Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

Rationale

The Hallyu or Korean Wave has been aired since 1990’s from China,

Taiwan and Japan. The regional distribution of Korean cultural products has

begun with trendy dramas, and then extended to popular songs, movies with

the growth of Korean media markets. The term Hallyu seems to connote the

influence of Korean social and cultural aspects such as clothes, fashion and

technological goods among the Asian countries (Dong, 2006). Through

production mediums such as the television industries, the Korean pop culture

has been easily accessed and accepted by the public.

In Indonesia, adolescents are the most vulnerable to replicate the

message delivered on an impression. The more easily the teenagers to

access K Drama, the greater the likelihood they mimic the behaviour as there

is in the K-drama such as style of dress which is really stylish. Therefore, the

culture of the country will slowly erode and slowly began to be replaced

(Habieb, 2017). In his study, it was stated that the participants agreed that

behavioural changes in teenagers dressing are due to the frequency of

watching k-drama.

The new Korean Wave is distinguished from the earlier wave by its

global reach, as exemplified by the increasing number of North American fans

of Hallyu content. Many North Americans already adapt some of the traits that

they have seen in Korean dramas, shows, etc. K-pop leads the contemporary

Korean Wave, especially with Western audiences, and dramas and movies
enjoy staggering popularity in these regions (Ju & Lee, 2015). Due to

exposure of Korean media content, it somehow changed the behaviors of

North American fans and instead of Hollywood, they are slowly accepting

Hallyu as their own preference.

Filipinos had a history of colonization and was influenced by some

attitudes which are inherited from the colonizers and also to the experienced

during the time of colonization. This experience of Filipinos can be related to

Filipino youths’ issue in raising their interests and fascination towards Korean

Culture. Because of the wide range of access in social media, they are easily

influenced by what they see (Malm, 1977).

The phenomenon of Filipino audiences’ avidly watching K dramas from

a foreign culture affects their conceptions not only of themselves but of

Philippine culture as well (Lee, 2011). After watching Korean media

segments, it somehow changed the viewer’s perception in media viewing

content. It changed their taste in movies and would prefer a tempered blend of

character, with a very exciting plot twist that is present in Korean dramas and

movies than watching the typical plots shown in their local tv screens.

In Mati City, particularly in Mati National Comprehensive High School,

teachers observed that Korean Pop Culture had been affecting the views and

behavior of their students. As for Mr. Joselito Cadotdot, he observed that

students who were influenced by Korean Pop culture had somehow became

more confident in terms of fashion styling and became more creative in

creating their projects such as video presentation as inspired by what they

saw in Korean music videos. He also stated that his students learned how to
speak few of Korean words which he considered as educational and these

students who were engaged in K - pop culture were more motivated.

Moreover, Mrs. Imelda Pineda stated that one of her students came

late in school and was not able to study for the upcoming quiz because the

student was watching Korean dramas the night before the test.

The researchers pushed to conduct the research study because

Korean popular culture is starting to change the cultural views and practices

of the Filipinos, especifically the students of Mati National Comprehensive

High School. The issue on the widespread Korean Pop culture can be quite

alarming since it can affect the behavioral and psychological aspects of

individual and may give a positive or a negative impact in their academic

performance, perspective and their attitudes, granting that they are students.

Purpose of the Study

This phenomenological study explored the specific ways that Korean

Popular culture impinged upon the daily life experiences affecting the

psychological and behavioural aspects of the selected students of Mati

National Comprehensive High School. This study focused on how Korean

Popular Culture can lead to changing the perception and practices of these

students.

The researchers also examined the significance of the Hallyu Wave, as

well as the challenges it possesses the experiences, advantages and

disadvantages of the influence of Korean Popular culture. As researchers and

students of Mati National Comprehensive High School, an interest in

understanding how the continuous widespread of the Hallyu Wave in the

campus created a great impact to the Filipino Youths’ lifestyle and tastes, has

been evoked.

Research Questions

1. What are the experiences of the students who are influenced by

Korean Popular Culture?

1.1 What are the advantages and disadvantages of being influenced by

Korean Popular Culture?

1.2 What are the effects of these advantages and disadvantages to

your studies?

2. How does being influenced by Korean Popular Culture affect your

behavior and practices as an individual or student?

2.1 How does Korean Popular Culture help improve your talents,

abilities and boost your self-confidence?

2.2 How does Korean Popular Culture help in your studies? How did

you balance your time for both?

Theoretical Lens

Over the past decade, Korean fever has spread infectiously throughout

the world. The term “Hallyu Wave” has been used to describe this rising

popularity of Korean Popular Culture. Here are some theories that support the

study about “HALLYU READY?: THE INVASION OF KOREAN FEVER.”

Acculturation Theory is a process in which members of one cultural

group adopt the beliefs, values, and behaviours of one group (Barros, 2006).
Acculturation actually occurs to a certain extent through the way media has

helped Filipino fans adopt behaviours from Korean Popular Culture, namely

watching Korean TV shows/movies and listening to K-Pop. According to Kim

(1992), increased interpersonal communication within the host environment

will result in increased acculturation.

Moreover, Cultural Imperialism Theory states that popular culture is

a useful method created to a trend for life to influence belief, behaviors and

culture values effectively through the cultural industries. As referred to the

study of Joel (2014), he found out that the Korean government had launched

the applied research in emerging high technology since 1990’s which also

witnessed that the evelopment of “big science” to push up the Korean

competitive strategy. In focus on spreading of popular culture to powering

their hegemony in influencing the local culture and values, the media

technology is undoubtedly playing the important role to act as the catalyst of

networking their influence through the media content to the several mediums

that people have reached easily in their daily life.

Furthermore, Southeast and East Asia have a strong demand of media

content from. South Korea which stand on similar Asian culture values to

adopt the contents for the local audiences easily in high acceptance as well

as built the local trend by the attraction of Korean culture. The broadcasting

technology does not totally represent the spread of Korean wave to the

audience on changing the trend and social behavior as the internet become

the most important transfer technology. The interactive multimedia is totally

related for the spread of Korean culture in daily life which led to the change of

attitude and behavior directly.

 In addition, Social Influence Theory states that individual’s attitude,

beliefs, and subsequent actions or behaviours are influenced by referent

others through three processes: compliance, identification and internalization.

Compliance is assumed to occur when individuals accept influence and adopt

the induced behaviour to gain rewards and avoid punishments. Identification

is said to happen when individuals adopt the induced behaviour in order to

create or maintain a desired and beneficial relationship to another person or

group. Internalization is assumed to occur when individuals accept influence

after perceiving that the content of induced behavior is rewarding in which the

content indicates the opinions and actions of others. Kelman (1958), also

added that social influence brings about changes in attitudes,actions, and

changes may occur at different levels. This supports that the people who are

engaged in Korean Popular Culture face three processses which are

compliance, identification, and internalization. Also, this theory explains that

the people who engaged themselves in Korean Popular Culture changes

their attitudes and actions. Moreover, these three processes can be

represented by a function of the following determinants of influence: (a) the

relative importance of anticipated effect, (b) the relative power of the

influencing agent, and (c) the propetency of the induced response by Kelman

(1958). This explains that each process has a distinctive set of antecedent

conditions; similarly each process leads to a distinctive set of analytic

conditions (Kelman, 1958).

Furthermore, Social Identity Theory states that identification is a fan’s

emotional connection or attachment to a related object (Madrigal, 2001) and

people would be satisfied by a television drama because of the sense of

identification. Hogarth (2013) insists that ‘Asian-ness’ is a major reason of the

Korean Wave’s popularity in East Asian countries. The all-Asian cast with

modern images has an immediate appeal to television as well as the drama

viewers because of their physical and cultural similarities. The viewers feel as

comfortable with the Korean drama as with those made in their own country

because the drama reflects something that average Asian viewers can

understand and share: Confucianism, sibling love, and Oriental culture. This

theory also states that the taste and perception of the people can abruptly

change according to his/her taste and according to his/her preference that

could satisfy him/her.

Also, According to Bandura’s Social Learning Theory, behaviour can

easily be learned (Chavez, et. al., 2007). This theory also states that imitation

itself is a proof that learning actually happens, and is visible through

behaviour.

Lastly, Super Peer Theory believes that adolescents mimic the

behaviour of those individuals whom they most want to be like (Chavez, et

al.,2005). Fans look up to the artists in Korean Popular Cultu re and admire

them to the point that they want to be like them. They also identified the kind

of people they want to be associated with based on the artists that they idolize

(Dickey, 2007).

Significance of the Study

This Phenomenological study aimed to spread the awareness on how

Korean Popular Culture continues to change and influence the perception as

well as the practices of the students of Mati National Comprehensive High

School. This study shows both the positive and negative effects of being

influenced by the Hallyu Wave.

Furthermore, this study helped everyone understand how individuals

can balance their time as they engage themselves in Korean Popular Culture.

Moreover, this study had helped shed light on the possible changes and

challenges an individual may face by this Korean Popular culture. The

researchers also firmly believed that through this study, the Filipino teenage

kpop fans may gain more understanding of Korean culture, and how their

consumption of Kpop media content affects their decisions and participation in

many activities in their lives.

This study is significant and can be of great help to the Department of

Education, Administration and Staff, Teachers, Students and Future

Researchers. The result of this study can be beneficial to the Department of

Education because it served as a guide on creating and amending new

curriculum considering foreign culture influence. Also, this study helped them

to be aware about the challenges posed by Korean popular culture to the

students. The result of this study could also be beneficial to the

Administration and Staff of Mati National Comprehensive High School for

this served as a source of information in understanding students influenced by

Hallyu Wave. This study could make them understand the students’

fascination for such foreign media products. Also, it helped them be aware

how Korean Popular Culture changed the perception and practices of the

students.

Moreover, the result served as a guide for the teachers in

understanding the change of perception and practices of their students. Also,

it served as a tool for illustrating the effects of Hallyu Wave to the students’

academic performance.

Also, this study is significant to the parents of the students and served

as their guide on how to handle and understand their child’s actions and

behaviors towards the phenomenon.

In addition, the result of this study served as a guide to the students

of this institution to be aware of the changes and challenges that K – Pop may

bring to their lives. This study could encourage Hallyu Wave fans to be more

extra careful towards the media’s direct effects on their lives.

Lastly, the result of this study can be a source or reference of learning

to the future researchers who are interested in conducting the same study,

thus discovery may arise

Definition of Terms

The following terms shall be understood in context with the study. The

researcher provided this section in order to inculcate the meaning of various

terms in relation with the current research endeavor.

Korean Popular Culture – is the phenomena that refers to the

significant growth and popularity of South Korean Culture in Mati National

Comprehensive High School.

Hallyu – Korean pronunciation of “K – Pop” and is commonly used by

those who are long – term fans of Korean Popular Culture.

Invasion – refers to how K – Pop had changed and influenced the

students’ lives.
 Korean Fever – a phenomenon where students feel a state of

excitement or agitation towards Korean Popular Culture such as dramas,

music, fashion, and the like.

Limitations and Delimitations of the Study

Out of the students enrolled in the current school year 2018 – 2019 of

Mati National Comprehensive High School, one (1) student from each year

level was used as a participant in conducting the survey. Hence, a total of six

(6) students were interviewed. The researchers validated the chosen

participants who are really observed being influenced by Korean Popular

Culture. Then, they were asked first if they really were K – pop enthusiasts

before proceeding to the interviews. Each of the participants was interviewed

and was given the same questions to answer.

Organization of the Study

This part of the research study shows and presents the organization of

the study which composed of five (5) chapters, namely:

Chapter 1: Introduces the problem statement and describes the

specific problem addressed in the study as well as design components.

Chapter 2: Shows and presents the review of related literatures and

relevant researches that are associated with the problem addressed in the

study.

Chapter 3: Presents the methodology and procedures used for

collecting the data needed for analysis. This chapter also consists of the
research design and the informants of the study. Furthermore, this chapter

states the role of the researchers in gathering the data.

Chapter 4: States the results of the gathered and analyzed data. This

chapter consists of the coding and thematic analysis where the researchers

categorized the participants’ statement into different themes. In addition, this

chapter also consists of the discussion of the data gathered and the statement

of the conclusion of the study.

Chapter 5: Presents and shows the conclusion that the researchers

have made about the result of the study. This chapter also has the

recommendation of the researcher.

 CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURES

As the Korean Wave becomes a global phenomenon, some several

academic disciplines including media studies, Asian studies and sociology are

keenly aware of the significance of Korean Popular Culture. As the main

characters of the Korean Wave have changed, the academic discourses on

Hallyu have proliferated (Jin ,2016, Y. Kim, 2013, Kim and Choe 2014, Lee

and Nomes 2015).The rapid movement of music videos, drama clips, and

information about K-pop and K- drama stars on the social medias cape

seemed to transform the nature of cultural consumption.

South Korea occupies the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula.

The country is bordered by the Democratic People’s Republic, North Korea,

the East Sea to the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea. South Korea makes

up about 45 percent of the peninsula’s land area and Seoul is its capital city

(Baelto,2017). Standing out as largely contributing to the rapid transformation

of Korean Popular Culture’s regional media landscape is Asian media, but

most prominently the South Korean media as manifested in a new flow of

media and cultural products launched by Korea into its neighboring Asian

countries. The recent boom of Korean popular culture in Asia, known as

Hallyu or the Korean Wave, is a world-famous cultural phenomenon

completely unimaginable several decades ago. It certainly has become “an

impressive aspect of cultural production, cultural flow and cultural

consumption” (Jeon and Yoon, 2005: 67) that is arguably symptomatic of

cultural imperialism.
 In addition, the new era of the Korean Wave has arrived due to Web-

based dissemination, which distinguishes the latest wave from the previous

one that mainly settled in the Asian region. Some have referred to it as ‘the

second Korean Wave’ or ‘the Korean Wave 2.0’ (Ono & Kwon 2013). Hence,

there is no disagreement that the Korean media content can broadly

penetrate its transnational flows throughout the world due to the Internet and

Web-streaming services.

As the trendy magazine Monocle put it: ―The Korean Wave movement

is the biggest soft power success story of the region, acquiring global — and

still growing — adulation over the past decade, with the fevered export of

South Korea‘s pop culture, from music to drama to anime to computer games‖

(Monocle,2012). Particularly, the rise of K-pop or Korean popular music in the

global music scene came as a coup de main to many music fans,

commentators, and business people in Asia.

Moreover, Mandy Shin (2014) contended that the secret behind the

Korean Wave is the rapidly growing popularity of Korean shows via the rise of

online streaming as a major media channel in China. As viewers in their 20s

and 30s adopt watching shows online as one of their favorite activities, brands

in China have also expanded their marketing focus to putting commercials on

those online streaming sites before the show starts. This trend has greatly

helped Korean showbiz to spread and appeal to a wider demographic far

faster than before in the past few years.

Meanwhile, Jang and Won (2012) in their study examined the essence

of the Korean Wave and its impact on the world by exploring the relationship
between South Korea and the changes within global politics. Jang et al (2012:

199) use the same research method as Eun (2009), using ethnographic

method by observing the effects of Korean Wave globally through selected

resources and historical research method where they studied past documents

of how Korean culture started to take over the world.

Also, according to Jang (2012), the Korean Wave has received various

reactions from different cultures. Jang and Paik (2013) said that Americans

find Korean dramas relaxing cheerful. Paik (2012) added that Europeans find

the plots uncomplicated and romantic. Asians, meanwhile, discover find the

plots uncomplicated and romantic. And even discover lifestyles and trends

they wish to emulate. The Japanese scholar Kyoko Koma suggests that some

are already familiar with Asian culture and on the other hand they fascinated

‘strangeness’ or at least the perceived better performance’ that K -Pop brings

(Koma, 2012). One can conclude that Korean pop culture is loved for varied

reasons.

In Eun’s (2009) study in Malaysia, it had showed positive effects of

Korean Wave which can be divided into three contexts – personality shaping,

physical development, and benefit to the country. First of all, Korean Wave

has shaped Malaysians personality in many ways by portraying proper

manners such as respectfulness and showing gratitude using body language

that are shown in Korean Dramas, thus, imposing good values to Malaysians.

It was also observed in this study that Korean celebrities had played a big role

in their physical development since Malaysians see Korean celebrities’ body

features as a motivation to fight obesity.

 However, negative perception towards Korean wave showed that

Malaysians are gradually losing their unique identity, as such there is a fear

that Malaysian own culture will disappear among young generation. Some are

too obsessed with Korean idols that they follow exactly their fashion and make

up. Some of them wear those dresses or shirts that are too revealing which

are against their religion, especially for those Muslim individuals. Obsession

with Korean beauty lead to unhealthy lifestyles. In order to look as slim as

Korean celebrities, people tend to engage in an unhealthy diet. They would go

for plastic surgery to make themselves as pretty as Korean celebrities.

Teenagers would spend money in skin care and make up excessively and

unfortunately, Korean skin care and makeup are expensive. Malaysians forgot

to accept their own body and appreciate their own beauty. They are willing to

spend a massive amount of money to attend their idols’ fan-signing or concert

in order to meet and greet their favorite idols. Some of them are using study

loan to meet their idols. They even bought their idols’ albums that cost almost

hundred above to show their support to favorite idols. They are willing to skip

their classes because they do not want to miss out any new information about

their favorite celebrity. Most Koreans also practice healthy cooking and prefer

vegetables and protein. It is obvious that Malaysians take a good example of

Koreans’ lifestyle and use it as a guidance to live a better life.

Moreover, according to Yuchen & Yi Ci (2015), the findings of their

study concluded that 82% of students in their school had watched Korean

dramas. And the two main reasons why these students would like to watch

Korean dramas are the content and the cast. 62% of students averagely
spend one hour watching Korean dramas in one day. Therefore, it can prove

that Korean dramas have become a fad among most students in their school.

In their survey, most students in National Douliou Vocational High

School of Home Economics ＆ Commerce have watched Korean dramas.

There are two main effects of Korean dramas to the students; the students’

academic performances and the things they adapt in watching Korean dramas

such as products. On the other hand, after watching Korean dramas, most

teenagers become Korean maniacs and actively participate in many activities,

but they are not willing to spend their money buying products related to

Korean dramas. From their survey they concluded that Korean dramas are

exactly popular with the students in their school, but watching Korean dramas

does not bring them negative effects, on their schoolwork or in their everyday

lives.

In addition, the Hallyu wave has reached Philippine shores. The

researcher Yang (2012) defined Hallyu as both the flow and popularity of

Korean popular cultural products, especially media contents, in other Asian

countries and beyond, as well as exported Korean popular cultural products

themselves. In her paper entitled “Korean Wave: The Great Splash on

Philippine Popular Culture and Life,” Professor Ma. Cristina Flores of the

University of the Philippines stated that the Korean wave has splashed on

Philippine shores in many forms including popular media, fashion, food, online

gaming and others.

In the Philippines, Hallyu has been popular since the early 2000s

through the form of the Koreanovelas, because these drama series are
unique from the Filipinos' point of view (i.e. filming locations, fashion, plot,

etc.) (Que, 2010; Reyes, 2012.) Filipino people are very easy to please and

so the theme of the Korean drama has touched their hearts easily. They can

relate with the story and at the same time looking and familiarizing on the

tangible cultural manifestation of that country.

Also, the study presented by Semilla & Soriano (2017) showed that the

Senior High School students in Marinduque Midwest College General

Academic strand like watch Korean dramas because of the content, the

stories, or actors/actresses. According to the students, Korean dramas

relieved their stress and make them inspired and lessen their boredom. Some

stated that they feel happy, inlove and so amused. They also learned so many

things from watching it. Others are fond of watching because they simply love

the culture.

In a study conducted by Alanzalon (2011) at the University of the

Philippines, it is stated that attraction of the Filipino fans on the foreign media

content is due to the presence of familiar cultural offerings (language, visuals,

cultural capital and story). These cultural offerings, in turn, gratified the needs

of the Filipino fans, especially in terms of their needs for entertainment

(satisfied by visual and narrative aspects) and information (satisfied by

language and cultural capital).

Meanwhile, some countries see Korean Hallyu as a threat that will

dominate the popularity of their own native culture. And since the very

essence of Korean Hallyu is mass media through television that has the
biggest number of followers, they may think that it will start the condemnation

of their own culture (Chung, 2003).

Also, condemnation of one’s culture is perhaps the most tabooed thing

that a citizen may do for his country. It may lead to the non-acceptance of

cultural and historical identity and at the same time rejecting one’s heritage

and legacy. Others may see that Korean Hallyu might be a way for the

commercialization of promotion of Korea’s interest to capture the world

whether in terms of industrialization, education and other stuffs. Because of

the consistent and continuous production of drama, movie, art and music, it

may tell that Korean Hallyu is just a cultural revolution that was being molded

by a non-Western country and crawled in the ladder of global acceptance

(Reyes, 2010)

In contrast to the benefits of the rapid spread of Korean dramas and

K-Pop star videos, the overabundance of secondary information causes

problems. For those who have no idea what the real “Korean Style” is and

those who do not understand what K-Pop brings to fans, it is very difficult to

recognize genuine products, news, or other aspects of Hallyu. Such a cultural

phenomenon is something which occurs in interaction with others, while at the

same time the role of communication media should not be overlooked Mandy

Shin (2014)

In the Philippines, the Korean craze rose during 2009, when K-pop

made its way to the country, especially after Sandara Park became part of idol

group 2NE1 from being a teen celebrity in the Philippines (Que, 2010). During
this time, many people instantly became fans of K-pop, however many more

Filipinos did not understand why these people were converted easily.

In the study of Hogarth (2013), he insisted that beauty is a leading

factor of the Korean Wave. Attractive and young Korean stars with gorgeous

fashion and make-up in the television drama delight the viewers. In addition,

McColl and Truong (2013) insist that attractiveness and beauty play a positive

effect in many domains. People exposed to visual media are influenced by

what they see and hear in the media. What the media display as trendy,

attractive, or sensational is often transferred to the perceptions of the viewer.

Likewise, the behavior and emotions portrayed on the television screen by a

charismatic actor may be emulated by viewers who identify their ideal self-

images with their favorite television star. Whether it is romantic or violent,

positive or negative behavior or emotions, medical and psychological studies

have revealed that people discover their attitudes from a very young age

through visual media. These attitudes given by the South Korean actors tend

to last (Dalton, et.al., 2002) and are reinforced through mass media (Couldry,

2001).

According to Naidu (2015), based on the findings of his study, the

audience between the age groups of 21-30 formed the highest number of K-

drama viewers. The female audience seemed to consist more number of K-

drama viewing as compared to the other gender. Of the 100 participants who

took the survey, 81% of them had watched K-dramas, thereby proving K-

dramas popularity among its audience. Many of the viewer were able to

absorb various habits depicted on the shows which change their daily lives

and behaviors. His research showed that there is no relationship between the
age and gender for K-drama viewership. There is no age barrier for people to

or not to watch Korean dramas.

Also, the deals concerning respect and good manners, as well as

preservation of moral and family values are demonstrated in Kdramas. The

lesson of managing studies, career and giving one’s best at both in order to

reach personal goals are inspired by K-pop idols themselves. The desire to

learn a new language is something most teenagers and young adults feel

motivated to do after a certain connection to the Korean Popular culture.

Young people begin to support, study, and find new ways through the Korean

Popular culture.

Meanwhile, K-pop drived people crazy as it is “likely to have you

screaming "pleeeeeeease nooooooooo"” (Fox News, 2014b). It hints that not

everyone is welcoming K-pop as it may be too crazy to handle. As suggested

by Frith (2002, p. 46), music is “a means of communication and as a form of

sociability” thus musical activities are central for their understanding of who

they are. K-pop must function as a communication channel among the

specific social group who are interested in the unusual level of emotional

expression. However, one should note that this is the author’s own opinion

and some other people may just perceive K-pop as easygoing music.

Korean idols performed to transform the perception of the mature

audience and South Korean stars influence the way how South Korean

people think of their nation (Rich, 2016). In fact, Korean scholar Chung (2003)

had discovered that Korean stars provide Korean citizen the values such as

patriarchy and nationalism.

 Based on a study conducted by Diana (2016), Kpop culture directly

affected the lifestyle of students including consuming behavior of students

such as collecting posters, imitating an idols fashion style, dancing and eating

Korean-style food.

In an article of Happy Medium, three Kpop undergraduate fans enabled

themselves to indulge their passion in making K-pop dance videos while

maintaining good grades by setting clear boundaries between work and play.

Though one member of the girl cover dance group was not even interested in

dancing, Korean popular culture has somehow opened her eyes to dancing

and boosted her self-confidence.

In Vietnam, a study among 1,114 high school students indicated that

more than 50% of them access to Korean Wave through internet (Phan,

2012). This number even reached 86% in 2009 according to Korean Culture

Center in Vietnam. The influence is speeding up and expanding to even

younger age, including primary and secondary students.

In addition, according to Thuy (2016), Vietnamese viewers are more

willing to open their mind and accept new ideas. As Korean dramas and

music had allowed consumers to experience the whole new things without

travelling, including many interesting culture, instead of a threat which can

affect their thought and fade out their identity. When eyes opened, people can

easily integrate into globalized era, which help Vietnam do better in

international arena. Moreover, with the advanced technology and media which

brought Korean Wave to domestic market, now Vietnamese people are

encouraged to find a lot of information by themselves, thus they can stop

relying on one-sided source of information from the government.

Hence, it also inspires Vietnamese students to study abroad in order to

absorb more precious cultural values. The Korean Wave in particular and

social media in general assisted the Vietnamese to be more active and

positive in modern life. However, it was also showed in the study that

Vietnamese music identity is in danger. The sweep of K-pop is almost like a

“culture invasion” when the domestic music industry nowadays is influenced

too much by Korean music characteristics. Songwriters, musicians and

singers are learning Korean styles, copying their ideas or even rhythm, to

create a hybrid product with no uniqueness. Traditional arts are also in danger

due to the ignorance of young people. The illusion about Korea as a dream

land created brain-drain problem. The modern and active society

demonstrated in Korean dramas are making many Vietnamese dream of living

there. It urged them to study Korean language to seek for a high-paid job in

Korea, thus they would try to go abroad and stay in their dream world.

With very few exceptions, K-pop idols generally conform to an "ideal

body type" of being super thin and slim, and this perception of the "perfect

figure" has affected what some K-pop fans think of as being acceptable in

terms of body size. In an interesting new thread over on Reddit, K-pop fans

got into a discussion about how being into K-pop has changed their

perception on body image and the related cyberbullying. With Reddit being

the home to a large number of fans who have diverse tastes and interests, the

answers were certainly very interesting. The elements of Korean youth

subculture style reflect identities of subcultural individuals in a symbolic and

implicit way. Korean youths are a materialistic generation and have a strong

obsession with appearances. They spend a lot more than older generations,

prefer foreign brands, place importance on looks, keep up with new trends,

and express their identity through fashionable items and appearance (Seo,

2004).

According to Delos Reyes et.al (2017), based on the study they

conducted, Korean dramas have been touching the teenagers’ personality

through physical, emotional and mental state. The effects acquired by them,

affect their view of reality. Most of them are influenced by K-drama in fashion

aspect; they see that the shows that they watch have fashionable clothes,

make-up and hair. They become influenced of how K-fashion is shown in K-

drama. Some of the teens tend to sacrifice their food and time just to watch K-

dramas that they like. In some cases, lack of sleep due to desire to watch is

one of the factors. Their love of watching has affected their bodies. In

cognitive aspect, because of Korean dramas, instead of using Filipino slang

they now start to use Korean expressions and terms such as “aegyo” or acting

cute randomly. Some of them think that they are emotionally maturing

because of K-drama. Since teenagers have been watching K-dramas for long

time, most of them are currently following a certain show of their choice.

Some of the respondents consider watching K-drama is a normal part of their

routine, because this gratifies their need for entertainment. As the teenagers

find their sense of escape in K-dramas, they have been dependent on it.
 CHAPTER 3

METHODOLOGY

This qualitative study is conducted in order to know how the invasion of

K-Pop influence the perceptions and practices of the students in Mati National

Comprehensive High School.

As indicated in the title, this chapter includes the research

methodology. In this part, the researchers outlined the research design, role

of researchers, research participants, data collection, analysis of data,

trustworthiness, and ethical consideration.

Research Design

The researchers used a phenomenological survey research design

because it best served to answer questions and the purpose of the study. In

the survey research design, a group of people or items are studied. Data are

collected and analyzed. In other words, only a part of the population is

studied, and findings from this are expected to be generalized to entire

population (Nworgu, 1991). Similarly, McBurney (1994) defines the survey as

assessing public opinion or individual characteristics by the use of

questionnaire and sampling methods.

To understand clearly the information gathered in order to give vast

explanation about how Korean Popular culture affected the behaviour and

practices of the students in Mati National Comprehensive High School, the

researchers used a phenomenological approach. A Phenomenological

qualitative research refers to a study that seeks to grasp people’s viewpoints,

perceptions, and understandings of a particular phenomenon (Leedy &

Ormrod, 2010).

The aim of phenomenological approach is to describe accurately the

lived experiences of people, and not to generate theories or models. Because

the primary source of data is the life world of the individual being studied, in-

depth and focus group discussion are the most common means of data

collection. Furthermore, emerging themes are frequently validated with

participants because their meanings of that lived experiences of them are

central in phenomenological study.

Role of Researcher

Considering the fact that that it is quite challenging, we, the

researchers, as future educators and professionals can prove on how capable

we are when it comes to validating the specs of this research study. Since

the Korean popular culture is not fully acknowledeged as pleasing and

entertaining to other people, the study will serve to give a fair insight on the

positive effects of this culture despite its disadvantages. The researchers will

give emphasis on the relevance of this study to the community considering

the fact that it is challenging in terms of collecting and analyzing data and

validating the specs of the study.

The researchers served as instruments toward the giving of thorough

interpretation of the phenomenon. The researchers generally aim to explain

the effects of Korean Popular Culture to the perceptions and practices to the

selected students in Mati National Comprehensive High School.

 The researchers conducted in-depth interviews and focus group

discussions with six (6) selected students in Mati National Comprehensive

High School. Interviews are recorded for transcription to further validate

transcription accuracy and interpretation. Follow – up questions are asked to

clarify confusions from the participants. The researchers prepared notes to

supplement data from the interview and made sure that all personal

information are coded for confidentiality.

Research Participants

The researchers used a purposive sampling to ensure that all of the

participants selected will eventually meet the criteria for participating in the

study (Black, 2010). One (1) student is selected every year level. The chosen

participants were asked first if they are K- pop fans before they were selected.

Purposive sampling is suitable for qualitative studies where the

researcher is interested in informants who have the best knowledge

concerning the research topic. When using purposive sampling, decisions

need to be made about who or what is sampled, what form the sampling

should take, and how many people or sites need to be sampled (Creswell,

2013).

In addition, the researchers conducted a focus group discussion and in

– depth interview among the selected six (6) students in Mati National

Comprehensive High School who are known to be K-pop enthusiasts in order

to collect the needed data for the completion of the study.

Key Informants

In this research study, there were a total of six (6) key informants. All of

the informants are greatly qualified in participating in this study because they

are K-Pop fans individual in Mati National Comprehensive High School from

grade seven (7) to grade twelve (12) level. Such informants were selected

because all of them are among the students who are influenced by Korean

Popular culture whose perceptions and practices are highly affected.

All of the selected six (6) participants from different year level in Mati

National comprehensive High School underwent focus group discussion and

in – depth interview. Regardless of their age and grade level, they were

selected because they are among the students influenced by Korean Popular

Culture.

Table No.1 The Informants of the Study

Archival No. Age Gender Pseudonym

MCFGDSH01 15 Female Nancy

MCFGDSH02 14 Female Somi

MCFGDSH03 13 Female Suzy

MCFGDSH04 14 Female Irene

MCFGDSH05 16 Female Wendy

MCFGDSH06 17 Female Faye

Data Collection

Before the focus group and in-depth interviews were conducted, the

researchers approached the selected students in Mati National

Comprehensive High School and asked all of them nicely to participate in the

research. The researchers used triangulation method where every research

participant is being asked the same questions.

In-depth interviews are personal and also unstructured interviews,

whose aim is to clearly identify the emotions, feelings, and opinions of the

participant regarding the topic (Fisher, 2005).

On August 17, 2018, participants were gathered in one place inside

Mati National Comprehensive High School campus at exactly 11:30 am to

undergo focus group discussion (FGD) and in-depth interview (IDI). The

moderator was the one asking the participants with the research questions

constructed by the researchers aligned with the objectives of the study. The

participants were asked using the English language but sometimes translated

to their mother tongue for a better communication between them and the

researchers. The participants were allowed to answer using the language that

they preferred to use.

Prior to the conduct of the FGD and IDI, the participants were informed

that all pieces of information given are kept confidential. The researchers also

asked permission from the participants that the whole duration of the FGD

and IDI is recorded through a video camera and voice recorder. Thus, a

digitally – recorded face – to – face conversation is employed while a member

of the research groups took down notes to supplement the interview. The
questions are constructed plain and short. All participants were given and

asked the same structural questions.

After the conduct of focus group discussion and in-depth interviews

was conducted, the reseachers transcribed all collected data without any form

of biases.

Analysis of Data

After the data needed had been gathered, analysis of the data

followed. The study uses a qualitative content analysis. A Qualitative content

analysis is a popular method for analyzing written material. This means that

the results which spanned wide range of qualities had been obtained using

this method. Content analysis is a methodology that requires the researchers

who use it to make a strong case for the trustworthiness of their data (Potter &

Levine-Donnerstein, 1999).

In addition, the word coding is often used to the first part of the analysis

that concerns the naming and categorising of the phenomena through close

examination of data (Strauss & Corbin, 1990). As the researchers get to the

part of analysis process upon coding the data, the codes must come together

in one overall analysis. The analysis is to be viewed as the movement from

the particular to the general (McCracken, 1988).

Moreover, by coding and analysing the data, the researchers used their

personal knowledge and experiences as tools to make sense of the material

(McCracken, 1988). Therefore, some of the tools used are actually the
reseacher’s unique impressions, which might remain intangible and

undocumented (Strauss & Corbin, 1990).

Trustworthiness

The strategy to ensure trustworthiness of content analysis starts by

choosing the best data collection method to answer the research questions of

interest. A sufficient level of confidentiality of the research data was greatly

ensured by the researchers. Furthermore, any dissimulation or even

exaggeration about the aims and also the objectives of the research were

avoided. In addition, any type of communication that is related to the research

was done with honesty and transparency.

Demonstrating trustworthiness of collecting the data needed is one

aspect that will support the researcher’s ultimate argument concerning the

study’s trustworthiness (Rourke & Anderson, 2004). Selection of the most

appropriate method of data collection is needed to ensure the credibility of the

content analysis (Graneheim & Lundam, 2004) .

Credibility

From the viewpoint of credibility, self-awareness of the researchers is

actually essential (Koch, 1994). The researchers also ensured the credibility

of their study since according to Lincoln & Guba (1985), Credibility is one of

the most important criterion of trustworthiness because it underscores the

accuracy and factuality of a qualitatve study.

Dependability

Dependbility refers to the stability of data over time and under different

conditions. Therefore, it is important to state the principles and criteria used to

select participants and the participants’ main characteristics so that the

transferability of the results to other contexts can be assessed (Moretti et al.,

2011). Since dependability is also one criterion of trustworthiness, the

researchers established it. And to estabish dependability, the researchers

ensured that the findings are supported by the data collected.

Confirmability

Another criterion of trustworthiness is confirmability where instead of

general objectivity, the researcher’s neutrality of research interpretations is

required. To achieve this, the researchers had done confirmability audit. And

according to Lincold & Guba (1985), confirmability audit includes an audit trail

of raw data, analysis notes, reconstruction, and synthesis products, process

notes, personal notes, as well as preliminary development information.

Therefore, the researchers performed all of these.

Ethical Consideration

In any ways, the participants of the research were not subjected to

harm. The protection of every research participant was ensured greatly by the

researchers. The researchers also avoided representing of primary data in a

biased way or even any type of misleading informations. Moreover, the

researchers informed the participants about their affiliation and general

purpose of the study. When the participant wished to speak confidentially, this
was respected and protected. The comments and answers of the participants

was promised to be not used against him/her in any aspects.

 CHAPTER 4

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

This chapter is divided into three parts. Part 1 covers the data analysis

procedures and the steps in the categorization of the emerging themes from

the result of the in-depth interviews and focus group discussion. Part 2 deals

with the repsonses to the focus group discussion questions under each

research problem. And Part 3 contains the summary of the participants’

responses.

Categorization of Data

The researchers have undergone three flows of activity while analyzing

the gathered data during the in-depth interview and focus group discussion

namely: data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing/ verification

(Miles & Huberman, 1994).

Data Reduction

Miles and Huberman (1994) describe this first of their three elements of

qualitative data analysis as data reduction. To completely perform data

reduction, the researchers had done different processes such as selecting,

focusing, simplifying, abstracting, and transforming the data that appear in

written up field notes or transcriptions. In addition, the researchers did not

only condense the data needed for the sake of manageability, they also

transformed it so they can be made intelligible in terms of the issues being

addressed.
Data Display

Data display is the second element or level of qualitative analysis

(Miles & Huberman, 1994). Data display has been considered an important

step during the qualitative data analysis. According to Dey (1993), data

display is a way of portraying information succinctly and efficiently that

illustrates details provided in longer textual information. Therefore, to provide

a multidimensional space to organize data and show connections between

different pieces of relevant data, the researchers also performed data display.

Moreover, Burk (2005) also stated that a display can be used in

representing exploratory, basic, or initial data, or at the other end of the

process of analysis, it could help in showing detailed and casual explanations

or even as a way of generating research hypotheses and developing theory.

Drawing Conclusion

The third element of qualitative analysis is conclusion drawing and

verifying. Conclusion drawing involves stepping back to consider what the

analyzed data mean and to assess their implications for the questions at

hand. And since verification is also linked with conclusion drawing, the

researchers revisited the gathered data as many times as necessary to

furtherly verify these emergent conclusions.

Research Question No. 1: What are the experiences of the students who are

influenced by Korean Popular Culture?

Theme No. 1: Engaging in Social Media

From the responses of the informants, four (4) of them stated that

because of K – Pop, they engage more in social media contents, and it can be

categorized in three (3) ways.

1. Becoming a Wattpad addict

Two (2) informants claimed that because of the influence of K – Pop,

tey became a Wattpad addict.

Nancy have shared that she was not really into engaging in social

media before, but since she was influence by K – Pop, she tends to read

Wattpad stories more.

“Sa una kay dili man jud ko naga kuan...sige kog

YouTube ana dili gyud ko hilig and sa mga

Instagram, Twitter, di ko ana tapos katong nag

Grade 8 ko bag-o lang man ko nahiligan anang K-

Pop kay sige rakog tan-aw ug video nila, sige

rakog Wattpad tapos karong matulog ko kay

dugay na kaayo.”

Translation: I was not into YouTube, Instagram, Twittter and the like before.

But when I was in Grade 8, I became a K-Pop fan and was constantly

watching their video. I also became a Wattpad addict which caused me to

sleep late at night.

MCFGDSH01
 Suzy also briefly discussed that because of K-Pop, she had been

reading Wattpad stories about her idols.

“Kanang hilig kaayo ko mag-cellphones,

magbasa-basa ug wattpad nga mga upload sa

BTS, mang tag nako, permente nako mutan-aw ug

videos nila, magpalit nakog merchandise nila, mag

save nakog mga pictures nila sa cellphone.”

Translation: I am already fond of using my cellphone to read electronic books

and wattpad stories uploaded about BTS. I watch their videos and I even buy

their merchandise. I also save pictures of them at my phone.

MCFGDSH03

2. Joining Facebook Fandom Groups

One student named Wendy also shared her experience that all

because of K-Pop, she tends to join fandom groups particularly in facebook.

“Daghan kaayo kanang- so since kuan, nag K-Pop

ko mga Grade 7 ing-ana. Kuan, nag-nag apil-apil

na ko ug mga fandoms sa facebook ing-ana,

usahay pud kadtong first na K-Pop ko ha medyo

na apektohan gyud ang akong academic na mga

kuan mga grado tapos kadtong nag K-Pop pud ko

gitry nakog improve ang akong mga dancing.”

Translation: I began being a Kpop fan when I was in Grade 7 and started

joining fandoms in Facebook. My academic performance was greatly affected

at the beginning of being a fan however I tried to improve my dancing skills.

MCFGDSH05

3. Stalking idols in Instagram and Twitter

Faye said that being influenced by K-Pop is not easy, but she has

always gained happiness through streaming her idols’ videos and stalking

them on Instagram as well as in Twitter.

“Ahhmm, being influenced by Korean Popular

Culture is not easy, but I’m so thankful because

they have given happiness to my life but

sometimes, ahh, I always watch their videos and

music videos through online streaming. I’m always

stalking their accounts in Instagram and twitte

ahmmm.”

Translation: Being influenced by Korean popular culture is not easy, but I am

so thankful because it had given me happiness to my life. I often watch their

videos and music videos through online streaming. I often stalk their accounts

in Instagram and Twitter.

MCFGDSH06

Based on the experiences and responses of the students, it can be

drawn and concluded that engaging in social media is indeed one of the

reasons students were influenced by K – Pop. The study of Phan (2012) in

Vietnam supports this idea where it was stated in his study that among 1,114

high school students in Vietnam, 50% of them access to Korean Wave

through internet. Therefore, social media really played a big role in influencing

the students to K – Pop.

Theme No. 2: Having Mixed Emotions

One (1) student named Somim shared that her she has mixed

emotions whenever her idols will have a comeback and new videos.

“Ahm, it’s like riding a really crazy roller coaster

like your emotions are like all mixed up na dili ka

halos makasabot sa imong feelings no na makit-

an imong idol, makadungog sa ilang ano mga

songs kapag naa napoy comeback. RIP sa mga

dug-on ana na time and grabe kaayo ang

experience nako, kanang dili gyud nako na- di

gyud nako ingon ma-explain murag happy at the

same time murag makulbaan murag nervous, ana

gud.”

Translation: It’s like riding a crazy roller coaster where you cannot understand

the emotions because they are mixed whenever you see your idols and hear

their songs comeback. I cannot explain the happiness because I feel nervous

at the same time.

MCFGDSH02
 According to Que (2010) and Reyes (2012), Filipino people are very

easy to please and can easily be touched. Therefore, it is indeed normal for a

student who were influenced by K – Pop to be easily touched and have a

mixed up emotions.

Theme No. 3: Sleeping Late

Nancy shared that because of engaging in K-Pop, she tends to sleep late

at night now.

“Sa una kay dili man jud ko naga kuan...sige kog

YouTube ana dili gyud ko hilig and sa mga

Instagram, Twitter, di ko ana tapos katong nag

Grade 8 ko bag-o lang man ko nahiligan anang K-

Pop kay sige rakog tan-aw ug video nila, sige

rakog Wattpad tapos karong matulog ko kay

dugay na kaayo.”

Translation: Before, I’m really not into YouTube, Instagram, Twittter and such.

But when I was in Grade 8, I became a K-Pop fan and was constantly

watching their videos and I became a Wattpad addict which causes me to

sleep late at night.

MCFGDSH01

As what the student had stated, watching K – Pop videos caused her to

sleep late at night. According to the findings of Yuchen & Yi Ci (2015) in their

study, after watching Korean videos, most teenagers became Korean

maniacs. Thus, watching K – pop videos all night allows an individual to have

a lesser time for sleep due to sleeping late at night.

Theme No. 4: Decrease of Grade/s

Wendy shared her experience that all because of K-Pop, her academic

performance where affected.

“Daghan kaayo kanang- so since kuan, nag K-Pop

ko mga Grade 7 ing-ana. Kuan, nag-nag apil-apil na

ko ug mga fandoms sa facebook ing-ana, usahay

pud kadtong first na K-Pop ko ha medyo na

apektohan gyud ang akong academic na mga kuan

mga grado tapos kadtong nag K-Pop pud ko gitry

nakog improve ang akong mga dancing.”

Translation: A lot of things, since I began being a Kpop fan when I was Grade

7, I started joining fandoms in Facebook. The first time I entered K-Pop

sometimes, it affected my academic performance and grades yet I tried to

improve my dancing skills.

MCFGDSH05

As what the student shared about her experience, K – Pop affected her

academic performance such as the decrease of her grades. It was stated by

Eun’s (2009) study in Malaysia that students who were influenced by K – Pop

are willing to skip their classes because they do not want to miss out any new
information about their favorite celebrity/ idol. And it is known that skipping

classes affects the academic performance of a student.

Theme No. 5: Learning new language

One (1) informant named Irene, stated that she learned to speak the

Korean language through her experience as a K-Pop enthusiast.

“Uhm hahaha kanang murag kuan murag naa

nakoy naga tan-aw nakog mga Korean na dili

nako ginabuhat sauna. Ako nang naga aral nakog

mga language nila sa uban na nasod na dili nako

ginabuhat sauna murag nakapag uhm, murag

opo.”

Translation: Unlike before, I watch Korean videos now. I try to learn how they

speak, and I do not usually do these things.

MCFGDSH04

As what Naidu (2015) stated, the desire to learn new language is

something most teenagers and young adults feel motivated to do inorder to

have a certain connection to Korean Popular Culture. It supports the

statement of the student above were she was able to learn Korea language

because of being fond of watching Korean – related videos.

Research Question No. 2: How does being influenced by Korean Popular

Culture affect your behaviour and practices as an individual or student?

From the responses of the informants, the researchers found out that

there are two (2) effects of being influenced by Korean Popular Culture to the

student’s life as an individual and as a student.

Theme No. 6: Changes of actions and practices

Out of six (6) informants, five (5) of them highlighted that K-Pop really

does affect their actions and practices in different ways which can be

categorized in to three (3) ways.

1. Speaking Korean Language

Two (2) iformants had stated that speaking Korean Language was one

of the effects of K – Pop to their practices.

Nancy shared her thoughts about how K- Pop influenced her to speak

Korean language.

“Siguro kanang kinaiya kay kanang magsige lang

ko ug kuan biskan dili ko kabalo haha sige ra

gihapon kog- itry gihapon nako para lang ma kuan

nako makuha nako tapos binuhatan nako kay sa

una kay wala lang karon kay sige na kog Korean

ug storya bisan dili kabalo”

Translation: I noticed that I always try to speak the Korean language now

even if I do not know if it is right or wrong.

 MCFGDSH01

Somi shared her views on how K-Pop changes the way she acts and

speaks.

“Okay, now that really hits me hard kay maka-

affect najud siya sa akong mga actions and the

way I speak kay sauna paman jud ko kay anime

paman ako bago mag K-Pop no, akong

inistoryahan pud Japanese. Karon napod kay sa

K-Pop, akong inistoryahan pud Korean kay

makakita ko sa akong mga friends mag- mag-

ingon kog “Oppa!”, “Unnie!”, “Annyeong~”- mura

kog abnormal. But it is actually quite kind of fun

and ang mga effects niya maybe abnormal siya

through other people’s eyes but for me, it’s like

crazy and fun.”

Translation: That really hits me hard because K-Pop really does affect my

actions and the way I speak. I have always been an anime fan. Even before

K-Pop, I spoke the Janapese language. When I became a K-Pop fan, I began

to learn and speak especially because my friends often say “Oppa”, “Unnie”,

and “Annyeong”. I feel crazy. It is fun though I look crazy to other people.

MCFGDSH02
2. Affects their Clothing taste

Two (2) informants shared that K – Pop affected and influenced the

way they dressed.

Suzy shared that K-Pop affects the way she dresses and acts.

“Kanang ma boyish, tapos di ko ganahan ug

pambabae nga sinina, perminte nako

magdownload ug maminaw sa mga music nila,

perminte nako mutan-aw ug mga videos, di nako

ganahan anang mga babae-babae.”

Translation: I do not like girly things anymore which makes me somehow

boyish. I always download and listen to k-pop music and I always watch

videos about them.

MCFGDSH03

Wendy also stated that because of K-Pop and watching K-dramas, her

taste in clothes had changed.

“Ayhe, kuan kanang K-Drama, kanang akong

sinultian kay murag nakuan na jud ko, feel nako

kanang Korean na kaayo ko ing-ana. The way ko

magsuot kanang kay sa Grade 9 ko kay jacket

gyud na siya pirme mao to na ana sila “wa ka gi-

igangan uy?” mao to murag na adapt na pud nako

kay sa Korean kanang makita ko ug K-Drama kay

 diba ing-ana gyud na ilang mga suot mao to mag

jacket pud ko.”

Translation: Because of K-dramas, my way of talking made me feel that I am

a Korean. I used to wear jacket when I was in Grade 9. They would ask, “Are

you not feeling hot?”, That’s why I somehow ad’opted how Koreans dress in

K-dramas.

MCFGDSH05

3. Buying Merchandise

For Faye, buying merchandise was one of the changes that she

noticed when she was influenced by K-Pop.

“Ahmmm, I found myself buying their merchandise

and somehow adapt their practices.”

Translation: I found myself buying their merchandise and somehow adapt

their practices.

MCFGDSH06

The changing of the practices and behaviors of the students is indeed

one of the effects of being influenced by Korean Popular Culture, as what the

majority of the informants stated. Similarly, Malm (1997) stated that since

Filipino had a history of colonization and was influenced by some attitudes

which are inherited from the colonizers, it is a lot easier for Filipino Youths to

be influenced by Korean Popular Culture too due to the wide range of access

in social media.
Theme No. 7: Boost self-confidence

One (1) informant claimed that her self-confidence boosted when she

was influenced by K-Pop.

“Uhm, sa ano kay dili kaayo ko hawod mu sayaw

haha kanang ana pero karon dili nako maulawon

mag sayaw-sayaw hahaha sa atubangan sa

amoang room tapos dili nako sa una pud kay dili

kaayo ko naga kanta hahaha kay maulaw ko pero

karon na impluwensiyahan ko sa k-pop dili na

kaayo ko kanang ma express na nako akong

sarili.”

Translation: I really did not know how to dance before for I was very shy. Now,

I confidently dance infront of my classmates in our classroom. I also did not

sing before for I was shy, but because of the influence of K-Pop, I learned to

express myself.

MCFGDSH04

Indeed, K – Pop can help a student in honing his/ her skills and talents.

As what the student above stated, she was able to boost her self – confidence

and improve her skills in dancing all because of K – Pop. A similar study can

highly support this statement of the student. The study of Semilla & Soriano

(2017) showed that according to the students in Marinduque Midwest College,

Korean dramas relieved their stress and made them inspired. The students

also stated that they learned many things because of K – Pop.

Summary of Responses

Research Questiion No. 1: What are the experiences of the students who

are influenced by Korean Popular Culture?

Table No. 2: Experiences of students who are influenced by K-Pop

Frequency

Core Ideas/ Major of Responses

Themes Idea

“Sa una kay dili man jud ko naga

kuan...sige kog YouTube ana dili gyud

ko hilig and sa mga Instagram, Twitter,

Engaging in Social Variant di ko ana tapos katong nag Grade 8 ko

Media bag-o lang man ko nahiligan anang K-

Pop kay sige rakog tan-aw ug video

nila, sige rakog Wattpad tapos karong

matulog ko kay dugay na kaayo”

(I was not into YouTube, Instagram,

Twittter and the like before. But when

I was in Grade 8, I became a K-Pop

fan and was constantly watching their

video. I also became a Wattpad addict

which caused me to sleep late at

night.)

MCFGDSH01
 “Ahm, it’s like riding a really crazy

roller coaster like your emotions are

like all mixed up na dili ka halos

makasabot sa imong feelings no na

Mixed emotions Typical makit-an imong idol, makadungog sa

ilang ano mga songs kapag naa

napoy comeback. RIP sa mga dug-on

ana na time and grabe kaayo ang

experience nako, kanang dili gyud

nako na- di gyud nako ingon ma-

explain murag happy at the same time

murag makulbaan murag nervous,

ana gud”

(It’s like riding a crazy roller coaster

where you cannot understand the

emotions because they are mixed

whenever you see your idols and hear

their songs comeback. I cannot

explain the happiness because I feel

nervous at the same time.)

MCFGDSH02

“Uhm hahaha kanang murag kuan

murag naa nakoy naga tan-aw nakog

 mga korean na dili nako ginabuhat

sauna. Ako nang naga aral.”

Learning new language Typical

(Unlike before, I watch Korean videos

now. I try to learn how they speak,

and I do not usually do these things.)

MCFGDSH04

“Sa una kay dili man jud ko naga

kuan...sige kog YouTube ana dili gyud

ko hilig and sa mga Instagram, Twitter,

Sleeping Late Typical di ko ana tapos katong nag Grade 8 ko

bag-o lang man ko nahiligan anang K-

Pop kay sige rakog tan-aw ug video

nila, sige rakog Wattpad tapos karong

matulog ko kay dugay na kaayo.”

(I was not into YouTube, Instagram,

Twittter and the like before. But when

I was in Grade 8, I became a K-Pop

fan and was constantly watching their

video. I also became a Wattpad addict

which caused me to sleep late at

night.)

MCFGDSH01
 “Daghan kaayo kanang- so since kuan,

nag K-Pop ko mga Grade 7 ing-ana.

Kuan, nag-nag apil-apil na ko ug mga

Decrease of Grade/s Typical fandoms sa facebook ing-ana, usahay

pud kadtong first na K-Pop ko ha

medyo na apektohan gyud ang akong

academic na mga kuan mga grado

tapos kadtong nag K-Pop pud ko gitry

nakog improve ang akong mga

dancing.”

(A lot of things, since I began being a

Kpop fan when I was Grade 7, I started

joining fandoms in Facebook. The first

time I entered K-Pop sometimes, it

affected my academic performance and

grades yet I tried to improve my

dancing skills.)

MCFGDSH05
Research Question No. 2: How does being influenced by Korean Popular

Culture affect your behavior and practices as an individual or student?

Table No. 3: Impacts of K-Pop to the student’s lifestyle

Frequency

Core Ideas/ Major of Responses

Themes Idea

“Ayhe, kuan kanang K-Drama, kanang

akong sinultian kay murag nakuan na jud

ko, feel nako kanang Korean na kaayo

Changes of General ko ing-ana. The way ko magsuot kanang

practices and kay sa Grade 9 ko kay jacket gyud na

actions siya pirme mao to na ana sila “wa ka gi-

igangan uy?” mao to murag na adapt na

pud nako kay sa Korean kanang makita

ko ug K-Drama kay diba ing-ana gyud na

ilang mga suot mao to mag jacket pud

ko.”

(Because of K-dramas, my way of talking

made me feel that I am a Korean. I used

to wear jacket when I was in Grade 9.

They would ask, “Are you not feeling

hot?”, That’s why I somehow ad’opted

how Koreans dress in K-dramas.)

MCFGDSH05
 “Uhm, sa ano kay dili kaayo ko hawod

mu sayaw haha kanang ana pero karon

dili nako maulawon mag sayaw-sayaw

Boost self Typical hahaha sa atubangan sa amoang room

confidence tapos dili nako sa una pud kay dili kaayo

ko naga kanta hahaha kay maulaw ko

pero karon na impluwensiyahan ko sa k-

pop dili na kaayo ko kanang ma express

na nako akong sarili.”

(I really did not know how to dance

before for I was very shy. Now, I

confidently dance infront of my

classmates in our classroom. I also did

not sing before for I was shy, but

because of the influence of K-Pop, I

learned to express myself.)

MCFGDSH04
 CHAPTER V

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Conclusions

After gaining specific knowledge and observations pertaining to this

research: “Hallyu Ready?: The Invasion of Korean Fever”, it can be concluded

that Korean Wave has really affected different perspectives of personal

factors such as dealing with emotions and the change of actions and

practices. Based on the responses of the participants, the themes created for

the first question are; engaging more in social media contents, having mixed

emotions, learning to speak another language particularly the Korean

language, sleeping late, and decrease of grade/s.

In addition, it has also played a great impact to a person’s emotions

and behavioral stability and self-esteem. Among the themes created inclined

with the second research question based on the responses of the participants

are; having changes of a student’s actions and practices such as being fond

of wearing jackets and buying merchandise of their idols. The second theme

created according to the informants was boosting their self – confidence

which helped them as students and individuals in honing their skills and

talents especially in singing and dancing.

Furthermore, the researchers also concluded that the widespread

influence of the Korean popular culture among students here in Mati National

Comprehensive High School brought much impact that affects the students in

many different aspects. Korean Popular Culture became one of their sources
of motivation and inspiration to work and study hard, dream big, and aim high

in achieving their dreams and goals in life.

Recommendations

This study can be well taken care of by the Department of Education

by giving different and desired curriculums, agendas and propagandas that

can help these students in attaining to their studies while continuing to admire

the hallyu wave. This may not be only beneficial to the students who are big

fans of the korean popular culture, but with these departments too, since

these will serve as a new strategy to give academic institution a new way of

teaching and educating.

In addition, staff and teachers of Mati National Comprehensive High

School can also be of very big help by giving enough supervision to students

who do not give enough attention to their studies and academic performances

because of the so-called “Korean popular culture”.

To the students who are influenced by Korean Popular Culture, the

researchers recommend that they would be more extra careful towards the

effects of K – Pop to their lives and pay more attention to their academic

performances in school and do not let this phenomena halt their goals and

dreams instead, make it as an inspiration and motivation inorder to finish.

Also, the parents of the students who were influenced by Korean

Popular Culture could also be a big help by giving understanding to the

feelings of their children, and handling their child’s behaviors and practices

properly with wide comprehension.

Moreover, this will also be of help to the future researchers and to

those who want to study why some students find solace in the korean popular

culture. To the future researchers who would also like to study the invasion

of korean fever and how it affects the perception and practices of the

students, the researchers would like to suggest that they would find more

effects or impacts, both positive and negative of being influenced by K – Pop

and to dig deeper on how it really affects every students’ behaviour and

practices.