The Relationship Between the Korean Wave Adolescent Behavior in Indonesia| 2023

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE KOREAN WAVE AND

ADOLESCENT BEHAVIOR IN INDONESIA

Authors:
Sarah Novadira Dwi Cahyanti , Tatu Zakiyatun Nufus2nd , Vannesha Dea Adella3rd
1st

Psychology Faculty of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, Indonesia

Abstract
Currently, the Korean Wave is still at its golden peak. Many countries are affected by the rampant Korean
industry, and Indonesia is no exception. Teenagers are the main target of this Hallyu phenomenon. Changes in
the behavior of millennial teenagers in Indonesia are starting to be seen as a result of this wave. Generally, when
a teenager watches a drama and finds a character with a speech style that feels iconic, then they will consciously
pronounce, of course in Korean. Coupled with the depiction of Korean fashion culture seen from dramas and
K-Pop stars, as a big fan will definitely be interested in buying things related to their idols and if that behavior
continues, consumptive behavior is successfully triggered. Then, when they feel bored at study time, teenagers
will usually play K-POP music which makes them motivated to study. The impact of teenage behavior caused
by the Korean wave phenomenon has many positive sides, but not a few negative sides that arise. Teenagers as
the next generation of the Indonesian nation, of course, are expected to recognize and adapt to foreign cultures,
but that does not mean leaving the culture of the Indonesian nation itself. Teenagers must be critical of incoming
cultures, sorting out what cultures can be followed and what cultures must be abandoned. Accepting outside
culture must also be reasonable and not excessive.

Keywords: Korean Wave, Adolescent Behavior, K-Pop, K-Drama, Indonesia.

Introduction
In the current era of globalization, of course, foreign cultures are increasingly easy to
enter Indonesia. Of the many cultures that enter, the Korean wave phenomenon is the hottest
topic. Indonesia is not the only country affected by Hallyu fever, but most countries are also
affected. Korean Wave is truly at its golden peak. This is what makes us interested in
investigating whether or not there is a relationship between the Korean Wave and adolescent
behavior in Indonesia. We chose a group of teenagers, because it is not unusual to see on
social media that school teenagers hype something about Korean.

According to some research journals that we reviewed before. We found that the
Korean Wave triggers bad behaviors of teenagers, even behaviors that are out of the moral
and cultural values of the Indonesian nation. However, there are also many positive
influences. So that gives us a good initial focus to find out more about whether the
relationship between the Korean Wave and teenage behavior has a significant impact or not.

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 The Relationship Between the Korean Wave Adolescent Behavior in Indonesia| 2023

Review Literature
A. Definition of Korean Wave
Korean Wave or what can also be called Hallyu is a phenomenon where Korean pop
culture spreads throughout the world. The emergence of the phenomenon makes people
interested in exploring Korean culture itself. Generally, people start to be influenced by
several things, namely K-POP music, K-Drama, beauty products, fashion styles, food, and
other various events. Initially someone may only be interested, but slowly that interest turns
into curiosity. So that it raises a deeper curiosity, of course, about Korean culture.

B. Types of Korean Wave

As explained in the previous paragraph, there are several types of Korean culture that
have a considerable impact on the influence of adolescent behavior in Indonesia. Of the many
influences of the Korean wave, K-Pop and K-Drama are the main factors that trigger other
teenage behaviors.

K-Pop stands for Korean pop, this is a typical music genre originating from South
Korea. It is no secret that the South Korean music industry is very strict and disciplined.
Every prospective idol will undergo a training period that sometimes takes quite a long time,
even up to 10 years or more. The abilities of each idol are well honed, so the quality of their
music is guaranteed to be able to compete globally. In addition, if there are past scandals from
prospective idols that are very severe such as bullying, it will be ensured that idols cannot be
involved in the South Korean music and television industry. Many TV programs in South
Korea show the struggle of a trainee to debut, this is also what makes many teenagers
motivated to learn in life.

Meanwhile, K-Drama (Korean Drama) or what Indonesians often call DraKor (Drama
Korean) is a television series created by South Korea. These K-Dramas usually have 16 - 20
episodes or more, with a duration of approximately 1 hour per episode, but there are also
K-Dramas that have less than 10 episodes. This number of episodes is very humane
compared to Indonesian soap operas or even Bollywood series.

C. The Impact of The Korean Wave

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 The Relationship Between the Korean Wave Adolescent Behavior in Indonesia| 2023

The Korean Wave phenomenon has influenced teenagers in Indonesia. Young people
today tend to like and glorify Korean things rather than their own country's culture. The
Korean Wave that affects teenagers' behavior has a significant impact, both positive and
negative.

Here are the positive impacts of the Korean Wave:

1. K-Pop and K-Drama have inspired fashion in Indonesia.
2. Teenagers can know their self-image, which means a picture of themselves as a creation
that has a physical associated with physical characteristics in a person's appearance in
general or a person's thoughts about how other people view themselves and how people
judge them (Wibowo, 2007).
3. Can expand relationships and make it easier to socialize because of the same hobby.
4. The Korean wave can trigger motivation and enthusiasm to become a better person.

In addition to the positive impacts, there are also negative impacts caused by the Korean
Wave, namely:
1. Excessive glorification of Korean artists or actors.
2. Consumptive lifestyle to buy new Korean items excessively.
3. Impaired eye health due to watching K-Pop or K-Drama for a long time through gadgets.
4. Conformity, which is behavior carried out due to the influence of others to take the same
action. Then the individual does it whether he likes it or dislikes what the other person is
doing (Sears, Freedman, & Peplau, 1994).

Methodology
This research uses a qualitative approach by using the literature review method. This
research is descriptive in nature to find out the relationship between Korean Wave and
teenagers' behavior in Indonesia. The literature review method by collecting various journals,
books and theories related to topics relevant to the title of this research. Based on the research
that has been collected, it will then be analyzed carefully and carefully so that the information
obtained is valid. So that it can conclude the research results as an answer to the title of this
research. That is, what relationship is formed from the emergence of the Korean wave
phenomenon to the behavior of millennial adolescents in Indonesia today. then, also find out
whether the impact caused is significant or not.

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 The Relationship Between the Korean Wave Adolescent Behavior in Indonesia| 2023

Result and Finding

In the research that has been conducted by previous researchers related to Korean
waves and adolescent behavior, it shows that the relationship between the two is very
significant. This is because adolescence is a transitional period from childhood to young
adulthood. At this time, a teenager will search for his identity and is also easily influenced to
satisfy his great curiosity. Late adolescence is around the age of the second decade. At this
time career interests, relationships and identity exploration generally develop during late
adolescence (Santrock, 2016).

With the presence of the Korean wave as a result of globalization, it is the beginning
of the trigger for changes in adolescent attitudes. Starting with the broadcast of one of the
Korean dramas on Indonesian TV, namely "Autumn in My Heart" in 2002. Because of the
many fans of Korean dramas after the airing of the drama, the TV station finally aired other
Korean dramas. When associated with the present, many teenagers prefer to watch K-Dramas
rather than soap operas from their own nation, because the storyline is interesting and the
acting of the characters should be appreciated. The intensity of watching K-Drama done by
teenagers is also no joke, so curious about the continuation of the plot of the drama, they can
watch a full day and forget other activities. After that, they will imitate the words or iconic
speech styles of the characters in the drama, of course with Korean pronunciation. Not only
that, seeing actors and actresses who look fashionable also makes them interested in
following their fashion style.

Moving on to K-Pop music which is no less hype than K-Drama. Generally, K-Pop is
sung by boy groups and girl groups with iconic dances. Teenagers think it's cool and start
learning and following the dances of the K-Pop songs they like. Then, uploading anything
related to the idol on social media. Many of the teenagers in Indonesia make K-Pop dance
cover videos or dance challenges that are trending. They also try to learn Korean in a short
time to meet their idols during fan meetings. Teenagers also use Korean idols as motivators in
pursuing dreams, because generally Korean idols go through difficult times when pursuing
dreams as idols.

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 The Relationship Between the Korean Wave Adolescent Behavior in Indonesia| 2023

One of the characteristics of adolescence is that they always want to be obeyed

whatever they want, this is evidenced by the growth of consumptive behavior among
Indonesian teenagers. Especially everything related to their idols. In fact, now many local
brands also use idols or actors and actresses from Korea as consumer attractants. Directly, the
impact on consumer behavior that is given continuously can affect the value of a culture
(Semenik et al., 2012).

Conclusion
The Korean Wave is a phenomenon where Korean culture spreads throughout the
world. Countries affected by it, such as Indonesia, must be prepared for the current era of
globalization. Especially teenagers in Indonesia. The relationship between the Korean wave
and is quite significant, with many positive and negative impacts. As the future generation of
a good nation, teenagers must adapt to this phenomenon. It is hoped that teenagers will be
more familiar with their own Indonesian culture and preserve it. However, this does not mean
that they should not adapt to foreign cultures. In short, teenagers must be critical of incoming
cultures, sorting out what cultures can be followed and what cultures should be abandoned.

Citation and Bibliography

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Fortunata, F., & Utami, L. S. S. (2021, August). The Effect of Addiction of Watching Korean
Drama Series on Imitation Behavior of Adolescents. In International Conference
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