CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 INTRODUCTION

In every aspect of life, society, and culture, without exception, we have been

affected more and more by globalisation. According to Watson (2020), globalisation

can be defined as a phenomena where the globalisation of cultural expressions is

reflected in the experience of daily life as impacted by the spread of ideas and goods.

Standardisation, that also refers to commonalities in clothes, eating habits, and

cultural items, and Diversification, which tends toward motivation in addressing the

many cultures or heritages of the globe, are two unmatched phenomena that

globalisation has brought about. These two globalisation tendencies appear to be

crucial for the growth of globalisation in terms of culture. On the other hand, the

promotion of the globalisation of culture has been greatly aided by scientific and well-

developed communication technology.

The advancement of technology has made it possible for knowledge to flow

swiftly around the world and for people to converse with one another without having

to physically meet. People may now access the outside world for their lifestyle

choices, such as clothing and accessories. This includes the cultures of many nations

and one‘s ethnic populations which resulted in them also being impacted by this

unconstrained expansion in communications technology. One of them is the Korean

Wave, brought by South Korea.

The Korean Wave, also known as Hallyu or "Hallyu" in Korean, is a very

well-known cultural byproduct of globalisation that has been impacting people today,

particularly in Asia. Since the 1990s, the Hallyu has become a hugely popular and
well-known South Korean cultural export. With the advancement of digital

technology, social media like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and mass communication

devices like the smartphone and television, it has undergone a significant revolution.

These cutting-edge technologies offer a platform for Korean culture to grow its

impact globally. Through its traditions and lifestyle as well as its music and plays,

Korean culture has indeed been spreading to practically every country in the world in

recent years, including Malaysia.

1.2 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

The Korean Wave has benefited Korea's economy, culture, and international

standing. The Korean Wave has grown to be one of Asia's major cultural trends since

early 1999. According to a website called MartinRoll (2021), the Korean Wave has

been enormous, contributing for around USD 1.87 billion, or 0.2 percent, of Korea's

2004 GDP. More recently, in 2019, this phenomena helped the Korean economy by an

estimated 12.3 billion USD. Meanwhile, since the early 2000s, when well-liked

dramas like "Winter Sonata" and "Autumn in My Heart" debuted on our local

television (TV) stations, Malaysians have been enjoying the Korean wave.

In this century, K-pop, or Korean pop music, has a significant impact on its

listeners' way of life today. K-pop culture has been embraced and adopted by several

Malaysians. This gradually affected our food, music, dancing, apparel, and,

eventually, language. In addition, Malaysians nowadays are also willing to spend

anything from MYR299 to MYR799 to buy their favourite K-pop stars' merchandise

ranging from books, light sticks, posters, photocards and many more. These people

have grown so enamoured with Korean superstars that they frequently copy

everything they do and emulate the opulent lifestyles they lead. Cosmetic surgery,
which is also very frequent among Koreans, has also grown in popularity among

Malaysians, particularly among young people who want to have a milky-white

complexion and a petite face like Korean idols.

Nonetheless, young people in Malaysia are growing increasingly naive of their

own culture and even religion as they get hooked with Korean entertainment and

lifestyle. This phenomenon leads a liberal, contemporary lifestyle that is mostly

disassociated from Islamic beliefs and promotes it. In addition, the dissemination of

this popular culture can be a threat towards the National Defence University of

Malaysia in their objective of forming graduates with Leader of Characters values.

Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the Korean Wave

phenomena, the elements that lead to these young people's obsession with the South

Korean entertainment it brings, how it influences Muslim youths' lifestyles in

Malaysia, and recommendations for ways to address this problem.

1.3 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Concerns have been expressed over Muslim youngsters' fascination with

Hallyu in the areas of entertainment, fashion, and even culture. The quick

development of media and technology has allowed the Korean Wave to become

popular everywhere, including Malaysia. Technology has a big part to play in

fanaticism and interest in Korean culture, which has led to Muslim believer being

impacted by it. In addition to adopting celebrity-endorsed fashion trends, beauty

regimens, and lifestyles, including cosmetic procedures, young people who

obsessively adore celebrities have walls covered with celebrity posters, bookshelves

full of magazines in which their favourite celebrities have been featured, and

calendars marked with celebrity birthdays.

their lives, this popular movement is considered as a threat to their way of life because

it goes beyond Islamic teachings. Islam has established limitations on entertainment,

and going beyond these limits can have a negative impact on a person's beliefs and

way of life. Several studies about the effects of Korean Wave were done by previous

researchers, but none have specifically examined how it has affected Muslim students

in NDUM. As a result, this study will concentrate on how the Korean Wave

entertainment, fashion, and lifestyle have an impact on NDUM Muslim students’

daily lives by quantifying such impacts.

1.4 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

The main objectives of this research is to examine the effects of the

Korean Wave towards the lifestyle of Muslim students in National Defence

University of Malaysia (NDUM). The specific objectives are focused on:

1. To study the Korean Wave phenomenon in Malaysia.

2. To identify the factors and effects of Korean Wave towards the lifestyle of

Muslim students in NDUM.

3. To propose solutions in order to overcome the challenges posed by the

Korean Wave.

1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The research questions of this research are:

1. How are the Muslim students in NDUM influenced by the Korean Wave?

2. How does Korean Wave affect the lifestyle of Muslim students in NDUM?

3. How to overcome the challenges posed by the Korean Wave?

The results of this study will show how the Korean Wave has affected Muslim

students' way of life in Malaysia, especially those attending National Defence

University of Malaysia located in Kuala Lumpur. Regarding this subject, different

scholars have conducted a number of studies. However, these studies mostly

concentrate on the social environment and ethical issues outside of Malaysia. There

hasn't been a study that focuses on the backdrop of Muslim lifestyle in Malaysia

especially in a military university as far as the research field is concerned. Because

previous academics haven't looked at this particular area or context, this study will do

so with the hope that this research may help the management of the university to

prevent any social problem rooted from this Korean Wave.

1.7 OPERATIONAL TERMS

To clarify the study and eliminate any uncertainty, key ideas includes culture

and Islam will be explained by researcher. These operational definitions are limited to

this study only as deemed necessary.

1.7.1 Culture

Culture is a notably complex term to describe. Two American

anthropologists, Kroeber and Kluckhohn, critically examined ideas and

definitions of culture in 1952 and came up with a list of 164 varying versions.

The second, initiated by Edward Tylor in Primitive Culture (1870), regarded

culture to such a value shared by all individuals in all social groups, who could
still be arranged on an evolutionary (developmental) continuum) from

"savagery" to "barbarism" to "civilization," in part in response to this usage.

Meanwhile, Hofstede in 1994 came up with a definition that culture is

the collective mental training that distinguishes one group or category of

people from another. Furthermore, culture might affect people in various ways

in determining what kind of lifestyle they want to lead. For example, popular

culture. According to Marcel (2012) , popular culture is often distinguished

from high culture and diverse institutional cultures by being either affiliated

with mass culture or folk culture. A focus on popular culture's place within a

capitalist mode of economic production results from the relationship of

popular culture with mass culture. The first and most rudimentary effect of

popular culture is how it builds and strengthens interactions with people who

are also into the same kind of things. Events to celebrate popular culture such

as Comic-con help foster bonds among people of different backgrounds.

However, we cannot deny the fact that popular culture has its cons,

where according to Adams (2017), popular culture reduces a person's

uniqueness and causes culture to stagnate on the parameters of popular culture.

Popular culture creates a poor means of self-expression. Because they are the

primary consumers of pop culture, the masses undermine it by becoming too

reliant on the image of an icon, which stunts the culture's growth and

distinctiveness.
1.7.2 Islam

Islam is an Abrahamic form of religion that is centred on the Quran,

which Muslims believe to be the actual words of God as they were disclosed

to Muhammad, the major and last prophet of Islam. The believer of Islam

known as Muslim. After Christianity, it is the second-largest religion in the

world, with more than two billion devotees, or around 25% of the world's

population. Islam holds that God is a benevolent, all-knowing, and singular

being who has guided mankind via a variety of prophets, revealed texts, and

natural signs, with the Quran acting as the latest and most comprehensive

revelation and Muhammad as the "Seal of the Prophets" (the last prophet of

God). After the Quran, Muslims can refer to the Sunnah, or teachings and

deeds of Muhammad, which are recorded in conventional collected stories

(hadith). In Malaysia, Islam is considered as their official religion with the

majority of its citizen devoted to this belief.

Islam emphasizes modesty, humility and dignity to every Muslim in

term of their lifestyle which includes clothing, entertainment and etc. (Pervez,

2015). When it comes to entertainment, Islam hinder Muslim from to be

fanatic or obsessed towards entertainment as it is a kind of activities that only

bring them to disobedience, harmness, wasteful, and kept them away from the

rule of Islam. This can be justified when according to reports in the media,

Korean wave products have influenced Malay Muslim fans' attitudes and

behaviour, causing them to be too obsessed with the idols to keep an eye on

their interactions with non-Mahram and spend thousands of Ringgit on idol

merchandise. They have also been reported to suffer from celebrity worship
 syndrome disorder, where they want to have sex with the Korean idols and

believe the idols are in love with them (Abd Rahim, 2016).

1.8 SCOPE OF RESEARCH

The impact of Korean Wave on Muslim students' lifestyles in Malaysia is the

main topic of this study. This study will be conducted within four months. The

students of National Defence University of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur will be the

subject of this study ’s main attention with 80-100 respondents will be needed for this

research. All these respondents will help the researchers to answer all the questions

stated in the research objectives. The study's limitations are due to a variety of issues,

including resources, time, money, labour, and the availability of information on the

topic.
 CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 INTRODUCTION

The literature review is essential to this study because it attempts to clarify

potential directions for further inquiry into the topics under investigation. It is crucial

to this research as it serves as evidence of study problems and the improvement or

refining of research topics. Then it assists with research or important work for

discipline training. It also helps in the identification of data from earlier studies by

researchers looking at how the Korean Wave may have affected Muslim students at

NDUM's way of life.

The idea of globalisation, which is a cross-cultural phenomena, is one of the

distinctive methodologies employed in previous research on the Korean Wave. The

foundation for the culture industry sector has been created by recent globalisation

processes in East Asia and the engagement of cross-border flows of cultural products.

The social and cultural aspects of globalisation are also present, in addition to the

economic and political elements.

2.2. THE PHENOMENA AND THE EFFECTS OF KOREAN WAVE IN

MALAYSIA

In his research, Cho looked at the changes brought about by the Korean wave

and the mutual interactions between Korea and Malaysia. This study shows that Tun

Dr. Mahathir Bin Mohamad, Malaysia's fourth prime minister, and his "Look East

Policy" are responsible for the beginning of the bilateral relationship between South

Korea and Malaysia. The relationship between Korea and Malaysia was first
perceived as the result of artificial state promotion of the two countries' connections,

which subsequently expanded on a civilian level when the Korean Wave gained

popularity. The organic promotion of bonds established by civilians is what

distinguishes this relationship. This potential may be seen in Malaysia's Korean wave,

which Cho highlighted as having the potential to become a worldwide phenomenon,

expand throughout the Islamic world, and endure over time .The fact that Malaysia

has accepted Korean Wave is evidence that Muslims have embraced Korean culture,

which has led to the culture's emergence as a worldwide trend.

The impact of the Korean Wave on Malaysian society has resulted in more

positive perceptions of Korea, which has sparked a greater interest in South Korean

society and culture, as well as the Korean language and academic study of Korea, and

has therefore changed Malaysian culture and way of life. Regarding economics, the

Korean Wave has led to a growth in the popularity of Korean food among Malaysians,

the number of Malaysian tourists travelling to South Korea, and the buying of South

Korean goods in Malaysia. In his book, Cho mentions the Korean wave's influence on

the Muslim world, but he doesn't go into much depth. Thus, by examining the effects

of the Hallyu wave on Muslim adolescents' lifestyles, with a particular focus on

university students, this study will address the research gap.

According to media articles authored by Khadijah Ibrahim for Utusan

Malaysia and Siti Fatimah Hassan for Harian Metro, the Korean Wave phenomenon

has a detrimental effect on Muslim youngsters in Malaysia. These two scholars

emphasised how the growing Korean Wave phenomena in this nation is in direct

opposition to Islamic teachings. For instance, many Muslim young people,

particularly ladies, attended a concert by the Korean male singing group B1A4 in

Kuala Lumpur. Female Muslim teenagers were seen getting cuddled and kissed by the
performers during a meet and greet session during the event. The infatuation of these

young people with these artists that leads them to allow themselves to violate Islamic

teachings has been underlined by both authors in their writings.

2.2 THE PHENOMENA AND THE EFFECTS OF KOREAN WAVE IN

OTHER COUNTRIES

In an effort to uncover the secret behind the Korean Wave popularity, several

scholars have examined its cultural component, with many of them concentrating on

its cultural components. Han Hong Xi and Yang Eun Kyung, for instance, in their

writings "The Phenomenon of "Hanliu" and the Acceptability of Foreign Popular

Culture in China" and "Formation of East-Asian Identity and Consumption of

Television," respectively, mentioned how Confucianism and traditional values appeal

to specific demographic groups in the receiving nations. Asians wished to embrace

more Western entertainment influences, but many are hesitant to do so owing to,

among other things, ideological divides.

In "A View of the Korean Wave in East Asia: Discourses and Reality," Shin

Yoon Whan noted that there are certain similarities between Korean popular culture

and the cultural preferences and contents of the audiences that were studied. In other

words, the audiences of the receiving nations tend to accept imported cultural goods

more readily if they are comparable to or share characteristics with their own beliefs,

sentiments, and experiences. East Asian viewers are drawn to plays and films that

reflect Confucian ideals and conventional values like harmony, morality, and respect

for family connections.

However, it is clear that this cultural perspective is insufficient to explain the

Korean Wave phenomena in other Asian nations like Malaysia, Indonesia, and the
Philippines, who do not follow Confucianism and do not share many of Korea's

cultural norms.

The Korean Wave phenomena has attracted interest from throughout the

world, according to Han Hee Joo and Lee Jae Sub and Hanaki et al. in "Hanryu

sweeps East Asia: How Winter Sonata is Gripping Japan" and "Study on the KBS TV

Drama Winter Sonata and its Impact on Korea's Hallyu Tourism Development."

Because of its impact on viewers' lives, fan gatherings have been organised, and some

fans have even travelled to Korea to learn the language and culture. Along with being

interested in learning the Korean language and conversing in it, K-pop fans have also

developed an interest in Korean cuisine. The articles and publications mentioned

above talk about the Korean Wave phenomena, which has an impact on the audiences

of Korean dramas and programmes in other Asian nations. Viewers have been

inspired to imitate the same culture by the scenarios shown in these plays. Many

viewers are impacted by this phenomena, especially young people. However, this

study will focus primarily on how Korean Wave has affected Muslim students way of

life in National Defence University of Malaysia (NDUM).

2.3 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

2.4 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

2.5 CONCLUSION
 CHAPTER 3

METHODOLOGY

3.1 RESEARCH DESIGN

Research methods are the equipment and/or resources that researchers employ when

carrying out any kind of investigation or study (Walliman, 2011; Bailey, 1994). Design is

largely focused on "aims, uses, purposes, intentions, and plans within the practical

restrictions of site, time, money, and the researcher's availability," according to Hakim

(2000, p. 1). This study uses a mixed-methods approach; at the conclusion of Chapter 4,

qualitative and quantitative data will be triangulated. It might be difficult to understand the

triangulation approach of qualitative and quantitative research since it has been characterised

in a variety of ways (Niglas, 2009). An "empirical research encompassing the collection and

analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data" has been stated as its purpose (Allan,

n.d.).The words qualitative and quantitative are frequently confused as opposites. The polar

thoughts that emerge can be seen as either a sequence of crisp concepts or as a continuum (a

matter of degrees). The two ideas are defined in contrast to one another in every situation.

3.1.1 Qualitative Data

Qualitative research often involves small samples and is conveyed in precise

words. In qualitative research, cases are chosen arbitrarily or on purpose. Because

qualitative research typically focuses on particular people, occasions, and

circumstances, idiographic analysis is well suited to this type of study. There isn't a

qualitative observation out there that can't be quantified. Texts derived from various

sources, such as ethnographic notes, images, or interviews, may all be coded using

either human judgement or quantitative algorithms (Grimmer & Stewart 2013).

However, this study will remain with the more general and less clunky concept of
 qualitative observation, which applies to both descriptive and causal findings.

Causal-process observations may be used when employing qualitative observations

for causal analysis (Brady 2010).

3.1.2 Quantitative Data

Quantitative research is seen as a logical approach to learning (Rovai

et al., 2014). The world exists outside of ourselves, according to quantitative

researchers, and there is "...an objective reality irrespective of any

observations" (Rovai et al., 2014, p. 4). They reasoned that by dissecting this

reality into smaller, easier-to-study bits, it may be understood. This approach

is defined by the researcher offering a theory that is shown inside a particular

hypothesis, which is then investigated. Following a series of observations and

data analysis, conclusions may then be drawn with regard to this hypothesis

(Rovai et al., 2014).

3.2 POPULATION AND SAMPLING

Sampling is the process of selecting a sample from a population. For this, the

population is divided into a number of units known as sample units. Some

populations are so large that it would be unaffordably expensive to research them in

terms of labour, time, resources, and money. Sampling is the process of choosing and

examining a relatively small sample size of individuals, objects, or events in order to

derive conclusions about the population as a whole. It results in increased precision

and accuracy, lower costs, time and energy savings, and greater measuring

opportunities.
 Before a sample can be chosen from a population, a sampling frame, or a

technique that identifies and places the sampling units within the population, must be

given, as Gregoire and Valentine (2008, p. 8) explained. The researcher employs

convenience sampling in this study. Dornyei (2017) defines convenience sampling as

a type of non-probability or non-random sampling in which members of the target

population are included in the study if they meet certain practical requirements, such

as ease of accessibility, geographic proximity, availability at a specific time, or

willingness to participate. Additionally, it is used to describe population study

individuals that are simple for researchers to obtain (Saumure & Given, 2008). So,

throughout the online survey, convenience sampling is applied.

3.3 DATA COLLECTION

Data gathering is the systematic process of gathering and analysing

information on relevant factors in order to test hypotheses, gather evidence, and

evaluate results. Any data collection has as its goal to amass high-quality evidence,

which translates to rich data analysis and enables the creation of a convincing and

credible response to the concerns addressed. Data for this project will be gathered

using surveys and interviews, with respondents chosen using stratified convenience

sampling.

A survey is just a list of handwritten or printed questions that are completed

by or for respondents in order for them to give their thoughts. A survey, as defined,

consists of many questionnaire items or questions. A survey enables the systematic

collecting of quantitative data, producing results that are coherent and internally

consistent for analysis. Any text-based instruments that ask survey participants a

series of questions or statements to respond to, either on paper or online, by marking

(Brown, 2001).

3.4 DATA ANALYSIS

The data analysis, which includes descriptive and frequency analysis, will be covered

in this part. Using frequency and descriptive analysis, the respondents' demographic data as

well as the various batik themes, methods, and procedures will be examined. On the basis of

themes, the interview questions will be manually assessed (motifs, designs, techniques, and

processes).

Descriptive analysis is a method for explaining how researchers believe something to

be, claims Waliman (2011, p. 10). In this study, the researcher attempts to evaluate instances

to characterise the norm by using descriptive analysis. In a descriptive analysis, the

researcher has no influence over the variables. Therefore, this research will only include

events that have already happened or will happen in the future. Additionally, the factors are

described using this analysis.

After gathering the data, the researcher will compile and evaluate datasets. For data

analysis and statistics extraction, IBM Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS)

Version 25 was utilised. Frequencies and percentages were determined using the qualitative

data analysis. Tables that illustrate which quantitative data the respondents selected most and

least frequently will be reported using percentages and frequencies. Data were described

using frequencies, means, and standard deviation. Standard deviation is used to describe

quantitative variables in their most basic terms (SD).

The research design, population and sampling, data collecting, and data analysis are

all stated in this chapter. In this study, triangulation is used to interpret both the quantitative

data from the online survey and the qualitative data from the interviews. Additionally, the

sample strategy utilised in this study is convenience sampling. Quantitative data will be

examined using SPSS, and because there were only four respondents, the qualitative data

will be handled manually. The results of this investigation will be discussed in the

subsequent chapter.