KOREAN WAVE (K-Pop) CULTURAL TRENDS AMONG PEKALONGAN

STUDENTS

Author Name : Rifa Aprila Durrotul Aisy

Email: rifaprila@gmail.com

Abstract
Korean wave or Hallyu is a term for the spread of Korean culture in various worlds, including
Indonesia. The entry of Korean culture into Indonesia has attracted a lot of public attention,
especially students, and has even become a trend. Thus, it is unavoidable the impact that will
arise after the Korean culture is spread. One of them is K-Pop, in Indonesia, there are not a few
K-Pop fans. The purpose of this research is to find out how these Korean cultural trends occur
and what impacts arise from them. The method used by the author is a qualitative method with
data collection through interviews and observations. Students know and like K-Pop in various
ways such as from friends and also from Korean dramas themselves.
Keywords: Korean wave, students, fans, trend

INTRODUCTION
The era of globalization is an era where the development of technology has an impact on
various aspects of people's lives (Bakhri, S., Dyatmika, T., & Kamal, M. R. 2020). In addition,
global changes occur in various aspects, both in the economic, political, social, and cultural
fields in various worlds including Indonesia. This cultural change was caused by several foreign
cultures that entered Indonesia quickly. One of the cultures that are currently booming, namely
the Korean wave or Hallyu which is very popular among students. The Korean wave is a term for
the spread of popular South Korean culture such as drama, music, entertainment, food, fashion,
and so on (Larasati,2018). South Korea presents music in different colors by featuring talented
idols and also Korean dramas that tell different stories are the main attraction for the audience.
So no wonder South Korea is currently experiencing progress in the entertainment industry.

K-Pop is one of the Korean cultures that occur in Indonesia, Korean pop or Korean music
is popular with various types of music genres, usually performed by boy groups or girl groups
under a management or agency such as EXO, NCT, BTS, Red Velvet. , Aespa and Blackpink. In
addition to k-pop, there are also k-drama or Korean dramas, dramas that tell the lives of Korean
people that are broadcast on TV or paid applications. Usually, in a Korean drama consisting of
16-20 episodes, the story is adapted from a true story or fictional story (Ardia, V. 2014).

The emergence of the Korean wave has succeeded in making everyone stunned,
especially young people. The students like K-Pop and K-Drama a lot because they have their
characteristics in their appearance in terms of music, energetic dance, attractive fashion,
handsome and beautiful face, and also the talent and the talents they have. these talents and
talents are not obtained instantly and easily, but idols must attend training at a time that is not
practically short of about 3 to 7 years to achieve success. So it's not surprising that Korean idols
can display a work so extraordinary that it is in demand by many people. This Korean wave can
also affect lifestyle. Not a few teenagers who follow Korean culture such as following the style
of dress, hairstyle, food, skincare, to buying knick-knacks related to idols and they have their
pleasure after all of that is achieved (Ayu Soraya Vani. 2013).

A person's enjoyment of idols as their fans is often associated with fanaticism. According
to (Mutaali and Prastiti, 2019), fanaticism is a belief in something related to excessive pleasure.
This fanaticism can be shown through enthusiasm for something extreme, emotion, and
excessive interest for a long time. These fanatical K-Pop fans like buying the idol's album,
buying tickets, and watching concerts even though the concerts are held abroad, always looking
for information about their idols, to celebrating the idol's birthday (Putri Alantiati Kartina, dkk,
2019).

As for the formulation of the problem from the research that the author did, entitled the
first Korean wave (K-Pop) cultural trend among Pekalongan students, how is the trend toward
Korean wave (K-Pop) culture among college students? Pekalongan. Second, what impact will
there be if the trend toward the Korean wave (K-Pop) culture among Pekalongan students
occurs?

Culture or culture comes from the Sanskrit word buddhayah. This is the plural of buddhi
(mind or reason). The word culture is a combination of the word cultivation which means
creativity, initiative, and taste. In Dutch culture or culture, there is the word culture which means
culture in English (Kusherdyana, R, 2020). According to the Big Indonesian Dictionary, culture
is thoughts, reason, results, customs, or something that has become a habit that is difficult to
change. Culture is the result of human creation, taste, and creativity, namely the way of life
which includes belief, art, morals, customs, and all other habits acquired by humans as a member
of society (sumarto, 2019).

The Korean wave or also known as Hallyu is a term for Korean popular culture that is
spread in various countries around the world. (Shim, 2006). South Korea introduces its culture
by combining traditional cultural life and modern culture which is disseminated through drama,
music, lifestyle, and also entertainment industry products (arindanvts, 2020). In two decades the
Korean wave or Hallyu has grown rapidly and expanded globally. This Korean wave culture can
be accepted by the public from various circles. Korean culture has an impact on everyday life,
especially for teenagers. With globalization, the Korean wave spreads rapidly and enthusiasm for
Korean culture is getting bigger. The Korean wave is known for its entertainment industry. The
greater the enthusiasm of Korean culture lovers, the This culture is widely applied to everyday
life. Starting from the style of dress, skincare, makeup, and Korean treat food to the language and
style of speaking (egsaugm, 2020).

METHODS

The focus of this research is to analyze how the trend of Korean wave culture (K-Pop)
among students and the factors that arise from Korean wave culture. This study uses an inductive
(rational) thinking pattern. Research subjects and data collected can change according to need.
The data collection carried out at the time of the study was based on phenomenological
principles by understanding the phenomena that occurred in-depth. The result of this research is
a description (Ibrahim and Nana Sudjana, 2001:7).

The method used in this research is a qualitative approach method. According to Bogdan
and Taylor in Moleng's description, the describe that qualitative method is a research procedure
that produces data in the form of written or spoken (descriptive) words from people and observed
behavior. Collecting data in the research in the form of in-depth interviews, observations, focus
group discussions (FGD), and documentation.

There are two types of data sources from the research that the author conducted, namely
primary and secondary data sources. Sources of primary data were collected by researchers
directly by conducting interviews with data sources. Secondary data is data obtained from
various references related to research. The research technique used observation activities, namely
by observing directly the behavior of the informants related to Korean cultural entertainment.
The next technique is interviews with questions and answers based on the formulation of the
problem in the research.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Result

The research was conducted on UIN Abdurrahman Wahid students who know about K-
Pop and especially on K-Pop fan students (K-Poppers). From the research that has been done, the
authors obtained selected data from interviews and observations of resource persons. An
interview is face-to-face communication between two or more parties, with one of the parties
acting as the interviewer (Fadhallah, R. A., & Psi, S. 2021). Information and data were obtained
from the answers to the questions asked at the time of the interview.

The author will present the results of the research in the form of a narrative. A narrative is
a form of parallel essay and writing based on the development of each period. Storytelling
emphasizes the chronological order of events, occurrences, and problems. The author acts as a
historian or storyteller. However, the author has certain goals and objectives (Parera, 2009).

Informant I, Silmi Alya Khaerinnisa

He is a second-semester student majoring in Islamic broadcasting communication at UIN

Abdurrahman Wahid. Having known K-Pop since the 8th grade of SMP (2017), you can say he
is a K-Pop fan. At first, he knew K-Pop because he was influenced by his friends who always
talked about K-Pop. And finally attracted by the music and visuals of handsome Korean boy
groups. NCTzen is the name of the fandom or fans of NCT that he likes. Apart from the music
and visuals of Korean boy groups, he also likes K-Drama, however, there are only a few genres
that he likes and follows. In addition, fashion from South Korea also attracted his attention, not
infrequently he also bought clothes like those worn by his idols. Regarding Korean food, he
doesn't really like it because it doesn't fit his tongue. He admits that following the K-Pop trend in
every comeback of his idol as well as K-Drama. His love of K-Pop makes him have a lot of
friends who like the same thing (frequency).

Informant II, Nazhifah Istiqomah

 Meets the criteria as an informant because he knows and belongs to ASTRO's K-Pop
fans. This 19-year-old student knows K-Pop from the Korean drama True Beauty which aired in
December 2020. The actor in the drama is a member of the boy group Astro. And one of the
soundtracks for the drama was sung by Cha Eun-woo. From there he began to find out about the
boy group. At that time and until now he became fond of Astro and joined the fandom Aroha
fans club to love Astro. Following the music trend in every comeback Astro and buying things
related to idols he has his own fun after that. In addition, he follows K-Drama which is played by
Astro members especially, and other Korean dramas. Not infrequently he also eats Korean food
like the one in K-Drama. Talk about fashion he follows it but in an Islamic version.

Informant III, Robiatul adawiyah

Alda has liked K-Pop since 2015, at first she knew it from her friend informant 1, but at
that time she didn't really know much about K-Pop. Over time he became fond of one of the boy
groups EXO because Chanyeol's visuals are like his type. Besides EXO, Alda also likes NCT
and follows the fandom of EXO-L and NCTZEN fans. Alda likes K-Pop because it gets a lot of
lessons and motivation, Alda can also start to think openly from them. Other than that, regarding
fashion, he doesn't really like it because he thinks it's too revealing. However, if there is still
something that looks neat and a little closed, he can still accept it. Korean food also depends on
the type of food. From Korean culture, he prefers the original Korean language because it is
beautiful and has a distinct impression, and Korea is very respectful of older people. Alda is an
18-year-old student who follows the K-Pop trend of idols with every comeback, enjoying their
music and works. In addition, he also likes Korean dramas that feature actors with handsome and
beautiful visuals.

Discussion

From the results of the interviews that have been described above, some of the K-Pop fan
students initially knew K-Pop from watching Korean dramas and there were also those who
knew through their friends who like K-Pop. Informant I, named Cilmi, knows K-Pop from the
theme that she has become K-Poppers since 2017. She likes the boy group NCT, which stands
for Neo Culture Technology. This is a South Korean boy group that debuted in January 2016
until now under the auspices of the SM Entertainment agency with a total of 23 members. NCT
is divided into several sub-units, namely NCT Dream, NCT 127, NCT U, and WayV. NCTZEN
or sijeuni as they are fans of NCT.

Figure 1. NCT

Source: https://www.kepogaul.com/korea/5-member-nct-ini-seharusnya-sama-sekali-
nggak-boleh-masuk-dapur/

Informant I, also follow NCT's fanbase and idol accounts via Instagram. He also joins the
fanbase group on Telegram so he doesn't miss the latest news updates from his idols. From
Korean dramas he also likes it, but only a few genres such as romance, comedy, and fantasy.
Korean fashion informant 1 is interested in making the fashion used by his idol as an inspiration
for his fashion style. he once bought the same clothes as his idol. In contrast to Korean food, he
feels it doesn't suit his tongue because he thinks Korean food is too spicy. Silmi admits that she
follows the trend of her idol's K-Pop music making a comeback, such as recently NCT Dream's
comeback with a song called beatbox which is booming among young people. Like taking part in
a challenge that was held as a form of promotion for their newest song, one of them by making a
video with a beatbox song as a background on TikTok. After knowing and liking K-Pop, he felt
that he had many friends from various regions who liked the same thing.

In contrast to informant I, Nazhifah as informant II began to know K-Pop from the

Korean drama True Beauty, played by Cha Eun-woo, a member of the boy group ASTRO and
she sang one of the soundtracks of the drama. From there zhifa started liking ASTRO and
became a fan called Aroha. This boy group debuted in February 2016 until now under the
auspices of the Fantagio Entertainment agency. Informant II liked all of ASTRO's music, both in
their group and solo albums. Every day he plays ASTRO's songs to accompany him on his
assignments to make him more excited. Zhifa also collects several items related to his idols, such
as Roroha dolls, photo cards, and snacks promoted by his idols.

Picture 2. Mister Potato Crisps

Source: Nazhifah Istiqomah

In addition to liking K-Pop, informant II also likes Korean dramas of various genres and
follows the latest updates from Korean dramas. During his free time, he can spend the whole day
watching Korean dramas. Talking about Korean fashion, he is also interested in it because he
thinks it can be an inspiration for fashion styles, but in the Islamic version, such as the Instagram
accounts @studhijabstore and @jilbrave.official selling local products that combine Korean
fashion with clothes worn by Muslim women. Zhifa feels that knowing K-Pop makes him
happier, as an encouragement as well as the best place for healing.

Alda as informant III likes K-Pop since 2015. Like informant I, she also knows that K-
Pop from her friends was on hiatus but came back to like it again. At first, Alda liked K-Pop
because there was one EXO member who caught her attention, namely Chanyeol, who she
thought was her ideal type. EXO was formed by SM Entertainment which debuted on April 8,
2012, with 12 members. Divided into two sub-units EXO-K focus on promotions in Korea and
EXO-M focuses on mandarin promotions.
 Figure 3. EXO

Source: https://www.grid.id/read/04912033/begini-cara-chanyeol-dan-lay-exo-rayakan-
ulang-tahun-exo-l?page=all

But currently, EXO has 9 members, three members left the group because there was a
problem with the agency. Exo members now are Suho, Xiumin, Lay, Baekyun, Chen, Chanyeol,
D.O., Kai, Sehun. EXO-L or eri is the name for EXO fans. Besides EXO, Alda also likes NCT,
which is still the same agency as EXO. From K-Pop, alda began to learn a lot and also get
motivation from her idol. Especially in the original Korean language because according to him it
has a beautiful impression. Hangeul is the official Korean name used by Koreans after it was
created in 1443 by the Korean king Joseon dynasty. Hangul has 24 characters and consists of 10
vowels and 14 consonants. Korean Hangul, like other foreign languages, is written by combining
vowels and consonants into one syllable, from left to right or from top to bottom (sirumapea, A.,
Panchadria, PA, & Rosmiati, A. 2020). Informant III follows the trend of music, K-Drama, and
other works of his idol. Like the last time, there was a local instant mei product that collaborated
with NCT Dream and informant III followed the trend by buying the product and then collecting
the photo card of the idol.

CONCLUSION

From the research that has been done, the authors get answers to the formulation of the
first problem, how the wave culture trend (K-Pop) among Pekalongan students occurs. From
several sources who have been interviewed, they have started to like K-Pop in different ways.
Informants I and III know K-Pop from their friends who often talk about it and begin to
introduce their idols to both of them. In contrast to informant II, it started with a Korean drama
that was being talked about by many people at that time. For the second problem formulation,
what impact will arise if the Korean wave (K-Pop) cultural trend among Pekalongan students
occurs? From the research conducted by the authors, all the informants stated that the impacts
that arise are more directed towards positive impacts such as being able to learn many things
about foreign culture, getting the motivation to be better, seeing their idols work hard, discipline
makes them inspiration and encourages sources to do the same to achieve their dreams. The
language difference between the speakers and idols encourages them to learn Korean, can build
broad relationships, and have many friends from various regions who have the same fun. They
are K-Pop fans who have their fun, so not a few people think that K-Pop fans are fanatics and are
also considered to have forgotten their own culture. From the positive impacts that have been
mentioned, there are also negative impacts that arise if you can't control yourself, ranging from
being busy with your pleasures to forgetting about time. Liking K-Pop is not wrong because
everyone has their fun. But K-Pop fans must also be good at controlling themselves so as not to
hurt them.

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