Cultural Flows of Korean Drama in Changing the Orientation of Indonesian Cultural Identity in the Younger Generation

Aug 20, 2026

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Globalization accelerates cross-cultural exchanges, shaping cultural identity orientation in multicultural societies such as Indonesia. The Korean Wave, driven by the popularity of Korean dramas among Indonesian youth, functions beyond entertainment by offering values, images, and tastes that can influence how young people position cultural identity. This qualitative study uses interviews with five 18–19-year-old informants who actively consume Korean dramas to analyze these changes.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Globalization and cultural globalization

The Korean Wave and Korean dramas in Indonesia

Soft power and cultural influence

Cultural domination and media remakes

Impact on Indonesian youth

Cultural Flows of Korean Drama in Changing the Orientation of Indonesian Cultural Identity in the Younger Generation Mira Aulia Afifah1, Firman Aziz2, Ryan Ferdiana3, Fatimah Azzahra NF4, Ronald Yehezkiel Sitompul5, Rizqya Aufa Nuraini6 1,2,4,5,6Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, 3Universitas Pasundan 1,2,4,5,6 229 Dr. Setiabudhi Street, Bandung 40154, West Java, Indonesia 36–8 Tamansari Street, Bandung Wetan, Bandung City, West Java 40116, Indonesia [miraauliaaf@upi.edu](miraauliaaf@upi.edu)(*) ABSTRACT Globalization has triggered cross-cultural exchanges across countries, with Indonesia as a multicultural country also experiencing the impact. One significant global phenomenon is the Korean Wave, including the popularity of Korean dramas among Indonesians. Korean dramas are more than just entertainment, they have the potential to influence the cultural identity orientation of the younger generation who are the main consumers. With this, the main focus of the research is to analyze how the impact Korean dramas have on changes in cultural preferences among the younger generation of Indonesia. This research uses an interview method with a qualitative approach. This research involved 5 informants with the criteria of Indonesian young generation aged 18-19 years who actively consume Korean dramas. The results showed that the flow of Korean culture through Korean dramas has the potential to influence the orientation of the cultural identity of the Indonesian people, but the sense of pride and dominance of Indonesian culture still has the potential to be maintained and developed. The contribution of this research lies in its understanding of the interaction between the Korean Wave and the formation of cultural identity among Indonesia's younger generation. The findings show that despite the strong influence of foreign cultures, the younger generation still demonstrates cultural resilience. In addition, this research opens up strategic opportunities for the revitalization of local culture through a more creative and relevant approach to popular media that appeals to young people's tastes. Keywords: Korean Drama, Cultural Orientation, Young Generation, Indonesia INTRODUCTION The current rapid changes in world culture are caused by globalization. This has resulted in an unprecedented exchange of cultures between countries. One form of globalization that is widely known is what is referred to as cultural globalization. The definition of cultural globalization is the spread of ideas, meanings and values throughout the world in a certain way to expand and strengthen social relations (Paul, 2010) . Indonesia is one of the countries with the greatest cultural diversity in the world, which is reflected in its complex, multifaceted and wideranging socio-cultural conditions and geographical areas. Indonesia consists of a large number of ethnic groups, cultures, religions, etc., each of which is plural and atthe same time heterogeneous (Kusumohamidjojo, 2000) . Over the past decade, the global entertainment scene including Indonesia has been dominated by K-Pop and Korean dramas. Korean culture began to be recognized in Indonesia along with the airing of Korean dramas on television. Referring to Larasati's opinion in an article entitled Globalization of Culture and Identity: The Influence and Existence of Hallyu Korean Wave versus Westernization in Indonesia, it is stated that a Korean drama entitled Endless Love on a national television station in 2002 became the entry point of the Korean Wave in Indonesia. Korean drama is a cultural art that refers to Korean TV dramas in the form of miniseries and in Korean, where Korean dramas tell stories of human life with Korean as the language of instruction (Prasanti & Dewi, 2020) . Korean dramas are present and become an important part of the routine life of the world community, including Indonesians who make Korean dramas as a type of entertainment media that is able to provide

FAQs

What is the purpose of the research on Korean dramas and Indonesian identity?

To analyze how Korean dramas affect changes in cultural preference and the orientation of Indonesian cultural identity among the younger generation.

How was the study conducted and who were the informants?

The study used a qualitative interview method with five informants aged 18–19 who actively consume Korean dramas.

What do the study results suggest about Korean cultural influence?

Korean cultural flows through Korean dramas can influence cultural identity orientation, but pride and the dominance of Indonesian culture can still be maintained and developed.

Aug 20, 2026

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