The popularity of the Halyu or Korean Wave as an effective soft power mechanism has been of great interest to recent studies. The Hallyu wave gained its current momentum mainly due to the export of K-Dramas, that is, dramas whose country of origin is South Korea. In such a scenario, understanding the reason for the popularity of K-dramas among audiences foreigner is crucial to the further spread of Hallyu. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay One of the key aspects that can be of great insight would be to analyze the nature of the foreign audience. Therefore, this research paper aims to understand the dynamics of K-drama audiences abroad by answering the following 4 themes; -Audience specifications, such as age and gender. Reasons why audiences prefer their "Korean" dramas. Especially to know if they prefer K-dramas to regional and international television series. The emergence of a new "K-Drama viewing culture" among its audiences. For example, fan club activities. blogs, YouTube channels etc. Correlation between watching theater plays and growing interest in the Korean language and Korean studies among its audiences. Understanding these themes, the research seeks to map any visible trends in the popularity of K-drama among audiences in certain countries or regions. In addition to promoting the targeted development of Hallyu in these countries or regions, I also hope to identify other potential regions using these parameters. For this, India was considered as a potential region by exploring the reasons for the increase in viewership of K-Dramas and its implications for further development in India. Introduction Audiences are an important component of media studies where various media products are designed keeping them in mind. Therefore, knowing their preferences, viewing habits and lifestyle is a crucial aspect of audience research. Producers and broadcasters attach great importance to audience studies to achieve greater program success and financial profit. The precursor to the Halyu, or Korean Wave, was the export of K-dramas. Korean dramas (k-dramas) can be understood as television series, whose country of origin is South Korea with an underlying Korean cultural value. With K-drama exports increasing from US$8 million to US$336 million during 1997–2014, the Korean wave is spreading beyond South Korea to Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Americas and Africa. Therefore, understanding 'international audiences', in terms of the nature of preferences and participation in extensive theater viewing activities, is important. If hallyu needs to be supported and further developed in potential countries and regions, it is important to understand audience dynamics. The contribution aims to examine the various internal and external factors that determine the choices made by the public, being determinants of the various audience trends. The article further investigates the nature of viewers' impact on audience attitudes and behavior towards the cultural content consumed. The analysis is based on various case studies and investigations conducted by various scholars. For a better understanding of how these factors work, let's take a look at the development of Hallyu, through the export of K-dramas.k-DRAMAS and the birth of HallyuThe export of plays had begun in the early 1990s. In 1997, China's national broadcaster (CCTV, China Central Television) broadcast the Korean television series "What Is Love All About?", which became a huge hit and was rebroadcast by several other Chinese networks.The family-centric love story has won the hearts of many. Surprised by the impressive viewership of 15% (the second highest ever for an imported program in China), it sparked general interest in Korean dramas. Chinese media have begun using the term hanliu (Korean wave) to describe this cultural phenomenon. Enthusiasm was soon elevated by the broadcast of "Star in My Heart", which was the first broadcast on Phoenix TV in Hong Kong before heading to the mainland. If this was the beginning, the true downfall of the Hallyu wave came with the broadcast of "Winter Sonata" on the NHK satellite channel in 2003. The momentum was maintained and taken to a whole new level with the broadcast of "Jewel in the Palace". ' by MBC in 2003. While Winter Sonata had been exported to 20 countries, Jewel in the Palace was sold to 87 countries as of May 2011, gaining a strong fan base in the Middle East, Eastern Europe and the United States. However, with the spread of Hallyu and the rise in popularity of K-pop (Korean popular music), K-drama had begun to take a backseat to being the drivers of Hallyu. But with the resurgence of K-drama's popularity with "My Love from Another Star" (2013-14) followed by other commercial successes such as The Heirs (2013). K-dramas continue to channel Hallyu with efficient use of new digital media. So what makes K-dramas strike a chord with audiences? Factors determining international audiences According to Mauskapf, the audience's decision to select, evaluate and recommend products (in our case Korean dramas) is determined by the influence of socio-cultural dynamics, environmental and institutional factors, etc. If this point is taken into account, then the following can be considered the factors influencing the audience; -1) Cultural Proximity Prominent scholars such as Kim Eumee and Ryoo Jiwon consider cultural proximity, common cultural-historical heritage, and common phase of rapid industrialization as the main reasons why K-dramas have produced immense popularity in countries around the world. 'East Asia. So, what do we mean by cultural proximity? According to Straubharr's theory of cultural proximity, cultural proximity can be defined as "the way in which transnational media content from an adjacent geographic region, or from a region similar in other respects, has an influence on audiences residing in that region." region". particular region". Therefore, Confucian values ​​such as family relationships, respect for parents, and sibling love conveyed in most Korean dramas seem to be well appreciated by Asian audiences who share similar cultural values. Take the case of the hit drama "What is Love?" The drama is about two families, a conservative traditional family and an open-minded westernized family who come together for their children's wedding. The generation gap shown between the younger and older generations was well received by Asian audiences, especially in the mainland. China. According to Shim Doabo (2008) compared to Japanese and American series, K-dramas were more chosen in developing countries such as mainland China and Vietnam because of the way they maintained traditional values ​​while achieving "technical sophistication" compared to American or Japanese series. Thus making them a prominent model to follow "economically and culturally". Cia Jian refers to this phenomenon as a cultural blend. Even as new genres have evolved, these values ​​remain at the core of Korean dramas. Kim Bok Rae goes on to call Hallyu the “missionary of East Asian cultural values.” So what about the popularity of Korean dramas in thenon-Asian countries?? Cultural similarity? Similar cultural and social contexts can be factors that contribute to the cultural affinity felt towards a particular country. This can be reflected in the consumption patterns of cultural products. According to Fan Hong, a professor at Tsinghua University's School of Journalism and Communication, Korean dramas have the power to attract global audiences thanks to Jeong, a Korean term for human affection, which is usually a central theme in dramas. regardless of gender, friendship, family values ​​and “pure” love, which is timeless. Hong points out that these are universal feelings that appeal to a wide audience. This factor can provide an important connection with people in other parts of the world and in Asia. He further says that “Korean dramas deal with daily life and familiar topics, and therefore many Chinese prefer Korean dramas for their human codes. Let's look at the case of K-drama's popularity in Iran. In Iran, Jewel in the Palace was broadcast by IRIB (Radio Broadcasting of the Islamic Republic of Iran). It is said to have been ranked the most popular drama from March to April in 2007, with 57% viewership and 97% satisfaction. According to a local magazine HamshahryJavan (Young Citizen), the popularity of Jewel in the Palace is due to the audience's ability to empathize with the protagonist in her struggle to become the king's first female doctor during the Joseon era. Another aspect mentioned was the beautiful hanboks worn in these period dramas. Being a Muslim country, women must keep themselves well covered under the burqa, so that they can appreciate the elegance of the body covering the traditional clothes of period dramas. No wonder other period dramas like Jumong (2009) had large audiences in Iran. Even in Eastern European countries, especially Romania and even the United States, they had strong audiences for Jewel in the Palace, coming to admire the cultural heritage represented in this drama. . This is in tune with Sung Sang Yeon's opinion that the "delicate and eloquent" expression of Asian values ​​and feelings is what makes K-dramas popular 3) K-dramas' script of emotional sensitivity portraying Remarkably the nuances of human emotions, be it love, loyalty, agony, anger or revenge have often been applauded by global audiences. The fact that Winter Sonata, Autumn in my Heart, Stairway to heaven had a high viewership rate even in rebroadcasts, confirms the worldwide appreciation for the emotional sensitivity of these dramas. The simple plots of dramas with deep characters, which last an average of 16-20 episodes, were another reason why K-dramas were preferred over long-running local TV dramas, especially in the Philippines, where long-running telenovelas they are boring. to the local public. Another significant reason for the popularity is that Korean dramas are less sexual and violent than other Hollywood products. This broadens the age range of its viewers and makes for a comfortable drama-watching experience, especially for conservative parts of the world like the Middle East, where watching TV is a family affair. Even in countries like Mexico and Brazil, where Brazilian telenovelas dominate viewership, more and more K-dramas fans find the simple, value-based plots of K-dramas preferable as they are less sexual and violent than the content of local telenovelas, making them a more comfortable dramatic viewing experience with families. They even believe that the values ​​depicted in these dramas can inspire the lifestyle in their respective countries. value ofproduction from Asia to Latin America, the whole package of dramas in terms of production value has been a major boost for viewers who have remained glued to the screens. Whether it is the beautiful winter and autumn seasons filmed in the Nami Islands for Winter Sonata or the aesthetic architecture of palaces shown in historical dramas, viewers admire it all. Recently, exotic foreign locations shown in dramas such as Descendants of the Sun (Greece) and Misaeng (Cairo) have enhanced the viewing experience of dramas. With the experimentation of innovative genres such as Wi Two Worlds, where the world in a manhwa and the real world have proven to converge, audiences abroad and in Korea are left wanting more. Morikawa believes that the peculiarity of dramas lies in their special respect for fashion and beautiful background music. Institutional Factors In the early 1990s, East Asian governments were defensive about foreign cultural influence in television programming, however, in line with global trends, they made their television programming policies more liberal, thanks to which dramas could be exported. Even today, the cooperation of the other nation's government plays a significant role in the further progress of Hallyu. Furthermore, the Korean government's enthusiasm and commitment to the advancement of Halyu is significant. Creation of organizations like KOCCA. The Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) is South Korea's main government agency that oversees the development of Korean creative content, both domestically and internationally. KOCCA played an important role in promoting Halyu in Latin America, especially in introducing Kdramas, they also did the subtitling and dubbing of these dramas into Spanish and other languages ​​for free, so that they could be broadcast on channels national television. Internet as a factorThe convergence of media, the use of multiple media has had a decisive impact on the evolution of the production, promotion and streaming of Kdramas. Over the past decade, there has been a large increase in drama streaming sites such as Hulu, Netflix, dramafever, Viki. There has also been a proliferation of various illegal streaming sites. Fan pages, drama information websites such as Dramabeans, have enhanced the drama watching experience. My love from another star that marked the importance of a change in the medium for the public towards mobile phones and laptops. In the United States, people stream dramas via Netflix and Hulu instead of watching them on TV. Dramas like Secret Garden are among the top 200 watched dramas on Netflix. The impact of drama audience study conducted by Chang Pao LI and Lee Hyojung by analyzing various surveys conducted by MOFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), KOTRA (Korean Trade Investment Promotion Agency) and KOFICE (Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange ), made the popularity index level from 1 to 5 based on different viewing patterns and consumption behaviors: LEVEL 1 (Not interested); LEVEL 2 (Recognized); LEVEL 3 (Quite popular); LEVEL 4 ( Popular);LEVEL 5(Very popular).Not interested in Kdrama or Kpop. Kdrama and Kpop are recognized by the media, but the general population does not appreciate Korean cultural products much. Korean dramas have been very successful after being broadcast on national TV channels, but I'm not sure if the population follows other dramas. Kdramas has been airing in primetime for 7-12 years, avidly following dramas, actors and actors from 2004-2009. Hallyu's countries of origin were places where dramas were predominantly popular and restrictions were imposed by governments.It shows high consumption behavior for Korean cultural products. Austria, Colombia, India etc. France, Brazil, United Kingdom. Cuba, Hungary (kpop is popular among young people) Uzbekistan, Laos, Peru. China, Japan. Philippines, Mongolia. Many previous surveys had shown that the female population was the majority of Kdramas viewers. But as using more media for viewing has become trendy, kdrama viewing has been watched by both genders and even wider age ranges. For example, in Brazil, quantitative data on the first kdrama broadcast on Rede Brasil in 2015 - Happy Ending (2013, JTBC) showed that the age range of viewers ranged from 13 to 54 years old, with the average age range being in the age range of 16-24. In numerous European and Latin American countries, such as Brazil, where Kpop is very popular, the audience for dramas is increasing, as is the case in Brazil. Most countries belonging to the LEVEL4 index and above show great interest in extended theater activities. Taking into account various factors, the following were the attitude and behavioral patterns shown by consumers of Kdramas and other cultural products. The national image of Korea according to Jennifer Pai, a journalist from Taiwan, before the Korean wave, the image of Korea in Taiwan was that of a very rude and uncivilized country, but after watching dramas, pleasant OSTs and beautiful cinematography changed their perception of South Korea's competence. According to a survey conducted by the Japan-Korea 21st Century Association, in 1990, 51% of Japanese respondents had negative feelings towards Korea, and onlyThe 9.5% had a positive image of Korea. Respondents with a positive image had risen to 77.8% in 2005, after the Winter Sonata fever. Fan Behavior Good-looking actors dressed in trendy clothes is definitely one of the main reasons to support the Hallyu wave. Over the years, countless fan clubs and fan sites have sprung up to satiate fans' curiosities about their favorite actors, actresses, and their upcoming projects. When Iran was being swept away by the Hallyu wave, Iranian immigrants in Korea created a website to keep kdrama fans updated on entertainment happenings in Korea. Whalemenyek, a Korean drama blog based in Hungary, has been running an online voting system for popular Korean dramas since 2014, bringing much-needed attention to Korean dramas from Hungarian fans. Various YouTube channels also appeared that provided reviews and ratings of currently running Kdramas, one such channel was Holly. Many fans are active followers of their favorite stars on SNSs like Instagram. Consumer Behavior After extensive exposure to television dramas, viewers indirectly experience the cultural experiences represented by the drama. They won't want to buy the products used by their favorite actors and will want to have a first-hand experience of the culture, language, food, etc. Manufacturers are aware of consumer trends and use them for further economic progress. Text contents (dramas) are tailored to economic gains such as promoting Korean mobile devices, tourist attractions, heavy industries, medical equipment and professional skills. For example, in the 2016 drama Descendants of the Sun, the Korean press Kookmin Ilbo reported that sales of the face powder used by the actress in the drama increased 10 times compared to the same period the previous year, and the lipstick she used in the drama drama immediately sold out in three days, at one of the largest online shopping sites selling products from Korea.