A reflection of ethnographic exploration on Korean wave enthusiasts in Malaysia

Abstract

The paper examines aspects of Korean wave phenomenon in Malaysia. Korean Wave refers to the global phenomenon of acceptance of Korean cultural products. The Korean wave can be understood as all forms of Korean cultural products including pop music, drama, film and video games which often focus on their celebrities. However, Shim (2017) further expanded the term by saying that after the beginning of 2010, Korean wave also included all Korean cultural genres including Soju (alchoholic drink from South Korea), food, drink, fashion, make-up tools, and so on. Data were collected from fieldwork and observation of participants in several fan events in Kuala Lumpur as well as previous research studies. Observation at concert, fan meeting sessions and at gatherings of one of Malaysia's BTS fans group. This exploratory study is to get an understanding of the scenes of Korean wave fans in Malaysia especially among youth in Malaysia. This study found that the development of media technology played a role in expanding the Korean wave, where past studies have shown how the internet played an important role in developing the Korean wave phenomenon. In addition, this study also found that observation alone is not enough to deepen the Korean wave phenomenon especially when it involves the youth. Combining observation method with in-depth interview method can get more accurate data about the youth experience, especially how far they are involved with this Korean wave phenomenon.