K-pop, Fandom, and Political Movement

Abstract

With a political viewpoint in particular, this research intends to 1) examine the factors that led to the fan clubs for Korean musicians to modify their behavior, and 2) investigate the effects of the Korean Wave on the attitudes and behaviors of young people in Thailand. The outcomes revealed that: Although many nations have embraced Korean culture, it is not seen as the dominant culture in the recipient nation. Popular Korean cultural enthusiasts are not widely recognized in society. This group has come together as fandoms because there needs to be a place where people can talk and share ideas. Recently, though, fandoms have taken part in activities such as political activity and charitable work that go beyond simply supporting artists.

The following factors can be used to summarize the change in fandom activities:          1) the need to improve one's perception of oneself in the eyes of society, 2) the artist's behavior has changed and become more politically engaged, and 3) the fan club members' access to the internet and their ability to use social media. It may be claimed that Thai teenagers' behavior and manner of thinking are not directly influenced by Korean culture. But the fact that fans of Korean culture and artists get together to create a space for speaking and exchanging ideas—which eventually led to the creation of fandom—helps foster a sense of community among the group's participants. Fan clubs can easily relate to problems or situations that indicate unfair treatment that some groups of people get from society because they have firsthand experience with feeling unaccepted. This may be one of the explanations for current fandom activities other than those endorsed by artists. When it comes to political-related actions, unity even has a greater impact than usual on the fandom. In making decisions and pursuing their goals, members act quickly and cooperatively. They can draw greater attention from the public since they are social media and internet knowledgeable, which makes their political-related activities even more interesting. It is significant to note that fans do not frequently engage in political activity because they lack a political interest. Nevertheless, fandom's political-related activities are one of the political movements that reflect the opinions of various social groups and should not be disregarded.