Melisa Melisa

South Korea has a good image overseas due to the success of its national branding. With the Korean Wave as their national branding, Koreans introduce their country and culture through Korean entertainment. Indonesia is one of the Asian countries exposed to the Korean Wave, especially Korean dramas. This paper aims to analyze the determinants of changes in perceptions and the desire of Indonesians to visit South Korea as a tourist destination. International strategy theory, international marketing theory, and Korean Wave types are analyzed. The research sample consists of 237 randomly selected Korean Wave fans and non-fans. Data were collected using a questionnaire adapted and modified from previous studies. Respondents received questionnaires on-line via Google Forms. Multiple linear regression analysis was used in this study. The findings show that international strategy and marketing can adequately explain changes in the perception and desire of Indonesians to visit South Korea as a tourist destination. The Korean Wave has a positive and significant effect on changes in public perceptions toward Korea. The significant level of 0.000 <0.05 concludes that the four Korean Wave variables (Korean music, food, dramas, and products)simultaneously have a positive effect on changes in the perception of Indonesians people toward South Korea. However, K-pop and K-food were not found to determine the intention to visit South Korea as a tourist destination.

The Korean Wave, also known as Hallyu, is a phenomenon of globalization of South Korean culture that has influenced many aspects of life in various countries. Indonesia is a country affected by the Korean Wave due to globalization through the media. This paper aims to analyze the impacts of four detailed movie-related Korean Wave variables (visual, vocal, celebrity, and language) on intention to visit South Korea, with country image as a mediating variable. The research sample consisted of 302 fans and non-fans of the Korean Wave who either experienced or were interested in Korean Wave cultural contents. Data were collected from September to October 2023. The results were analyzed using the Partial Least Squared Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM). The results confirm that four Korean Wave traits positively affect Indonesian tourists’ desire to travel to Korea. Improving the movie quality, including visuals, voice, celebrity, and language, might motivate Indonesian tourists to visit Korea. Likewise, the country’s image is positively and significantly influenced by each of the four Korean Wave variables. The findings were statistically significant at 5% significance level. Moreover, the study discovered that the perception of the country considerably affected the desire to travel and served as a go-between for the effects of film visuals, celebrity presence, and language on the decision to visit.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
This study investigates the influence of Korean popular (K-pop) music values on behavioral intentions toward tourism, positing emotional involvement and referential reflection as mediating variables. Utilizing Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM), data were analyzed from a sample of 153 Indonesian K-pop fans aged 18 to 50. Data were collected between January and April 2025 via questionnaire, adhering to strict ethical protocols regarding informed consent and confidentiality. The results indicate that four dimensions of K-pop music values —character-visual, imitation-attachment, message-vocal, and idol-aesthetic — exert significant positive effects on tourism behavioral intention through the mechanisms of emotional involvement and referential reflection. Path analysis reveals a sequential process: first, the four K-pop value measures significantly enhance both emotional involvement and referential reflection; second, these mediators positively influence behavioral intention; and third, this intention manifests in four specific tourism-related attitudes, namely familiarity with Korean culture, shopping and travel intentions, interest in Korean cuisine, and motivation to learn the Korean language. Collectively, these findings validate the mediating roles of emotional involvement and referential reflection in translating music values into tourism behavioral intentions.