And the level of awareness of k-music, k-food, k-cosmetics, and k-games was found to affect the intention to visit korea. Accordingly, a plan for cultural exchange between korea and china and marketing strategies for related industries were proposed for the younger generation in china.

Korean Cultural Diplomacy: Uniting Society Through Soft Power

Soft power is persuasive power that is not military or economic in nature, but is rooted in the attractiveness of culture, values and a positive image of a country. South Korea has successfully utilized soft power through the Korean wave to increase its presence and influence on the global stage. This research aims to investigate the role of Korean cultural diplomacy in integrating and uniting the international community through the concept of soft power. This research uses a qualitative approach with descriptive methods. The research results show that South Korea's cultural diplomacy, especially through the Korean Wave, has succeeded in creating a significant positive impact. The research highlights the contribution of the Korean Wave in strengthening South Korea's positive image at the global level, building sociocultural and economic ties in the East Asian region, and generating economic growth through increasing the popularity of Korean products and lifestyle. Full support from the government, including through the establishment of public institutions, provides a strong foundation for the success of South Korea's cultural diplomacy. In conclusion, research shows that South Korea's cultural diplomacy is an effective instrument in building positive connectivity, advancing the economy, and shaping global views of this country.

Study on the Impact of Korean Wave in China and Indonesia on Cosmetic Product Image and Purchase Intention

The cosmetics industry in Korea, which exports have recently grown rapidly, can be said to have been influenced by the continued Korean Wave overseas. However, based on the experiential marketing theory that connects to value relationships with customers, there is very little analysis of the impact of the Korean Wave on the image and purchase of Korean products. This study empirically analyzed the impact of the Korean Wave on cosmetic product image and product purchase intention among 260 Chinese and Indonesian female consumers by the structural equation models using AMOS 26.0. Among the sub-factors of experiential marketing, feel experience, sense experience, think experience, and act experience had a significant effect on cosmetic product image and purchase intention, but relate experience had no effect. A comparison between the two countries showed a significant difference. In China think experience and sense experience had a significant impact on the cosmetic product image, but in Indonesia sense experience and relate experience had a significant impact on the cosmetic product image. The impact of cosmetics product image on purchase intention was greater than that of other experience factors in both countries, while China had a slightly greater influence than Indonesia. The results of this study can be used to improve the image of cosmetic products and promote sales promotion policies using the Korean Wave. Since the impact of the Korean Wave varies depending on the country, local culture and characteristics must be taken into consideration or differentiated Korean Wave promotion policies must be implemented.

Korean Syntactic Complexity Analyzer (KOSCA): An NLP application for the analysis of syntactic complexity in second language production

Given the lack of computational tools available for assessing second language (L2) production in Korean, this study introduces a novel automated tool called the Korean Syntactic Complexity Analyzer (KOSCA) for measuring syntactic complexity in L2 Korean production. As an open-source graphic user interface (GUI) developed in Python, KOSCA provides seven indices of syntactic complexity, including traditional and Korean-specific ones. Its validity was tested by investigating whether the syntactic complexity indices measured by it in L2 written and spoken production could explain the variability of L2 Korean learners’ proficiency. The results of mixed-effects regression analyses showed that all seven indices significantly accounted for learner proficiency in Korean. Subsequent stepwise multiple regression analyses revealed that the syntactic complexity indices explained 56.0% of the total variance in proficiency for the written data and 54.4% for the spoken data. These findings underscore the validity of the syntactic complexity indices measured by KOSCA as reliable indicators of L2 Korean proficiency, which can serve as a valuable resource for researchers and educators in the field of L2 Korean learning and assessment.

한국 자동차산업의 특허 출원과 가격 차별화가 산업내무역에 미치는 영향

This study examines the impact of patent applications and price discrimination on intra-industry trade in the automotive industry across 45 countries, encompassing Korea and OECD members. To address this, 237 items, classified by the customs office under the HS code at the 6-digit level, were categorized into vehicles, electrical and electronic, and other categories. Panel fixed-effects and random-effects models were employed. The findings suggest that patent applications in the vehicles sector exert a negligible influence on intra-industry trade. Conversely, the electrical and electronic sector, gaining prominence due to the proliferation of trends in autonomous driving and electrification, demonstrates a positive effect on intra-industry trade. This is attributed to the growing global demand for Korean products and the expanded use of imported goods at a level equivalent to domestic products to satisfy the diverse demands of domestic customers. To sustain and enhance competitiveness in the electrical and electronic sector, a concerted effort is essential, encompassing not only corporate-level strategic decisions but also governmental policy endeavors, including legal and regulatory reforms and the establishment of integrated governance systems.

Faktor-Faktor Penentu Minat Beli Remaja Masjid Terhadap Produk Korea: Studi Empiris Pada Mie Samyang dengan Memperhatikan Label Halal, Harga, Dan Citra Merek

This research aims to identify the determinants of purchase intent among mosque youth for Korean products, specifically focusing on Samyang Instant Noodles, considering the factors of Halal Label, Price, and Brand Image. The research sample comprises 150 respondents of mosque youth in Boyolali, selected using non-probability sampling. Mosque youth are considered a group that integrates religious aspects with contemporary trends and digital literacy. The research employs a quantitative method with a questionnaire as the data collection instrument. The collected data are analyzed using the statistical SPSS version 22. The findings reveal that the Halal Label has a positive and significant impact on the purchase intent of mosque youth. Conversely, Price negatively influences purchase intent, while Brand Image does not have a positive or significant effect on purchase intent. Simultaneously, the Halal Label, Price, and Brand Image collectively exert a positive and significant influence on the purchase intent of mosque youth towards Samyang Instant Noodles. These results offer insights for industry stakeholders to understand the preferences and factors influencing the purchase intent of mosque youth for Korean food products.

유형별 한류 문화콘텐츠와 한국제품 브랜드 구매의도 관계에서 한류 친숙도의 조절효과 분석

The purpose of this study is to analyze the influence and moderating effect of tangible and intangible Korean Wave content experiences on the purchase intention of Korean product brands among local consumers in the Philippines. As a result of analyzing 300 copies of survey data collected from local consumers in the Philippines, the types of Korean Wave content (Korean video, K-Pop, K-Food) had a significant positive influence on the intention to purchase Korean product brands. It was found that As a result of verifying the moderating effect of Korean Wave familiarity, it was found that the positive influence of Philippine consumers' tangible and intangible Korean Wave content experience on Korean product brand purchase intention was strengthened by Korean Wave familiarity. These results suggest practical and theoretical implications by suggesting that Philippine consumers' familiarity with the Korean Wave can strengthen their influence on their intention to purchase Korean brand products.

127 PENGARUH BRAND AMBASSADOR DAN KOREAN WAVE TERHADAP KEPUTUSAN PEMBELIAN PRODUK NATURE REPUBLIC PADA MASYARAKAT KOTA GRESIK

The Korean wave has been spreading more and more over the last few years. The term "Korean Wave" refers to a number of South Korean products that are currently popular in Indonesia, including K-dramas, films, music (K-pop), fashion, food and cosmetics. K-Pop is currently quite popular among Indonesians of all ages, from teenagers to adults, women and men. The Korean Wave became widely adopted in Indonesia thanks in large part to K- pop. This study aims to ascertain how much influence Brand ambassadors and Korean Wave have on purchasing decisions for Nature Republic products in Gresik City Communities. To collect data, this research used a Google Form based questionnaire which was used as an instrument. The research sample consisted of 100 respondents. From the results of this t test, it shows that partially there is a positive and significant influence between the Brand Ambassador and Korean Wave variables on purchasing decisions for Nature Republic products for the people of Gresik City. As for the simultaneous f test, both also have a significant effect on the Purchase Decision of Nature Republic products in Gresik City Communities.

Role of Cultural Public Diplomacy in Enhancing Foreign Policy

Over the past two decades, South Korea has increasingly engaged in cultural public diplomacy; however, empirical research on its effectiveness in advancing foreign policy interests is lacking. Existing studies focus on how cultural public diplomacy shapes Korea's image and the attractiveness of Korean products among foreign consumers without addressing the ultimate diplomatic objective of influencing the actions of foreign governments. This study fills this research gap by examining the impact of the King Sejong Institute (KSI), a government-funded cultural institution, on Korea's foreign policy pursuits worldwide. Analyzing data from 2005 2021 - spanning 192 countries (84 with KSI), our study reveals that the presence of KSI leads to increased political alignment in voting on United National General Assembly resolutions and greater de jure economic integration between the Korean and host governments. These results suggest that KSI can serve as a strategic tool to foster amicable bilateral relations.

Infiltrasi Budaya Pada Perilaku Ekonomi ¸ Apakah Representasi Nation Threat?

Cultural infiltration can be considered as a threat to the sustainability of Indonesia's local cultural identity and values, so that in this context it can be said to be a "nation threat". This is especially the case if the adoption of a foreign culture is not carried out by considering its long-term impact on the sustainability of local culture and society. This study uses an interpretive qualitative approach with a realist ethnographic model. Literature studies and narrative interviews were used in this study to reconstruct the domain, taxonomy and interrelationships of cultural themes in this study, socio-economic issues concerning the reciprocal relationship between cultural infiltration and economic behavior. The cultural invasion of the Korean wave on the economic behavior of the Indonesian people can create purchasing decisions and people's consumption patterns. The existence of the Korean wave can change people's consumption patterns, especially digital natives who switch to consuming Korean products which are becoming a trend that has extraordinary magnetism to attract the interest of this digital native terminology group, which can threaten the sustainability of local industries and affect the nation's economic structure.

TRENDS OF COSMETICS AND KOREAN FOOD AND ITS HALAL STATUS IN INDONESIAN TEENAGER PERSPECTIVE: A LITERATURE REVIEW

Indonesia is a country in Southeast Asia which dominated by Muslim population. This condition brings halal products to have a very large market share potential, especially food and cosmetic products. A large number of Muslim consumers in Indonesia raises new challenges with the high public interest in Korean food and cosmetics products, which some types of products do not have a halal label. Because Korea is not a Muslim country, most of the imported products are not halal. That condition could be marked as the importance of awareness towards imported products that have non-halal status risk. Furthermore, due to the research limitation of Indonesian teenagers’ perspective about halal status, we need to provide more certain information about halal status. The method for this study uses a literature review by searching for a literature database obtained from the Google Scholar search engine with inclusion criteria such as articles in English or Indonesian, published between 2011-2021, accessible in full text, and articles discussing the halal status of Korean products and adolescent perspective. Indonesia, especially Muslim teenagers towards Korean cosmetic and food products. The results show that Indonesian teenagers’ huge interest in Korean products, the product’s halal status is one of the factors that affect teenagers' intention to buy Korean food and cosmetics and it works as a key factor/their priority in purchasing products. Teenagers are concerned about the halal status of Korean food and this aspect becomes a priority when buying Korean food. The conclusion of this study is that the halal status of Korean food and cosmetic products has an effect on consumer buying interest.

Platformization of the Korean Wave: a critical perspective

ABSTRACT By employing the platformization of cultural production from a critical political economy approach, this article analyzes the transition of the Korean cultural industries to the platform-driven phase of Hallyu. By discussing the highly transnationalized and platformized Korean Wave in the shifting global media environment, it examines how Netflix platformizes and appropriates the Korean broadcasting industry through various strategies, such as investing in original content creation, licensing Korean content, and subcontractualization of Korean production. These strategies reveal that Korean cultural industry firms have become subordinated to, and rely on, global OTT platforms. In light of the growing influences of Netflix and other global platforms, the article explores the implications of the platformization of cultural production for the transnational cultural flows of Hallyu.

Changes in the Attributes and Consumer Preferences of Hungarian Hallyu Fans

Abstract The popularity of Korean culture has increased significantly in the last two decades. This process in general is called ‘Hallyu’. The success of it is based on the professional marketing activity of companies, which use exceptional strategies and activities to reach and motivate their customers. This article introduces the diffusion of the culture of South Korea in Hungary, focusing on the specific marketing aspect of consumer behaviour. The author implemented two pieces of scientific research—one in 2018 and another one in 2022—examining this topic. Comparing the results of the two pieces of research gives an opportunity to examine the changes in the diffusion of Hallyu in this country. The fans of Korea and its culture are a relatively small group in Hungarian society but have specific consumer attributes. Hallyu content (such as music, films, and TV series) consumption is fan based, and the behaviour of customers has specific feature, such as the active usage of social media or a strong interest in other Korean products. Hungarian fans have other unique attributes, like enthusiasm and a close relationship with the Korean language, or the emphasis of personal communication. The article introduces these specialities in detail.

국경 간 전자상거래에서 한류인식 및 웹사이트 특성이 한국제품 구매태도 · 의도에 미치는 영향: 말레이시아 소비자를 중심으로

국경 간 전자상거래에서 한류인식 및 웹사이트 특성이 한국제품 구매태도 · 의도에 미치는 영향: 말레이시아 소비자를 중심으로

주 태국 한국 문화원의 케이팝 아카데미 운영에 대한 고찰과 제언

This study aims to find out what effects the K-POP Academy operated by the Korean Cultural Center in Thailand has on K-POP consumption and the Korean nation branding in the Thai market and to make suggestions for the operation of the K-POP Academy. At the results, in Thailand, K-POP was mainly consumed by females in their teens. It was found that K-POP draws great popularity in Thailand because its unique musical characteristics correspond to the essential excitement of the Thai people. In addition, it was analyzed that Thai people's ‘multi-cultural acceptance’ is not significantly related to K-POP consumption. On the other hand, ‘experience’ served as a fundamental reason for Thais to participate in the K-POP Academy. Lastly, it was found that the K-POP Academy has an effect on Thais’ intention to visit Korea and purchase Korean products, thus effectively enhancing Korea's nation branding.

Korean Cultural Contents and Factors Influencing French People’s Intention to Visit Korea and Intention to Purchase Korean Products

Purpose - The purpose of this research was to assess how French people’s Korean cultural content, Korean new media consumption, distance proximity, cultural familiarity, and the country’s image affect the intention to visit Korea and the intention to purchase products from Korea.
 Design/Methodology/Approach - Ten hypotheses were developed. To verify the study hypothesis, a questionnaire surveyed French people with some interest and affection to the Korean culture through social media which are Facebook, Kakaotalk, and Hellotalk from August to September 2022. The statistical analysis of the data collected with the questionnaire was done by the SPSS 24.0 software. Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Regression Analysis were performed to verify the questionnaire’s reliability and to confirm the hypotheses.
 Findings - Korean cultural content, cultural familiarity, and the country’s image have a positive influence on the intention to visit Korea. Whereas the result for the variables, K-new media, and the distance show no significant influence on the intention to visit Korea. Korean cultural content, cultural familiarity, the country’s image, and distance have a positive influence on the intention to purchase a product. Whereas the result for the variable K-new media shows no significant influence on the intention to buy a product from Korea.
 Research Implications - As cultural familiarity seems to be variable with the most influence on intention to visit and purchase intention, cultural familiarity should be the main focus for the tourism industry and any international trade institutions. Korean language learning is also a factor boosting cultural familiarity by creating more language institutions overseas, especially in France where Korean language presence is growing every year.