A STUDY OF IMPACT OF K-DRAMA ON CONSUMER EATING HABITS WITH REFERENCE TO INDIA
Abstract
Korean- Drama has gained a lot of popularity worldwide. Recently, a lot of Indians have started
watching Korean shows and movies. The purpose of this paper is to understand how Korean Dramas
are influencing Indian food/beverage buying behaviour between the age group of 6 – 24. With
changing preferences, the study will be able to accurately determine the tastes of the current
generation – K- Drama viewers – when it comes to consumer eating habits. Once it is known what
the consumers like/dislike, the necessary steps can be taken to help the situation.
Keywords – “K-Drama”, “consumer eating habits”, “food & beverage industry”, “consumerism”,
“OTT”
Introduction
Indian consumer behavior is changing drastically. Indians are shopping to stay trendy, becoming
health conscious, showing interest in customized products, and adopting time-saving as well as costsaving practices. (Nimisha Jain, 2019) The rise of female decision making is also of great importance,
as this aspect is also influencing consumer behavior. Keeping these things in mind, Korean soap
operas are the perfect fit for the Indian consumer. Hallyu, the Korean wave, is a Chinese term used
to refer to the global popularity of the South Korean culture. Culture here refers to music, literature,
art, food, lifestyle, traditions and values. There has been an increased spread of the Korean way of
life all over the world in the past two decades. From Korean music to Korean drama to Korean
clothing, customers worldwide are buying Korean imports left, right and center. The Korean
economy is currently booming. Korean culture initially started spreading to China and Japan, owing
to the proximity. Soon, it spread throughout Southeast Asia. Gradually, Korean culture spread all
over the world. The South Korean government has a huge role to play in the spread of Hallyu.
Korean shows portray female leads in a position of power, which inspires Indian women in a way as
well. Korean shows are not streamed on Indian television yet. These dramas are usually available on
websites like YouTube, Netflix, Rakuten Viki etc. People who watch K-Dramas tend to visit these
online platforms. Generation Z consumers use online platforms the most. Generation Z is the
generation of people who are born between mid 1990s – early 2010s. They lie in the middle of the
millennials and the alpha generation.
Korean show themes revolve around the mixture of Confucianism and materialism and
individualism. The former brings in a cultural aspect wherein focus is placed on personal ethics and
morality, while the latter brings in the global aspect. This is how people from different cultures
relate to the shows and find them unique as well. Korean Dramas portray genres like romance,
crime, comedy, suspense and even history. Korean medical dramas and school dramas have also
gained a lot of recognition. The music played in the background also adds to the authenticity of the
drama. A Korean Drama can basically be enjoyed by anyone. Some of the top Korean Dramas are –
Crash landing on you, Reply 1988, Heirs, Guardian: The lonely and great god and Boys over flowers.
Korean shows are quite similar to Indian soap operas, except that K-Dramas are more realistic.
Viewers get so immersed in the show that by the time the drama gets over, a lot of them want to
travel to Korea, try the Korean cuisine and use Korean products. The duration of a Korean show is
shorter compared to that of an Indian show. Hence, people tend to bingewatch it. With the growth
of OTT platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Viki etc., these shows are being accessed by more and more
people. In 2020, the viewership of K-Drama on Netflix by Indian users increased by a major 370%,
over 2019. India is in the top 6 contributors to the viewership of Korean shows. (Borah, 2021) Indian
users enjoy watching emotional shows and dramas. This is because from childhood, emotions have
played a very important role in most Indians’ lives.
This generation is the first generation to grow up with easy access to internet. Because of this,
access to information is also much easier. Generation Z is an informed group of people and has a lot
of knowledge. This generation focusses more on education and personal development rather than
focusing on societal development. Zoomers are more inclined towards technological measures
rather than primitive measures. This generation spends more time on electronic devices when
compared to generation X or millennials. A lot of Gen Z consumers don’t know how they’d get
through life without videos online. For Gen Z, an internet connection or a smartphone isn’t
something rare or special. It is treated as a necessity. With such easy access to these facilities, this
generation is prone to consume a lot of visual content. Moreover, individuals belonging to
Personal factors include age and life cycle, buying capacity and spending capacity, the way a person
stays in the society – posh lifestyle or simple lifestyle, a person’s characteristics and traits, the kind
of job a person has or what he/she does for a living. Psychological factors include what kind of things
a person thinks of before buying a product/service, what urged the person to do something, what
experiences he/she had after using certain products, what opinions and mind images they have of
particular products and services etc. The cultural factors that influence consumer behavior
encompass what kind of religion a person follows, a person’s gender/sexual orientation, what
ideology a particular community follows, which geographical area a person comes from etc. (Cultural
Factors affecting Consumer Behaviour, 2019)
Indian consumer behavior is extremely different and unique. Given the diverse culture of India,
consumer behavior is a mix of various traits in this country. Indians were known to be big savers.
Recently, as disposable income is on the rise, Indians have started spending money. Indian
consumers have become materialistic. Earlier, Indians did not attach a lot of value to material
objects. Focus was placed on the immaterial aspects of life. However lately, they’ve been focusing
on the short-term materialistic pleasures rather than long term pleasures. The desire to travel, to
own latest electronic devices, wear branded clothes etc. is equal to the desire of educating children
and saving up to buy a house. Consumerism is highly prevalent in India. (Ashok Gopal, 2006) Indians
attach emotional value to materialistic objects. Keeping in mind the effect videos have on consumer
behavior and the growth of Korean Drama viewership in India, this study aims to throw some light
on the impact Korean shows might or might not have on the buying behavior of young Indian
consumers.
Food is something that every person in the world consumes. With the growing consciousness
towards a healthy lifestyle, a lot of consumers have started following different types of diets and
have learnt about healthier types of food. Korean food started gaining popularity a few years back.
Almost every Korean Drama aired displays food in a very authentic manner. For the Koreans, food
isn’t something one must compromise on. No matter how economically backward a family is (in a
Korean show), the food the family eats includes various different and unique dishes. Some of the
popular dishes are Kimchi (fermented cabbage) and Ramyeon (noodles). Family/friends bond over
meals and therefore, meals are very emotionally appealing scenes in Korean Dramas. Indians, in
particular, are food lovers. The younger generation loves trying different types of cuisine and try to
go to restaurants that offer continental food. With increasing exposure to Korean media, people are
wanting to try more and more Korean dishes. This like Spicy Korean Noodles challenge are becoming
famous on channels like Buzzfeed.
This study will help finding the relation between Korean Drama and consumer behavior of
Generation Z in India w.r.t the food and beverages industry. Korean brands are slowly setting up
stores across the country and are known for the aesthetic merchandise they offer. These stores offer
skincare products, house accessories, bags, soft toys, shoes, clothes, electronics and even stationery.
These are the perfect stores for teenagers and young adults as they offer fashionable products with
the latest technology. Korean actors use the same products that are offered in these stores. For
someone who is a fan of the famous actor Lee Min Ho, these stores are like heaven. The growing
viewership of Korean Drama in India leads to a rise in the curiosity of knowing the impact it has on
consumer buying patterns. The study will cover the influence Korean shows have on certain factors
that affect consumer behavior, among generation Z. The results of this study will help
entrepreneurs, marketeers and even scriptwriters and directors understand which area they must
focus on and what the upcoming generation likes.
Objectives of the Study
The objectives of this study are –
• To understand whether Korean Drama has an influence on the food and beverage preferences of
Gen Z in India.
• To study the influence of number of Korean shows watched, and the time-span of watching Korean
shows on the food and beverage preferences of Gen Z in India.
Review of Literature
(Yong, 2014) Korean pop culture, also known as the Korean wave or Hallyu, has recently emerged
and not much academic research in a global context is available on it. This paper thus aimed at
qualitatively analysing the North American fans of the Korean wave. It also studied how the concept
of Hallyu has made its place in the social media driven cultural landscape. The analysis of this social
mediascape revealed that the increased technological integration and affordances of the social
media platforms as well as the increased fans’ and societies’ interplay with each other has led to
expeditious spread of the Hallyu or Korean culture as a set of impure cultural forms among the
people of North America.
(Deb, 2019) Indian millennials have started taking an interest in the Korean culture recently. The KPop, K-Drama, K-Beauty, K-Food fanbase is increasing day by day. The reason why Indian consumers
love the Korean culture is its similarity with Indian culture. The Korean cuisine, though very different
from traditional Indian food, has gained popularity because of the way it is made. K-Pop originally
entered India from the state of Manipur, but now is famous all over the country. The 10-step Korean
beauty skincare routine has attracted a lot of attention from Indian females, and Korean beauty
products are ordered in humongous quantities, online. The Korean language is taught in most
metropolitan cities. Lastly, K-Drama is something that is viewed by tons of Indian people. Korean
Dramas are very similar to Indian serials. The values shown in a Korean show are very similar to the
values taught by Indian elders. This is what grabs a lot of attention and an important reason why
Korean Dramas have been a hit in India. The Korean culture is being adopted by Indians slowly and
steadily, in multiple facets of life.
(Kusumasari, 2017) The purpose of this study is to analyse the influence of Korean Drama TV shows
and peer group interaction on the dressing behaviour of teenagers. Teenagers tend to be influenced
by their peers. With the Korean wave spreading across the world, Indonesian children between the
age group of 16 - 18 started watching and discussing Korean drama and Korean culture with each
other. The author tried to establish the strength of the relationship between independent variables
(peer group interaction, the intensity of Korean drama shows) and a dependent variable (imitation
behaviour of Korean Style). The results of the study show that the higher display of Korean Drama on
TV affects teenagers, in terms of imitation of K-Style. Peer group interaction has a significant effect,
however, not as large as that of Korean Dramas on teenagers - when it comes to adoption of K-Style.
Together, the intensity of K-Drama shows and peer group interactions prove that these two factors
positively influence more than half of the population to adopt K-Style.
(Suk Ha Grace Chan, 2018) The purpose of this study was to find out the effects of Korean television
Drama on Chinese Millennials’' perceived image of Korea as a potential tourist destination. K-Drama
gained popularity in China about two decades ago. The Chinese liked how Korean Dramas promoted
family values and collectivism, along with modernism. Chinese millennials liked the Korean culture food, dressing, celebrities etc. The study was conducted on a limited audience in a limited period.
This study found that Chinese perceive Korea as a desirable tourist destination and that K-Drama
played a massive role in shaping their opinions. The study also highlighted the implications for
marketers - suggested marketers promote film tourism for Korea. Hence, the authors concluded that
Korean Drama successfully introduced Korean culture and created an impact on Chinese Millennials.
This study is significant in understanding the impact Korean Drama can have on people.
(Cheung, 2018) The study aims to explain what exactly Gen Z consumers look for while purchasing a
product. They have their own expectations, choices and preferences. They are digital natives. As
they have access to the internet, all the information is right at the tip of their fingers. The major
factors that affect Gen Z consumers are – technology that provides convenience, personalized
shopping experience, accurately priced goods, and a huge variety of choices. Most Gen Z consumers
shop in physical stores and their purchase decision mainly depends on availability, value and
convenience.
(Doctor, 2014) The Korean cuisine is slowing gaining popularity in different parts of India –
metropolitan cities in particular. Korean restaurants are coming up and attracting the Indian
population. It’s difficult for Indians to readily accept Korean restaurants as beef and dog is served
there. A lot of Indians are not fond of beef and associate the same specific mentality to something
generic like the Korean cuisine. However, as the generations are progressing, aversion towards beef
and alcohol is reducing. Korea’s most popular dish – Kimchi – fermented cabbage is now served in a
lot of Indian and Chinese restaurants. With more and more expats in India, the Korean cuisine is
getting noticed and authentic Korean restaurants are coming up in various parts of the country.
(Sangho, 2015) A survey study conducted on 105 citizens of Shanghai, China, aimed at studying how
viewing of Korean drama in Chinese people influenced their ideas about Korea’s overall national
image and their satisfaction that occurred by consuming Korean products. Both the direct and
indirect effects of watching Korean drama were focussed on and analysed. It was found that
watching Korean dramas had a positive effect on the consumption satisfaction of Korean products,
which means that an increase in the viewership of Korean dramas increased the consumption of
Korean products. However, no direct effect of viewing Korean drama was found on Korea’s national
image. Interestingly, it was noted that an increase in the consumption satisfaction of the Korean
products had an increased positive effect on Korea’s national image. Lastly, it was seen that viewing
Korean drama had an indirect positive effect on the national image of Korea which was mediated by
the consumption satisfaction of the Korean products.
Research Methodology
This research paper focuses on research design and the research methodology used in order to
conduct the study. It encloses hypotheses, sampling size and sampling technique, sources and
methods of data collection, and techniques used in analysis of data.
Sources & Methods of Data Collection
Primary data as well as secondary data has been used to conduct this study. The primary data for
this study has been collected through a survey – web-based questionnaire. The secondary data has
been collected through literature sources like newspaper and magazines, blogs, government reports,
online published research papers and articles and textbooks.
Sampling Size and Sampling Technique
Sample size refers to the number of people included in a study. The sample size of this study is
limited to 346 respondents. The sampling technique used to conduct this study is purposive
sampling. Purposive sampling is used when the study is done for a particular purpose and the
samples are based on the discretion of the researcher. The respondents, who do not seem fit for the
study, are excluded from the sample.
Techniques Used in Analysis of Data
Various techniques have been used to analyze the data collected. The questionnaire was drafted
using ‘Google Forms’ and had 21 questions in it. Microsoft Excel, Google Forms and SPSS Statistics
were used extensively throughout the analysis. The statistical tools involved in the study are –
Convenience Sampling, Descriptive Statistics and Cronbach’s Alpha Reliability Coefficient, Correlation
Analysis, Regression Analysis.
Hypothesis Testing
Analysis 1
H0: The number of Korean Dramas seen by people does not influence them to try Korean cuisine in
restaurants.
H1: The number of Korean Dramas seen by people does influence them to try Korean cuisine in
restaurants.
Analysis II
H0: The number of Korean Dramas seen by people does not impact their perception of the Korean
cuisine.
H2: The number of Korean Dramas seen by people does impact their perception of the Korean
cuisine.
Analysis III
H0: The number of Korean Dramas seen by people does not influence them to try authentic Korean
food/beverages.
H3: The number of Korean Dramas seen by people influences them to try authentic Korean
food/beverages.
Analysis IV
H0: Number of Korean Dramas seen by people does not influence them to import Korean food
products.
H4: Number of Korean Dramas seen by people does influence them to import Korean food products.
H0: Number of Korean Dramas seen by people does not influence them search for Korean
food/beverage items on e-commerce websites.
H5: Number of Korean Dramas seen by people does influence them search for Korean
food/beverage items on e-commerce websites.
Analysis VI
H0: The time-span of watching Korean shows does not impact peoples’ perception of the Korean
cuisine.
H6: The time-span of watching Korean shows does impact peoples’ perception of the Korean cuisine.
Analysis VII
H0: The time-span of watching Korean shows does not impact peoples’ food and beverage
preferences.
H7: The time-span of watching Korean shows does impact peoples’ food and beverage preferences.
Analysis
It includes the key interpretations of descriptive statistics. Since most of the data was analyzed
through SPSS Statistics, this chapter encompasses the evaluation of those results. Various statistical
tools were used to analyze the data, the results of which are presented in a tabular form in this
chapter.
Reliability Analysis
Cronbach’s Alpha reliability test is used to measure the consistency and reliability of the data
collected. Cronbach’s Alpha ranges between 0 and 1. Cronbach’s Alpha below 0.5 is considered as
unreliable and inconsistent. The data collected through the questionnaire was analyses using SPSS
Statistics.
Interpretation
It can be seen from the table 4.1 shown above that Cronbach’s Alpha is at 0.713. This indicates a
high level of consistency and reliability of the data. It implies that since Cronbach’s Alpha is 0.713,
the data can be accepted for the study being conducted on ‘Influence of Korean Drama in Indian
Consumer Behavior in Generation Z w.r.t the Food and Beverages Industry’.
Hypothesis Testing
Analysis 1
H0: The number of Korean Dramas seen by people does not influence them to try Korean
cuisine in restaurants.
H1: The number of Korean Dramas seen by people does influence them to try Korean cuisine
in restaurants.
Regression is a statistical tool that is used to determine the strength of the relationship
between dependent and independent variables. In this case, the independent variable is
number of Korean Dramas seen and the dependent variable is trying Korean cuisine in
restaurants.
Table 1
Table 2
Interpretation
From table 1 & 2 shown above, it can be seen that the value of R is 0.348. This shows that
there is a moderate positive correlation between the variables. The value of R2 is 0.121. This
means that 12.1% of the change in the dependent variable is attributed to the independent
variable. Table 4.27 indicates the statistical significance of the regression model that was run.
Here, the p value (Sig.) is 0.000b, which is less than 0.05. This shows the regression model is
a good fit for the data and that it predicts a statistically significant outcome. Therefore, the
alternative hypothesis is accepted.
Analysis II
H0: The number of Korean Dramas seen by people does not impact their perception of the
Korean cuisine.
H2: The number of Korean Dramas seen by people does impact their perception of the
Korean cuisine.
Regression is a statistical tool that is used to determine the strength of the relationship
between dependent and independent variables. In this case, the independent variable is
number of Korean Dramas seen and the dependent variable is perception of the Korean
cuisine.
Table 3
Table 4
Interpretation
From table 3 & 4 shown above, it can be seen that the value of R is 0.276. This shows that
there is a low positive correlation between the variables. The value of R2 is 0.076. This
means that 7.6% of the change in the dependent variable is attributed to the independent
variable. Table 4.29 indicates the statistical significance of the regression model that was run.
Here, the p value (Sig.) is 0.000b , which is less than 0.05. This shows the regression model is
a good fit for the data and that it predicts a statistically significant outcome. Therefore, the
alternative hypothesis that the number of Korean Dramas seen by people does impact their
perception of the Korean cuisine is accepted.
Analysis III
H0: The number of Korean Dramas seen by people does not influence them to try authentic
Korean food/beverages.
H3: The number of Korean Dramas seen by people influences them to try authentic Korean
food/beverages.
Regression is a statistical tool that is used to determine the strength of the relationship
between dependent and independent variables. In this case, the independent variable is
number of Korean Dramas seen and the dependent variable is trying authentic Korean
food/beverages.
Table 5
Table 6
Interpretation
From table 5 & 6 shown above, it can be seen that the value of R is 0.377. This shows that
there is a moderate positive correlation between the variables. The value of R2 is 0.142. 74
This means that 14.2% of the change in the dependent variable is attributed to the
independent variable. Table 4.31 indicates the statistical significance of the regression model
that was run. Here, the p value (Sig.) is a good fit for the data and that it predicts a
statistically significant outcome. Therefore, the alternative hypothesis is accepted.
Analysis IV
H0: Number of Korean Dramas seen by people does not influence them to import Korean
food products.
H4: Number of Korean Dramas seen by people does influence them to import Korean food
products.
Regression is a statistical tool that is used to determine the strength of the relationship
between dependent and independent variables. In this case, the independent variable is
number of Korean Dramas seen and the dependent variable is buying Korean food imports.
Table 7
Table 8
Interpretation
From table 7 & 8 shown above, it can be seen that the value of R is 0.351. This shows that
there is a moderate positive correlation between the variables. The value of R2 is 0.123. This
means that 12.3% of the change in the dependent variable is attributed to the independent
variable. Table 4.33 indicates the statistical significance of the regression model that was run.
Here, the p value (Sig.) is 0.000, which is less than 0.05. This shows the regression model is a
good fit for the data and that it predicts a statistically significant outcome. Therefore, the
alternative hypothesis is accepted and it can be concluded that the number of Korean Dramas
seen by people does influence them to import Korean food products
Analysis V
H0: Number of Korean Dramas seen by people does not influence them search for Korean
food/beverage items on e-commerce websites.
H5: Number of Korean Dramas seen by people does influence them search for Korean
food/beverage items on e-commerce websites.
Regression is a statistical tool that is used to determine the strength of the relationship
between dependent and independent variables. In this case, the independent variable is
number of Korean Dramas seen and the dependent variable is searching for Korean
food/beverage items on e-commerce websites.
Table 9
Table 10
Interpretation
From table 9 & 10 shown above, it can be seen that the value of R is 0.326. This shows that
there is a moderate positive correlation between the variables. The value of R2 is 0.106. This
means that 10.6% of the change in the dependent variable is attributed to the independent
variable. Table 4.35 indicates the statistical significance of the regression model that was run.
Here, the p value (Sig.) is 0.000b , which is less than 0.05. This shows the regression model is
a good fit for the data and that it predicts a statistically significant outcome. Therefore, the
alternative hypothesis is accepted and it can be concluded that the number of Korean Dramas
seen by people does influence them search for Korean food/beverage items on e-commerce
websites.
Analysis VI
H0: The time-span of watching Korean shows does not impact peoples’ perception of the
Korean cuisine.
H6: The time-span of watching Korean shows does impact peoples’ perception of the Korean
cuisine.
Regression is a statistical tool that is used to determine the strength of the relationship
between dependent and independent variables. In this case, the independent variable is time
span of watching Korean Drama and the dependent variable is perception of the Korean
cuisine.
Table 11
Table 12
Interpretation
From table 11 & 12 shown above, it can be seen that the value of R is 0.045. This shows that
there is a very weak positive correlation between the variables. The value of R2 is 0.002 This
means that 0.2% of the change in the dependent variable is attributed to the independent
variable. Table 4.37 indicates the statistical significance of the regression model that was run.
Here, the p value (Sig.) is 0.401b , which is more than 0.05. This shows the regression model
is a not a good fit for the data and that it does not predict a statistically significant outcome.
Therefore, the alternative hypothesis cannot be accepted and it can be concluded time-span of
watching Korean shows does not impact peoples’ perception of the Korean cuisine.
Analysis VII
H0: The time-span of watching Korean shows does not impact peoples’ food and beverage
preferences.
H7: The time-span of watching Korean shows does impact peoples’ food and beverage
preferences.
Regression is a statistical tool that is used to determine the strength of the relationship
between dependent and independent variables. In this case, the independent variable is
timespan of watching Korean Drama and the dependent variable is peoples’ food and
beverage preferences.
Table 13
Table 14
Interpretation
From table 13 & 14 shown above, it can be seen that the value of R is 0.128. This shows that
there is a very weak positive correlation between the variables. The value of R2 is 0.016 This
means that 1.6% of the change in the dependent variable is attributed to the independent
variable. Table 4.39 indicates the statistical significance of the regression model that was run.
Here, the p value (Sig.) is 0.017b , which is less than 0.05. This shows the regression model is
a good fit for the data and that it predicts a statistically significant outcome.
Findings
After conducting the study on ‘A STUDY OF IMPACT OF K-DRAMA ON CONSUMER EATING HABITS
WITH REFERENCE TO INDIA’, a lot of valuable insights were gained.
• People belonging to Generation Z who watch Korean Dramas majorly lie in the age group of 18-24.
People from the age group 6-17 watch less Korean Dramas comparatively.
• It is females who are majorly into Korean Dramas. With a high emotional quotient in its content,
Korean Drama tends to appeal to the ‘female’ gender largely when compared to any other gender.
• Korean Dramas aren’t very popular in India yet. Television channels in India don’t broadcast
Korean shows. People mainly get to know about Korean Drama through their family and friends, or
through browsing on the internet.
• Most people who watch Korean Dramas view them on platforms like Netflix, Rakuten Viki etc.
which require a paid subscription. This means that consumers spend money to watch Korean shows.
• When it comes to how often people watch Korean Dramas, there is no set number that people
stick to. Some people watch Korean shows once a day, while some people watch Korean shows once
a month. It varies from person to person, based on their preferences.
• Most people like watching romantic Korean shows. This genre is preferred over all other genres.
Watching romantic Korean Dramas allows people to fulfil their emotional needs.
• To majority of the people, the most appealing aspect of Korean Drama is its storyline. How the
story is framed matters more to Korean Drama viewers than other aspects like cast and theme.
• Most people have been watching Korean Dramas for 1-5 years. The Covid-19 pandemic caused a
significant surge in Korean Drama viewers in India. 84
• A lot of people have seen over 15 Korean shows. This also explains why majority of the people
follow Korean celebrities on social media platforms.
• Coming to the Food & Beverages Industry, majority of the people purchased Korean food products
after watching it in a Korean Drama. Ramyeon, Kimchi and Tteokbokki are the top 3 dishes that
people look for in the Indian markets while Bokbunja, Makgeolli and Jajangmyeon are the least
searched dishes by people in the Indian markets.
• Surprisingly, despite being so influenced to purchase Korean food items, Korean cutlery isn’t
purchased by majority of the people.
• Most people prepare Korean dishes at home after watching Korean Drama. From the people who
prepare Korean dishes at home, majority felt a lack of Korean ingredients in the Indian market.
• It was observed that the number of Korean Dramas seen by a person tends to influence their
buying behavior, with respect to the food and beverages industry. The number of Korean Dramas
seen by people influences them to try Korean cuisine in restaurants. This means that the more
Korean Drama a person sees, the more he/she is influenced to go and spend money on Korean
cuisine in a restaurant. This was proved through the study.
• It was also proved that as the number of Korean Dramas by people seen increase, their perception
of the Korean cuisine changes. This can have positive as well as negative implications. Either people
tend to have a positive perception of the cuisine, or a negative perception of Korean food/beverage
items. Further research on this has to be done.
• It was verified that as the number of Korean Dramas seen by people increases, it encourages them
to try more authentic Korean food/beverages. This shows that Korean Drama exposes the
population of viewers to different kinds of authentic Korean food items. Thus, the demand for
authentic Korean products increases.
• It was also seen that as the number of Korean Dramas watched by a person increases, it
encourages them to import Korean products like Korean Ramyeon. In other words, international
brands are preferred over local brands.
• It was validated that the number of Korean Dramas seen by a person does influence him/her to
look for Korean food/beverage products on e-commerce websites. One of the reasons for this can
also be unavailability of Korean products in the Indian markets. 85
• An interesting thing observed is that no matter since when a person has been watching Korean
shows – be it a year, 5 years or even 10 years, it has no impact on the person’s perception of the
Korean cuisine. This is surprising as the number of dramas one watches does have a significant
impact on the person’s perception.
• However, it was proved that the time-span of watching Korean Drama by a person does impact
that person’s food and beverage preferences. So, if a person has been watching Korean shows for 10
years, the impact the shows have on him will be larger than the impact Korean shows will have on
people who have been watching them since a year or so. This finding highlights two important
factors that can be studied in detail in the future.
Conclusion
The research was conducted to understand if Korean Dramas, an upcoming genre, persuades
Zoomers to actually buy different food/beverage items – Korean cuisine in particular. Indian values
are very similar to Korean values. The reason why Indians are so mesmerized by Korean Drama – is
because of the way Korean shows portray traditions, friendship, love, familial relationships and
culture. With globalization on peak, Indians are being exposed to different Asian cultures through
media. Indian viewers have started watching Korean shows and are demanding authentic Korean
products. The few Korean merchandise stores that have opened in India are experiencing high
demand for products and the sales of Korean skincare brands are booming in India.
Food is something people can’t live without – which makes it all the more important in one’s life.
Curiosity lies within every human being. Watching someone eat something peculiar and unique does
make one wonder about what it is. Korean food is shown in every drama and Indians who watch it
naturally do get curious. The aim of this study was to understand the extent to which humans might
be willing to spend on Korean food/beverage products and recognize the role Korean Dramas in this.
As for the conclusion, based on the facts and the statistics, the research had been done and it can be
said that Korean Drama does play a role in influencing a person’s food buying behavior in multiple
ways. Korean Drama urges people to try new restaurants, to purchase different ingredients and try
cooking unique dishes at home. This study will be of great use to manufacturers and marketers, as
they will be able to understand the needs and wants of this segment of the market. The study also
found out a lot about what the viewers like specifically in Korean Drama. Indian directors can use
this information while directing shows and movies too.
In conclusion, it can be shown beyond doubt that the objectives of this study were successfully met.
There are quite a few takeaways from this. Firstly, Korean Drama does influence Indian consumer
behavior in Generation Z. Even though the influence is relatively less, Korean shows do change the
behavior of people. The number of Korean Dramas seen by 87 a person plays a large role in
influencing his/her taste and preferences in the food and beverages industry. It determines the kind
of cuisine a person likes, the restaurants a person wants to go to, moreover, affects the kind of
purchases people make on e-commerce websites. It was also validated that the time-span of
watching Korean Drama does impact the tastes preferences of people, but to a very small extent.
With such promising results, further research must happen and various other aspects must be
studied.
Suggestions





The study focused on the impact a soap opera genre – Korean Drama, had on the buying
decisions of customers. There is hardly a total of 12-15 authentic Korean restaurants in
India. Consumers are demanding more and more of this cuisine and this looks like a good
investment option for restaurant owners.
Consumers are demanding more and more of this cuisine and this looks like a good
investment option for restaurant owners.
Indian grocery stores lack Korean spices and herbs, which leads to substitution of that
particular ingredient with an Indian one. Retail stores must start offering for sale Korean
spices, sauces, noodles and drinks.
Manufacturers must step up and produce food/beverage items keeping in mind the Korean
taste since Indians have now started importing Korean food products.
This research opened up various avenues that can be explored into. Researchers can study
the impact of K-Pop on Indian buying behavior in Gen Z. Marketeers can look into how
Korean Dramas are impacting consumer behavior in various other industries like beauty and
healthcare, fashion etc. as Korean imports of clothes and beauty products are also rising.
Scope for Future Study

The study was limited to the Gen Z demographic and the Food & Beverages Industry. Future
researchers can delve deeper into understanding the factors of Korean Drama that have the

strongest impact on consumer behavior. Just like how the Western culture entered India,
Korean culture is too entering India. Understanding how the consumers will react to the
Korean products is crucial for manufacturers and marketers.
This research opened up various avenues that can be explored into. Researchers can study
the impact of K-Pop on Indian buying behavior in Gen Z. Marketeers can look into how
Korean Dramas are impacting consumer behavior in various other industries like beauty and
healthcare, fashion etc. as Korean imports of clothes and beauty products are also rising.
References
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at:
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/korea-beyondkimchipopularity-of-korean-food-in-india-ontherise/articleshow/44336858.cms?utm_source=contentofinte.
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from
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https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/korea-beyond-kimchipopularity-ofkorean-food-in-india-on-the-rise/a
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Kusumasari, D. (2017). Intensity of Korean Drama Program in Television-Interactions of Peer Group,
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