A Comparative Study On The Effects Of Korean Drama Consumption To The Patriotism

A Comparative Study on the Effects of Korean Drama Consumption
to the Patriotism of University of the East – Caloocan
Grade 12 HUMSS Fans and Non-fans
Cabello, Melo Mar Y.
Palisoc, Joanne Mariel T.
Panganiban, Remar Paulo L.
Santosidad, Janna T.
Sarreal, Robbin L.
A Research Project
Submitted to the Basic Education Department of the University of the East – Caloocan
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for HRE 122: Research Project
March 1, 2018

ABSTRACT
This study explored the possible effects of watching Korean TV drama on the patriotism
of students. The rise of Hallyu 1.0 or Korean TV drama to popularity in the mid-1990s became
possible through the help of media. Three theories were utilized to explain the successful
proliferation of K-drama in Asian countries: Cultural Proximity Theory, Media Dependency
Theory, and Uses and Gratifications Theory. However, despite the success of Hallyu, anti-
Hallyu movements have been formed across Asia, eliciting different explanations from experts,
one of which is linked to the concept of patriotism. In order to validate the relationship, the
researchers conducted an in-depth interview with five K-drama fans and five non-fans, and
compared and contrasted the patriotism of the members of each group in relation to K-drama
consumption. In this study, patriotism is defined as the pride one feels for his country. The
results showed that participants are both proud of being a Filipino and of the Philippines
regardless of K-drama consumption. However, this pride tends to be less manifested in the
actions of K-drama fans as opposed to non-fans, because said fans prefer Korean TV drama to
Filipino TV drama. K-drama fans patronize K-drama merchandise over Filipino drama
merchandise, and finds patronizing the latter embarrassing. Furthermore, K-drama fans
compared the Filipino culture to South Korean culture wherein they perceive the latter as
superior over the former. Hence, the researchers concluded that watching K-dramas negatively
affects the patriotism of students. However, the relationship is deemed to be substantially weak
due to: (a) conflicting data, and (b) arbitrary nature of patriotism, since the subjective nature of
―pride‖ warrants its absence of manifestation without constituting to unpatriotic values.
Nevertheless, this study is still significant since it will alert concerned authorities on the negative
effects of K-dramas on patriotism and will urge them to respond accordingly.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The researchers would like to extend their deepest gratitude to all the people who
contributed in their quest to reach the primary goal of this research project.
To Mr. Wayne Winter Jao Uyseco, our research adviser, who never failed to extend his
patience, never-ending support, and wisdom to his students. Without him, this research project
would not be a reality.
To Mr. Teodoro Nicolas Santillan Dulay II, who, aside from teaching us the basics of
conducting research, also imparted to us values and principles that do not only apply to
research alone but also in real life.
To the researchers' parents who gave their full support to their scions, to whom the
researchers can never fully express their heartfelt gratitude.
To the academic institution, the University of the East Caloocan, where the researchers
are currently enrolled; it served as a staging ground where our skills are honed, and a living
embodiment of knowledge that helped the researchers optimize their minds and perspectives.
To almighty God, who blessed the researchers with the strength that they needed all
throughout the process and gave them the will to continue despite facing many challenges
along the way. Without Him, the researchers would not be able to successfully finish this paper.
Lastly, to all the Filipino patriots who inspired the researchers to awaken and strengthen
the patriotic sense of the Filipinos through this research and to emphasize its importance to all
Filipinos. If it weren't for them, there would be no free Philippines today and the concept of
patriotism might still not be clear to most people.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT (i)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT (ii)
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY 1
RESEARCH QUESTIONS 4
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 5
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 5
SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY 7
CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
EMERGENCE OF HALLYU 8
FILIPINO RECEPTION ON NON-WESTERN FILMS 9
HALLYU AND MEDIA 11
HALLYU AND COMMUNICATION THEORIES 12
CULTURAL PROXIMITY THEORY 12
MEDIA DEPENDENCY THEORY 13
USES AND GRATIFICATIONS THEORY 14
CONCEPTS OF PATRIOTISM AND NATIONALISM 15
PATRIOTISM IN THE PHILIPPINES 18
PATRIOTISM IN NATION BUILDING 20
ACCULTURATION AND ITS LINKS TO PATRIOTISM 23
THREATS TO FILIPINO PATRIOTISM 25

HALLYU IN THE CONTEXT OF PATRIOTISM 26
ANTI-HALLYU SENTIMENTS AND THE GROUNDS 28
FOR A HALLYU BACKLASH
SUMMARY 29
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY
PARTICIPANTS 32
DATA COLLECTION METHOD 32
RESEARCH DESIGN 33
CHAPTER 4: PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA
THE PARTICIPANTS 34
THEMES AND RESULTS 35
CHAPTER 5: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATION
SUMMARY 76
CONCLUSION 80
RECOMMENDATION 82
BIBLIOGRAPHY 84
APPENDICES 90
A. CONSENT FORM
B. INTERVIEW GUIDE QUESTIONS
C. CODEBOOK
D. LEVEL ONE CODING
E. INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS

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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Hallyu (Hangeul) or Korean Wave (English) refers to the popularity of Korean
entertainment and culture across the globe (Korean Culture and Information Service, 2015). The
Chinese media coined the word to describe the Korean pop culture fever in their country (Lee &
Nornes, 2015).
Hallyu started in the mid-1990s after Korea and China entered into diplomatic relations
and after the China Central Television (CCTV) channel aired the Korean TV drama, ―What is
Love?‖ in 1997. The drama became successful with an audience rating of 4.2% or over 150
million Chinese viewers. In the same year, Seoul Music Room introduced Korean pop music in
Beijing, gaining popularity eventually among Chinese teenagers. Hallyu then started in Japan
when the KBS TV drama ―Winter Sonata‖ was aired in 2003. The TV drama became an instant
mega hit to the Japanese viewers, prompting TV stations like Fuji TV to devote up to three (3)
hours of air time per day. The success of Korean TV drama in China and Japan helped promote
Hallyu to Asian countries and beyond (Korean Culture and Information Service, 2015).
Hallyu reached the Philippines in 2003 when ―Bright Girl‖ and ―Endless Love I: Shin Hye
in My Heart‖ were aired. Like in other countries, Korean TV drama also became popular in the
Philippines (Igno & Cenidoza, 2016). Due to its popularity, Korean dramas were subject to
remakes. In 2008, Filipino actors portrayed the original cast of ―My Girl‖: Kim Chiu took the lead
role played by Lee Dae-hee, along with Gerald Anderson who portrayed the role played by Lee
Dong-wook. Many other remakes soon followed afterwards (Garcia, 2008).

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The Korean wave expanded from Korean TV drama to Korean pop music, also known
by many as K-pop. One of the most popular K-pop music around the globe is Psy‘s ―Gangnam
Style,‖ which was released in July 2012. The song was the first K-pop music to top the UK
Singles Chart in October 2012. As of November 2017, its music video had already reached 2.9
billion views on YouTube. The song won 12 international awards including Best Video at the
2012 MTV Europe Music Awards and Top Streaming Song at 2012 Billboard Music Awards. A
surge of K-pop idol groups came into the spotlight after Gangnam Style‘s success. Big Bang,
BTS, EXO, Girls‘ Generation, SHINee, Super Junior, TWICE, and many more idol groups
dominated pop music markets across Asia (Korean Culture and Information Service, 2015).
Despite the global success of Hallyu, anti-Hallyu movements have been formed across
different parts of Asia, including China and Japan where Hallyu first started. The Chinese
government placed a ban on Korean pop culture by preventing Korean actors to perform in the
country. The scheduled fan meeting of Kim Woo-bin and Bae Suzy, the lead actors in the
Korean drama ―Uncontrollably Fond,‖ was postponed. The organizers cited ―reasons outside
their control.‖ Lee Jun-ki, who plays the lead role for the Korean movie ―Never Said Goodbye,‖
was unable to attend his premiere because he could not get a visa. There were also reports
from last year that the Chinese government ordered local broadcasters not to air Korean drama,
movies, or entertainment shows. News coverage about Korean celebrities, drama, and films has
also disappeared from local TV and newspaper (Oh, 2016). As a result of these retaliations
made by China, it is stated in a study conducted by the Korea Development Bank‘s Industrial
Technology Research Center that the Korean industry suffered a loss of about $10 billion mainly
from duty-free shops and the tourism industry (The Korea Economic Daily, 2017; as cited in
Jun, 2017). In addition to that, the goal of another Hallyu wave to expand its influence in Asia
including China was affected, making Southeast Asian nations as its focus instead (Yonhap
News, 2017; as cited in Jun, 2017). Moreover, China and South Korea‘s relationship further
faltered because of the former‘s opposition to the latter‘s deployment of the Terminal High

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Altitude Area Defense (THAAD). China has been long protesting the deployment of the anti-
missile system, arguing that it can undermine regional peace and stability (Park, 2017). In
addition, China‘s opposition against the THAAD can be seen ―as a measure to protect its own
national security rather than as opposition to Korea‘s ability to defend itself from Kim Jong-un‘s
aggressive North Korean regime‖ (Jun, 2017).
Meanwhile, anti-Hallyu sentiments in Japan seem to be more violent as it involves the
Japanese protestors and activists. Japanese protestors carry signages and shout offensive
messages such as "Go back to Korea" and ―Let's Kill Koreans." The same protestors would also
march through streets encroaching into Korean restaurants and shops selling Korean pop
culture goods (Park, 2014). Mr. Akira Maeda, a law professor at Tokyo Zokei University said,
―participants of such rallies are feeling increasingly alarmed by the rise of South
Korea. This sense of crisis, or anxiety, leads them to play up their own nation‘s
perceived superiority.‖
In an e-mail interview with Korea Times, a public servant who wants to remain anonymous said,
―In times of a sagging economy, the Japanese have solaced themselves with the
belief that Japan is still superior to any other Asian country in terms of culture
content and related business, but the steep rise of K-pop and Korean drama in
Japan shattered that belief. I think the broken self-confidence played a crucial
role in prompting anti-Hallyu sentiment.‖
There are many possible explanations behind these anti-Hallyu movements in Asia,
particularly in China and Japan (Black et al., 2010). One of the possible reasons for the
emergence of anti-Hallyu movements is the issue regarding patriotism. Based on this, the
researchers would like to verify the causal relationship between watching South Korean TV
drama and the patriotism of the Grade 12 HUMSS Students from University of the East –
Caloocan.

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This study aims to provide an answer to the problem: How does watching South Korean
TV Drama affect the students‘ patriotism?
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
In this study, the researchers aim to answer the following questions:
1. How does watching Korean TV drama affect the Korean drama fans‘ patriotism?
A. How does it change their perspectives toward their country?
B. How do the Korean drama fans perceive their local products through the
influence of Korean TV drama?
C. Do they prefer to buy Korean products over their local products?
2. How does watching Korean TV drama shape the preference of students in terms
of TV drama?
A. Do they prefer to watch Korean TV drama over their local TV drama?
B. What prompts them to choose Korean TV drama over their local TV drama?
3. How do non-Korean drama fans perceive the consumption and increased
popularity of Korean TV drama in their country?
A. Do they perceive it as positive or negative?
B. How do non-Korean drama fans perceive Korean drama fans?
4. How do the Korean drama fans and non-Korean drama fans‘ perception towards
their country differ?
A. Do they both see themselves as proud citizens of their country?
B. How do they express their pride towards their country?
C. How does Korean TV Drama affect their perception towards South Korea?
D. How does Korean TV Drama affect their perception towards the Philippines?
E. How does Filipino TV Drama affect their perception towards the Philippines?

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AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
This research aims:
1. To IDENTIFY the causal relationship between watching Korean TV drama and the
Korean drama fans‘ patriotism.
2. To ENUMERATE the effects of watching Korean TV drama on the patriotism of Korean
drama fans.
3. To DESCRIBE how watching Korean TV drama shapes the preference/s of students in
terms of TV drama.
4. To IDENTIFY and DESCRIBE the perceptions of non-Korean drama fans to the
consumption and increased popularity of Korean TV drama in their country.
5. To ARTICULATE whether or not watching Korean TV drama has become a threat to the
patriotism of students.
6. To COMPARE and CONTRAST Korean drama fans‘ and non-Korean drama fans‘
perception of their country.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
Massive backlash against Hallyu occurred in many countries. There are many
explanations as to why these backlashes happened in Asian countries, particularly in China and
Japan where Hallyu first started. One of the possible reasons to be considered is the threat of
Hallyu to other countries‘ cultural growth. In Japan, protestors have been reportedly carrying
signage with offensive messages and chanting harsh words towards the Koreans (Park, 2014).
Professor Akira Maeda believes that these protests have something to do with the issue of
patriotism.
Because of this, the researchers would like to know the causal relationship between
watching South Korean TV Drama and the students‘ patriotism. Specifically, the researchers

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would like to find out if Hallyu consumption affects the patriotism of the Grade 12 HUMSS
students from the University of the East – Caloocan. From this awareness, the researchers
would be able to evaluate if the effects Hallyu consumption on the patriotism of the students are
either negative or positive. Hopefully, from this study the researchers will be able to identify if
the Hallyu consumption poses a threat, such as the loss of identity.
Through this study, the students and even other K-drama fans will be able to know if
their consumption of Korean TV drama could possibly minimize their pride towards their own
country through molding their preferences in product(s) consumption, making them patronize
Korean products more than local ones, and even unconsciously or consciously making them
think that their own country is inferior to South Korea. The study could also encourage teachers
to educate the students about patriotism and to inform them of the ways on how they could still
express it even if they have been influenced by Hallyu through Korean TV drama.
On the other hand, the Filipino citizens, K-drama fans or not, could also benefit from this
study, making them think if their patriotism towards their country is still existing. Additionally, this
study could inform them of what is the true meaning of patriotism. With that, this study could
possibly open their eyes and make them think of ways on how they could strengthen their
patriotism even if the influence of Hallyu is already present in the country.
Unintentionally, this study could also help Filipino filmmakers through informing them of
the qualities that Korean TV drama has, making K-drama fans choose it over local TV drama.
Filmmakers could use it as a basis of what is the trend on TV drama viewers and as a basis on
what aspects of their TV drama or films could be developed or improved.
Lastly, if proven that consumption of Korean TV drama is a serious concern, the
researchers would likely recommend to other researchers to focus furthermore on the subject or
suggest that they make an in-depth study regarding the matter.

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SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
The researchers‘ study will focus on the comparison of the perception of Korean drama fans
and non-Korean drama fans to the cause and effects of watching Korean drama to the patriotism of Grade
12 HUMSS students in University of the East – Caloocan. The study will only deal with the
preferences of students in terms of TV drama and their perception on how watching Korean
drama affect their patriotism towards their country.
The political and economic aspect will not be discussed in this study, although in terms
of students‘ patronage and the participants comments regarding the subject matter, terms
involved in the economic aspect may be touched and political conflict between South Korea and
China may also be slightly tackled. The study will only look at how the students perceive their
country vis-à-vis South Korea. Additionally, the gender as well as age of the participants will not
be of the same size. The students‘ pride for their country will be measured through questions
that will be given to them on the individual interviews.

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CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
EMERGENCE OF HALLYU
The popularity of Hallyu began in the late 1990s when Korean-produced films, or
simply Korean drama, were exported to and aired in China. There are three
consecutive waves of Hallyu, namely: Hallyu 1.0 (K-drama), Hallyu 2.0 (K-pop music) and
Hallyu 3.0 (K-culture). In the mid-2000s, Hallyu was successfully led by Korean idol
groups, which owes its success largely to web 2.0 that is driven by social networking
sites and the smart phone. Because of this, the Korean wave has reached its neighboring
countries in Asia and even the entire world (Kim, 2015).
The Hallyu 1.0 began in the year 1995 and ended in the year 2005. It generally targeted
the Asian countries, specifically China, Taiwan, and Japan through Korea‘s media contents
such as Korean drama and movies. This is the period when the Korean drama ―What is Love?
(1997),‖ ―Winter Sonata (2002),‖ ―My Sassy Girl (2001),‖ ―Jewel in the Palace (2003),‖ the band
‗HOT‘, and the singer Boa became a hit in those countries. However, Hallyu 1.0 rapidly evolved
to Hallyu 2.0 in a span of ten years. The neo-Hallyu 2.0, emerged in the year 2006 and is
continuously present as of the moment. Its main goal is to expand Hallyu‘s range ―from
contemporary K-pop culture into traditional cultures like hangul, hansik, hanok (Korean-style
house)‖ which would pave the way for the rise of another wave later on. Hallyu 2.0 targeted not
just the Asian countries, but also North America and the whole of Europe. Social networking
sites such as YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter played a big role for providing an easy access to
K-pop related media contents for fans all over the world. Under the K-stars-oriented approach,
Hallyu 2.0‘s main value proposition are K-pop idols, which includes Girls‘ Generation, Kara,

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Shinee, 2PM, and Big Bang. Lastly, both the neologism Hallyu 3.0 (K-culture) and Hallyu 4.0 (K-
style) are predicted to become a hit in the foreseeable future. The Korean government aims to
expand Korean traditional culture around the world and escalate Hallyu into a world-wide
phenomenon (Kim, 2015).
Additionally, Kim (2015) enumerated three theoretical analysis which can be used in
explaining how Hallyu came to popularity: (1) competence (hard power), (2) attractiveness (soft
power), and (3) criticism. Supporting the first theory, Hallyu fame is due to the rapid
industrialization that occurred in South Korea during the late 19th
century, prompting Hallyu to
achieve popularity. This event symbolizes a sign of hard power or cultural technology for
Koreans to make better cultural products through its rapid industrialization. Hence, Hallyu is
considered as an industrial phenomenon and not a cultural one. The second theoretical analysis
is a contrast to the first one because Hallyu is viewed as a bearer of ―intrinsic Korean values‖
and showing a role of maintenance in the Korean civil society. This theory contends for the
―attractiveness‖ of Hallyu due to the insertion of Korea‘s culture into the phenomenon itself, as
what ―Jewel in the Palace‖ did, that makes it not ‗just‘ a commercial product, but a ―missionary
of East Asian cultural values‖. In the third and last theory, it is only possible for Hallyu to
succeed if it targets a ―niche market.‖ However, due to the modern period, the commercial
product presented by the Korean wave consists not of Korean traditional values, but of
contemporary pop culture.
FILIPINO RECEPTION ON NON-WESTERN FILMS
The rise of Hallyu started when the Korean TV drama, Jealous, followed by another
Korean drama, What Is Love? aired in China in the years 1993 and 1997 respectively (Lee,

10
2011). These drama remarkably increased in popularity and soon penetrated the rest of the
Central and Southeast Asia.
In the Philippines, even before Hallyu entered the Philippine entertainment sphere,
foreign films have had already captured the minds of the Filipinos. Alanzalon (2011) provided an
in-depth analysis on the transition of foreign soap operas that dominated the Philippine media,
stating the soap opera Marimar as the pioneer Mexican telenovela that caught the attention of
Filipino viewers in the year 1996. From then on, Mexican telenovelas ruled the Philippine
television. Only a few years after Mexican telenovelas dominated the Philippines, animated
series from Japan made its way into the Philippine television as well, with Voltes V as the
primary example. However, when the new millennium entered, the Philippine media was ruled
by another wave of drama, this time it originated from South Korea. It is important to note the
receptiveness of Filipinos to foreign products, specifically on films and drama, despite the
availability of domestic films, as well as its effects on our daily lives.
On a similar study, Reyes (n.d.) provided a detailed explanation on the receptiveness of
Filipinos to Korean drama; stating that Filipinos went crazy over Hallyu not only because a new
genre of film, Korean drama, were introduced into their television sets but also because of the
new culture that they are being introduced to. After the massive success of Mexican and
Japanese films in the Philippines, Filipinos did not had enough and craved for more – and the
answer for their craving is the all-new Korean drama. He further stated that one of the factors
that made Filipinos love Korean drama is its simplicity and theme with a touch of feel light or
tear jerker story. It also showcased Korea‘s cultural heritage, which made Filipinos feel like they
are being toured in Korea. Lastly, Filipino people easily loved Korean drama simply because
those drama have touched Filipinos‘ hearts effortlessly.

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HALLYU AND MEDIA
In these days, the spread of Hallyu across Asia and across the world becomes stronger
than ever through the help of media (Doan, 2014). Access to Korean drama in the past is mainly
done through televisions (Huang, 2009). Lewis (1999) asserts the power of television, because
audiences are influenced in a certain way by what they watch through the television. For
instance, Travel Agencies in the past used Korean drama as their selling point to promote their
tourism. Although there are a couple of purposes as to why tourists visit Korea, findings show
that Korean tourism became more popular after the exportation of Hallyu to other East Asian
countries (Huang, 2009). The findings of International Travel Fair shows that Seoul ranks as the
most popular tourist destination as most Korean drama‘ shooting location(s) is in this area.
Moreover, Korean drama are a new and indirect way of advertising (Huang, 2009). Zillmann and
Bryant (1994) mentioned that television audiences opted to consume products advertised in
television because it improves their emotion, shifting from bad to good or good to better.
Nowadays, Korean drama are mainly accessed through the internet. DramaFever
became the first legal site to stream Korean drama online. The site offered a wide range of
Korean drama with English subtitle. Other sites like Viki, SoompiTV, and DarkSmurfSubs
stream Korean drama with subtitles made by audiences or fans. Recently, Netflix also streams
Korean drama but on a smaller range (Tolou, 2014). YouTube, a popular video sharing website
became another platform for Korean drama. The site made it easier for K-drama fans to know
their idols better. Behind the scenes, clips and off-stage appearances of Korean actors are now
available in YouTube (Doan, 2014). Agencies and some of the Idols themselves use YouTube
to connect with their fans and promote or campaign their drama. Twitter, Facebook and other
social networking sites paved way for fans to be updated with the latest happenings on their
favourite drama. Korean drama are popularly talked about on Social networking sites and
the hashtag ―#k-drama‖ is often trending in Twitter. Social networking sites connected fans with

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each other from all over the world. Most fan clubs are formed through social networking sites,
where updates on events are also posted (Tolou, 2014).
Moreover, there is a wide array of theories that aims to explore and explain the
reasons behind the success of Hallyu proliferation. The wide-accepted theories include:
Cultural Proximity Theory Joseph Straubhaar, Media Dependency Theory by Sandra
Ball-Rokeach and Melvin DeFleur, and Uses and Gratifications Theory by Jay Blumler
and Elihu Katz (Alanzalon, 2011).
HALLYU AND COMMUNICATION THEORIES
CULTURAL PROXIMITY THEORY
Straubhaar (2003; as cited in Ksiazek & Webster, 2008) defined Cultural Proximity as ―...
the tendency to prefer media products from one‘s own culture or the most similar possible
culture.‖ The concept has been used primarily in international contexts to explain the interplay of
power between foreign and domestic media. The concept originated as a response to the
various notions of cultural imperialism, which was proposed by Schiller in 1969, and economic
theories, by Waterman (2005) and Wildman and Siwek (1998) that predicted one-way
transmission of culture from richer to poorer countries, which are based on superior production
quality of cultural products.
The emergence of regional media production is consistent with notions of cultural
proximity. In order for media to best resonate with the cultural disposition of viewers, the content
and the viewer must be in line with the same ―cultural linguistic‖ (Straubhaar, 2003) or
―geolinguistic‖ (Cunningham, Jacka, & Sinclair, 1998).

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A study conducted by Kim (2004) investigated on the correlation of Hallyu popularity and
the theory of cultural proximity. The study‘s analysis showed that Korean programs satisfy Asian
emotional needs by being easy to assimilate to a similar lifestyle, cultural proximity, and
expressiveness. The Asians‘ preference for Korean programs show that they convey sympathy
for Asian cultural frames, which includes family morals, highly morality, and love and sacrifice.
Moreover, the study conducted by Alanzalon (2011) stated that Straubhaar‘s theory is
anchored on the belief that television audiences seek local media content, such as drama,
because of its traditional and identifiable cultural content and language. However, if the local
media fails to deliver this, the audience would choose television content with similar texts from
countries proximate in geography (geolinguistic), culture and language (cultural linguistic).
Proponents of cultural proximity highlight the importance of language in determining
audience preferences for different media products (Kim, 2004). However, language is not the
only determinant of cultural proximity. Although language is the main element that audiences
identify with, Straubhaar said that viewers go ―beyond language to include history, religion,
ethnicity and culture in several senses: shared identity, gestures and nonverbal communication;
what is considered funny or serious or even sacred; clothing styles; living patterns; climate
influences and other relationships with the environment‖ (Alanzalon, 2011).
MEDIA DEPENDENCY THEORY
The term Media Dependency was coined by Sandra Ball-Rokeach and Melvin DeFleur in
1976. This theory states that every time an individual depends on media to provide his needs,
the importance of media in his life increases. Consequently, the increasing importance of media
is in his life results to its greater influence on the person (Alanzalon, 2011).

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Ball-Rokeach and DeFleur (1976; as cited in Alanzalon, 2011) enumerated two factors
that influence the degree of an individual‘s dependency on the media. First, the person‘s needs
that are being provided by the media, and second, the social changes and societal disputes that
might force the person to reevaluate his needs, thereby increasing their dependency.
On a study conducted by Alanzalon in 2011, she utilized Media Dependency Theory to
explain the process of the Filipino teenage fan‘s consumption of K-pop, and how their
dependency on the media made way for certain behaviours. The results showed that the
consumption of Korean media products satisfied the needs of the teenagers. New knowledge
about South Korea, the fandom culture, and the social interaction formed out of their fandom,
are only a part of the whole package that comes with consuming Korean content. Lastly, it turns
out that the main fuel for the fans‘ active consumption of Korean music stems out primarily from
the entertaining qualities (Alanzalon, 2011).
USES AND GRATIFICATIONS THEORY
Uses and Gratifications Theory is one of the earliest theories that postulate the audience
to be active in consuming media. Developed by Elihu Katz and Jay Blumler, the key elements in
this theory are the uses of the media, and the gratifications produced by those uses. The
audience is deemed to be ―goal-directed in its media-use‖ as their main goal is to satisfy their
different needs (Alanzalon, 2011).
In a study conducted by Alanzalon (2011), the researcher utilized the ―Uses and
Gratifications Theory‖ to understand the Filipino teens‘ consumption of Korean popular music
and videos. Using McQuail‘s ratified summary of media purposes, the researcher determined
which of the Filipino teens‘ needs were being gratified by the consumption of K-pop content.
The results of the said study showed that this can lead to the formation of the pattern of

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consumption on audiences in parallel with their expectations towards media increasing.
Additionally, the results concluded the acquisition of new knowledge regarding the South
Korean culture affected the tendency of the respondents to consume more media content that
can further advance their knowledge of the said culture.
CONCEPTS OF PATRIOTISM AND NATIONALISM
In the Social Sciences, patriotism is viewed in different angles; therefore, there are
different perspectives towards the definition of patriotism and description of its distinctive
characteristics (Bar-Tal & Staub, 1997). Patriotism refers to attachment of members to their
country which they reside in (Bar-Tal, 1993). Patriotism is defined as the positive, supportive
attitude, and pride an individual has for his or her country‘s culture and the desire to preserve it.
It is important to note that patriots identify themselves as member of their own country (Omonijo
2015). On that note, Bar-Tal (1997) mentioned that patriotism‘s main characteristics are love,
allegiance, and desire to be a member of the country. In consonance, Nathanson (1997) claims
that patriotism is composed of four (4) main determinants, namely; a special affection towards
one‘s country, defining himself or herself through his or her country, being interested in
country‘s welfare, and sacrificing for the sake of country‘s welfare.
Primoratz (2002) noted that patriotism is comprised of different concerns. Tamir (1997)
pointed out that patriotism is made up of two main dimensions; attachment and civic
involvement. On one hand, patriotism is a complex form of devotion and not only loyalty towards
the country. In this sense, patriotism is a value that an individual may rank as priority. On the
other hand, patriotism also speaks of involvement. Patriotism can be a motivation to defend
ideals, preserve values, and maintain policies that are beneficial to the country.

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Patriotism and nationalism is often used interchangeably because they are both
characterized by the love that individuals have for their country. The difference lies on how
those people consider other groups. Nationalists would tend to have negative feelings toward
other countries as a result of loyalty to their own. Feelings of national superiority and the need
for national power and dominance is an example of such negative feelings (Kosterman &
Feshback, 1989; as cited in Druckman, 1994). On the other hand, patriots‘ love for their country
would not necessarily equate to a negative sentiment toward others. The findings of Feshbach
and Kosterman (1989) showed that patriots indicate this sense of willingness of setting aside
personal interests for national interest, but were not particularly supportive of war. Druckman
(1994) asserts that Feshback and Kosterman‘s findings suggests that nationalism is correlated
with a competitive or militaristic approach to the world, patriotism with a more involved or
peaceful approach to the world. Druckman (1994) also noted another interpretation in which
patriotism is defined as a commitment and readiness to sacrifice for the nation while nationalism
is commitment plus exclusion of others, a readiness to sacrifice bolstered by hostility toward
others.‖ In contrary; Oh, Williams, Bliss, and Krohn (2009) acknowledge that there are patriots in
military service who are willing to give their own life for the country. According to those
researchers, participation in the military is considered as the highest manifestation of patriotism.
Berns (1997) mentioned that patriots are willing to fight and die for the country as much as the
nationalist. Accordingly, Kateb (2000) claims that patriotism showcase readiness to die and kill
for one‘s country.
Tamir (1997) proposed another difference between patriotism and nationalism. When
essential, a patriot may resist the acts performed by his country; hence, patriotism is not to be
recognized as an individual‘s blind support for his country. On the other hand, nationalist will
defend their country no matter what. In accord, Harris (1953) said,
―The difference between patriotism and nationalism is that the patriot is proud of his country for

17
what it does, and the nationalist is proud of his country no matter what it does; the first attitude
creates a feeling of responsibility, but the second a feeling of blind arrogance that leads to war.‖
Oh, et al. (2009) contradicts the idea of Tamir, noting that there are two types of
patriotism: blind patriotism and constructive patriotism. Schatz, Staub, and Lavine (1999)
defined blind patriotism as the unconditional support an individual shows for the current policies
of his country. Baker and Oneal (2001) indicated in his study that blind patriotism is most
strongly emphasized during war. Constructive patriotism on the other hand is defined as the
willingness to question whether the policies and action of one‘s country is for the best interest of
all its members. (Schatz et al., 2009).
Hurwitz (1999) classified patriotism into five types: Iconoclastic Patriotism, Symbolic
Patriotism, Capitalistic Patriotism, Instinctive Environmental, and Nationalistic Symbolic
Patriotism. Iconoclastic Patriots are the individuals who see actions such as being affectionate
and showing love to the country which has positive effects to the nation. They are characterized
of having a persistent attitude, courage, discipline, knowledge and vision for the development of
the country, for example, some activists. Symbolic Patriots demonstrate respect to the symbols
of a country. These representations such as flag, symbols and language provoke and stir the
spirits of their patriotism. Capitalistic Patriots are individuals who are usually showing and
expressing their patriotism in contributing and playing a role in shaping the national economy.
They focus and highlight the development of the national economy. The individual‘s involvement
in shaping the development of nation‘s economy is the manifestation of patriotism. Instinctive
Environmental Patriots are exhibiting and displaying devotedness to the environment. They
primarily aim to protect and conserve the fauna and flora found in the country. Nationalistic
Symbolic Patriots refers to the individuals who are faithful and have a high sense of dedication
toward their country. They are fascinated in surpassing and competing with other countries to
be superior to them.

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PATRIOTISM IN THE PHILIPPINES
There was a point in Philippine History when Patriotism and Nationalism coincided.
According to Delos Santos (n.d.), Philippine Nationalism was born out of patriotic sentiments
and nationalistic ideal as the product of the 1872 to 1892 Filipino Propaganda Movement. The
Philippine Revolution of 1896, which became the first Asian nationalist revolution, was fueled by
patriotic sentiments and nationalistic ideal. For about three hundred thirty three (333) years the
Philippines was colonized by the Spaniards. At the early part, many revolts occurred but only
because of personal discontent and territorial defense; there was no united front against the
Spaniards at that time. It was only at the later part when Philippine Nationalism was developed.
Luis Rodriguez Varela, a Filipino Creole, was one of the first men who demonstrated
Philippine Nationalism and Patriotism. However at his time, the term ―Filipino‖ pertains to
Spaniards born in the Philippines and not the native inhabitants. Varela studied in France
during the Age of Enlightenment and applied the lessons he learned to the problems of the
Philippines. In his book, Historic Proclamation he called for equal rights for both the Spaniards
and the native inhabitants, which slowly made the term ―Filipino‖ applicable to anyone born in
the Philippines. The Spanish authority disapproved of his actions and ordered for his exile
(Delos Santos, n.d.; Roces, 2010). However, Varela‘s effort did not go to waste because his
works inspired another Creole, Padre Palaez who championed for the rights of Filipino priests
and lead the movement on the secularization of the Philippine parishes. His life was cut short by
an earthquake but his advocacies were carried on by one of his disciples, Jose Burgos. Burgos
in turn died, together with Mariano Gomez and Jacinto Zamora, in the infamous Cavite mutiny.
From thereafter, history witnessed one of the events that ignited the patriotic and nationalistic
spirit in the young mind of Dr. Jose P. Rizal, the National Hero of the Philippines (Delos Santos,
n.d.). One of Rizal's novels, El Filibusterismo, was dedicated to the memory of Gomburza.

19
Together with his first novel, Noli Me Tangere, Rizal gave a new voice to the plight of the
Filipinos that became one of the catalysts of the Philippine revolution (Roces, 2010).
Aside from Rizal, numerous personalities such as Andres Bonifacio, Gregorio del Pilar,
Emilio Aguinaldo, and the likes were also awoken from the deleterious claws of the Spaniards
and started to fight for the Philippines. Through their works and visions, the course of Philippine
history was revolutionized. Their patriotic sentiments and nationalistic ideals became the
imperative impetus that led to the success of the 1896 Philippine Revolution (Delos Santos,
n.d.).
However, aside from the long list of historical personalities that are often found in
textbooks and other reading materials, the Philippines actually has more heroes that people
expected. These so called "forgotten people" in the Philippine history find themselves more
useful as undercovers instead of being the central character of the battles fought in the
Philippines. They did what seem to be minor yet equally significant tasks and are rarely
discussed in history. Nonetheless, those unsung heroes, as Delos Santos (n.d.) asserts, should
be recognized for their heroic deeds, martyrdoms, and patrotic sentiments.
One of those unsung heroes is Tandang Sora, who is yet to be declared as a National
Hero by the National Historical Commission. In the Philippine history, Tandang Sora, also
known as the ―Mother of Katipunan,‖ willingly helped the Katipuneros in their fight against the
Spaniards. Tandang Sora granted her humble home as a meeting place and shelter for the
Katipuneros although she knows that they are at risk of being captured by the enemy. The
elderly tended to the sick and wounded, providing them with anything that her small store has.
Although Tandang Sora did not fight in the war, she demonstrated her love for the country by
supporting the revolutionaries with whatever means she can provide. Tandang Sora can be

20
considered as a symbol of patriotism, a supportive and proud member of the Philippines who
was more than willing to risk her life for the country‘s sake.
PATRIOTISM IN NATION BUILDING
Patriotism strengthens its essence as one of necessities of one‘s individuals, as well as
for group survival, as rooted and based on the proposed socio-biological theory of Johnson
(1986, 1987, and 1989). He stated that patriotism has a crucial part and important mechanism
to play in uniting and holding large-scale societies collectively. He also explained that patriotism
enables integration, which functions as a foundation for solidarity. Additionally, it leads to self-
sacrifice for the common good of the group which is considered as the most important.
Patriotic beliefs have always been playing a vital function and role in the life of the
individuals in the group. The concept that beliefs and attitudes fulfill different necessities and
prerequisites for different people is not a new one. In the past years, a lot of studies has been
released and proposed by many social psychologists and sociologists with regards to the
function and purpose of beliefs and attitudes. Besides of its fundamental functions of the beliefs
of beliefs and attitude which is to deliver meaningful and profound structure of the world for the
individuals, they are also similarly to help and oblige in serving other personal and group needs.
Moreover, it is highlighted that various social systems have various necessities which is
fulfilled by the beliefs and attitudes possessed by its group members (Bar-Tal, 1990; Lane,
1973). For instance, one of the crucial functions of beliefs is to describe and define the
boundaries of the group. With regards to this, belief system allows the construction and creation
of social identity. As a conclusion, patriotic beliefs serve both the personal needs of the group its
members as well as the prerequisites of the group as a social system.

21
In a specific point of view pertaining to primary role of patriotic beliefs, the sense of
belongingness and identifications are one of its personal functions. From his theory of
motivation, Abraham Maslow (1954) stated that the sense and feeling of ―belongingness‖ is a
basic human need. Given the fact that influential and determinative part in personal survival,
individuals endeavor for a place for themselves; in a sense that that they want to be associated
and connected, to be part of social unit and establish meaningful relations, which is patriotic
beliefs gratify this need. The sense of shared attachment is connected to a strong feeling of
belonging. Patriotic beliefs do not only fortify and intensifying the sense of belongingness, but
also helps to shape the description of an individual‘s social identity. As a matter of fact, the
sense of belongingness and social identity has a correlation and related to each other. Social
identity can be rooted and shaped on the basis of sense of belongingness. As Hogg and
Abrahams (1988) pointed out:
Identity, specifically social identity, and group belonginess are inextricably
linked in the sense that one‘s conception or definition of who one is (one‘s
identity) is largely composed of self-descriptions in forms of the defining
characteristics of social group to which one belongs. This belonginess is
psychological; it is not merely knowledge of a group‘s attributes. Identification
with a social group is a psychological state very different from merely being
designed as falling into one social category or another. It is phenomenologically
real and has important self-evaluative consequence.
Furthermore, there are also three evident group functions of patriotic beliefs. These are
unity, cohesiveness, and mobilization.
Unity is a necessary and important for a group existence. The shared similarities that
they have are what makes them united and ought to believe as a group. Unity implies that they
are belonging to one social entity or a group. Patriotic beliefs strengthen the sense of harmony

22
among its group members who has the same affection to the same group and country.
Regardless of possible disparity and differences between in its group members such as in
ideologies, attitudes, goals, or values, patriotic beliefs are one of elements which underlie
general similarity and substantiate unity.
Moreover, patriotism augments the integration and feelings of camaraderie and
minimizes differences by emphasizing on the similarities and adherence. In describing the
identity of the individuals, patriotic beliefs draw the line between ingroup and outgroups. They
unite group members thorough focusing and highlighting their similarities in contrast to
outgroups. Patriotic beliefs provide criteria in distinguishing between ingroup and outgroup.
Denoting that these beliefs are possessed by the ingroup while on the other hand, those who
belongs to outgroups do not have. These said beliefs can only be found to the group members.
Second, cohesiveness, personal willingness is one of the most important characteristics
to be part of an existing group. As social scientists described that willingness can be also
considered as group‘s cohesiveness. The resultant of all the forces acting on members to
remain in the group (Festinger, 1950, 274). The idea of cohesiveness is the manifestation and
representation of the fundamental feature of sense of belongingness.
Patriotism can be perceived as a driving force to the members to remain in the group.
The affection through love, care and fealty makes the group members to bond and keep.
Patriotic beliefs can also be used as indicator of strength. It can be concluded that the stronger
patriotic beliefs, the more cohesive of the group. The correlation between patriotism and
cohesiveness is further explained by Turner (1987, 59), he explained:
That group cohesion or mutual attraction between ingroup members is a
function of mutually perceived similarity (identity) between self and others in
terms of the defining characteristics of the ingroup self-category.

23
Additionally, Hogg and Abrams (1998) have also related idea that similarities shared with
other people will intensifies the social attraction of the group. When group members know the
shared attachment towards the group and the country; this commonality provides as a basis for
feeling of similarity. Patriotic beliefs increase the sense of similarity and level of attraction to the
group. They also implied that an individual who does not confidence, is the manifestation that
he/she does not want to belong in the group and the group does not provide him/her a positive
reference. The more group members who experience the same feeling, the less cohesive is the
group.
Lastly, mobilization, patriotic beliefs mobilize its members to execute actions for its
group. They have a significant role to play which they serve as a motivator to the members in
functioning as one group. Patriotism pushes an individual to become concerned about his/her
surroundings and to other people, to do initiatives for the welfare and protection of the group.
Without such actions, the group will not exist. Patriotism is cognitive-affective force, which do
not only bond the individuals together but also it gives the necessary ideology, explanation and
justification for the actions. The objectives of an individual vary from individual to an individual
as well as it changes over period of time. Also, some of people have different degree of
willingness to commit themselves and their objectives as they consider as most important. But
in contrary, regardless of the differences mentioned, the common aim of patriotism is willingly to
do something for the benefit of the society and country, even though it may contain personal
effort.
ACCULTURATION AND ITS LINKS TO PATRIOTISM
Around a century ago, the concept of acculturation existed as its earliest literature dates
back to 1936 (Berry, 2005). Acculturation, as introduced by Redfield, Linton and Herskowits, is

24
defined as the phenomenon that resulted when groups having different cultures come into
continuous contact, with consecutive changes in the original culture patterns of either or both
groups (Titarenko, 2016). Another definition is that acculturation is the cultural change that is
initiated by the conjunction of two or more autonomous cultural systems. Its dynamics can be
seen as the selective adaptation of value systems, the processes of integration and
differentiation, the generation of developmental sequences, and the operation of role
determinants and personality factors (SSRC, 1954; as cited in Lakey, 2003). Hughes and
Kroehler (2005) defined acculturation as a phenomenon that occurs when the cultural elements
of one group change in the direction of another group. Accordingly, Kottak (2005) defined
acculturation as a mechanism of cultural change brought about by the exchange of cultural
features as a result of groups having continuous contact. Locke and Bailey (2013) emphasized
that acculturation happens between a dominant and minority culture; the dominant culture
influences the members of the minority culture to adjust their original cultural beliefs, values and
behaviors.
Berry (2005) formulated the four strategies of acculturation to explain the long-term
outcomes of the process. (1) Integration is the process of adopting a dominant culture while
retaining the heritage culture. (2) Separation is the rejection of dominant culture and retention of
heritage culture. (3) Assimilation is the adoption of the dominant culture and rejection of heritage
culture. (4) Marginalization is the rejection of both cultures. In contrary, Locke and Bailey (2013)
suggest a different classification of acculturated individuals. (1) Bicultural is an individual who is
as confident as the member of the dominant culture while still adherent to the value systems
and norms of his culture. (2) Traditional is an individual who is adherent to the value systems
and norms of their own culture while rejecting those of a dominant culture. (3) Acculturated is an
individual who abandoned values of his own culture and adopted the values of a dominant
culture. (4) Marginal is an individual who is little or non-adherent to either of the cultures. On the

25
other hand, Bogardus (1949) mentioned the three major types of acculturation: accidental,
forced and democratic. Accidental acculturation occurs in the context of close proximity, when
people from different cultures trade goods and services and thus, unintentionally adopts culture
patterns of one another. Forced acculturation results from imposition of beliefs and behaviors of
culture other than one‘s own. Democratic acculturation refers to people‘s freedom and equality
in terms of adopting or rejecting any culture.
In a study made by Schwartz (n.d.) about acculturation and well-being done on first –
and second-generation immigrant college students, acknowledgement of the United States can
connect with happiness and satisfaction for some reasons; also, patriotism and the claim of an
American identity may elicit approval from one‘s peers.
THREATS TO FILIPINO PATRIOTISM
The causality of the interaction of the state can be primarily seen and rooted to the
dramatic and predominantly advancement of globalization processes. These processes enable
the individual to identify themselves as a citizen of a specific country and as well as providing
numerous opportunities and potentials socio-political aspect. In the modern times, as an
individual encounter and faces sociological issues such as the formation of oneself identity,
diffusion of different cultures, and patriotic awareness becomes important and vital, which these
matters allow to cultivate and incubate the fundamental values of the nation and ensuring its
preservation. Additionally, another alarming problem that brought by the globalization is the
fascination and captivation with the West - its culture, norms, lifestyle, fashion, music,
technology and etcetera. Due to the admiration of the Western‘s sophistication in cultural and
technological aspects, these things lead to copying and imitating some of its prominent and
sensational manifestations. It can be the cause of an individual to contempt and disdain their

26
own culture and identity as an individual citizen of his/her country, as well as setting aside the
national heritage, history, and traditions. Some of the cultural differences denoted in behavioral
aspect and the way of perception are often becomes the source of mortification rather than
pride.
The most eminent menace to the patriotic values are the following: national nihilism
and cosmopolitanism. First, national nihilism refers to persistent pursuance and producing large
amount of goods that leads to aversion and disregarding to any national values and being
apathetic in the relationship towards with the home country. It is the stage wherein an individual
repudiates the history, culture, traditions and as well as alienating him/herself to
the homeland. On the other hand, cosmopolitanism can be the result and effect
rooted to nihilism, it gives an individual to defined him/herself as a citizen of the
world and categorize that he or she belongs to a certain human race. It is evidently
demonstrated in the treatment of their own people as well as from the other countries, which
both of these is directly used as a tool and instrument for achieving personal aspirations and
gains.
Modern identity crisis does not only affect the millennial, but rather it can also
protract in a wider point of view or scale which specifically the whole society. The reason for this
is that the affairs in state are dynamic and continuously changing from time to time in different
contexts. The diversity of these changes covers a lot in our daily lives which obviously can be
the causes of serious conflicts in adapting to them.
HALLYU IN THE CONTEXT OF PATRIOTISM
The Philippines, a country composed of ethnic groups, has been colonized by other
countries for many years thus making it a unique case to study. National Identity or Filipino

27
Identity per say is a type of identity that differentiates members of the country from others.
Members of a country with a well- constructed national identity are convinced that they share
the same history and culture, thus making them have to defend it together (You, 2011).
After its independence, the Philippines has been long struggling to pursue a national
identity. There is confusion on National identity as a result of post-colonial discourse. The
Philippines is confronted by a problem, as US influence is still part of its national identity. The
Americanization is largely caused by US manifesting power in the globalized world. This proves
that Filipino Identity is awfully fragile and vulnerable (You, 2011).
National Identity plays a huge part in Nationalism and Patriotism. Nathanson (1997)
mentioned that one of patriotism‘s main components is an individual defining himself or herself
through his or her country. Omonijo (2015) claims that national identity is a major characteristic
of patriotism and nationalism as both nationalist and patriots identify themselves as member of
the country. Bar-Tal (1997) asserts that national identity and patriotism are connected with each
other therefore there is an effect when one shifts or is unstable.
In the Philippine context, patriotism is seen in a unique way. According to the study of
(Camiloza, n.d.) Filipinos are ambiguous on the concept of patriotism, and this vagueness is
rooted on the country‘s experience of decades of colonization. That experience distorted the
patriotism of Filipinos. However, the moment Filipinos learned to stand up against the colonizers
and fought hand in hand, the spirit of Filipino patriotism was born. Colonial exploitation became
the seed to Filipino patriotism; it led to national consciousness, the birth of Filipino nation, and
consequently, of Filipino patriotism.
However, this hard-earned spirit of patriotism is being threatened by foreign products –
one of which is Hallyu. On a study conducted by Jo, Yoo and Jung (2014) about the effects of
television viewing on cultural aspects, it showed that one of the effects of viewing Korean drama

28
is its massive contribution in shaping a positive attitude towards Korea in the viewers‘ minds; the
very same aim of the Korean government (Sung, 2010). Furthermore, this positive attitude
urged the viewers to develop behavioral intentions such as visiting Korea and buying Korean
products (Jo, Yoo, & Jung, 2014) which would eventually lead to the derogation of the viewers‘
patriotism.
ANTI-HALLYU SENTIMENTS AND THE GROUNDS FOR A HALLYU
BACKLASH
In an in-depth case study conducted by Ainslie, Lipura, and Lim (2017), they identified
three main reasons for a potential Hallyu backlash. These are (a) perceptions of colonial-esque
attitudes and cultural imperialism from Korea, (b) the movement of Hallyu from an innovative
new ‗high culture‘ to a static and out-of-date ‗low culture,‘ and (c) the increasing availability of
new and different international products that threaten to take over Hallyu.
As stated first on the list, consumers from Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand
suggest that these anti-Hallyu sentiments might have emerged from the speculation that the
products from South Korea echo colonialist and orientalist practices. For them, Hallyu’s
promotion and even packaging functions as an explicit manifestation of South Korean imperialist
and superiority mindset. Second on the list, Hallyu is now regarded as a ‗mainstream product‘
from its ‗niche‘ product status a few years ago. It no longer occupies the spotlight for
breakthrough products. From being a ‗high culture‘ – one which is characterized with new,
original, and top-notch products – Hallyu is now seen as ‗low culture‘ – characterized with its
low-class, unappealing, and common products. One of the main reasons behind this is the
widespread nature of Korean products in Asian countries – they can be seen in almost every

29
place in those countries – increasing the tendency of people to feel bored and uninterested with
the products being offered. Another reason why Hallyu is experiencing a breakdown from ‗high
culture‘ to ‗low culture,‘ according to consumers‘ testimonies, is its decreasing value and quality
as compared to its original form. Lastly, recent changes in the global sphere had led to
substantial economic improvement, which was brought about by the international investments of
those countries in other foreign countries. As a result, those countries had opened their borders
to other nationalities, bringing international pop culture products with them. These foreign
products pose a challenge to Korean products as they compete globally with them. Moreover,
these foreign products are deemed by the consumers from said regions as equally or even
better than those of Hallyu.
Additionally, although in a lesser extent, some of the reasons why people rejected Hallyu
include; Hallyu is viewed as too mainstream, it is a threat to a pure state, it is eventually tiring
due to the lack of innovation, and it is repetitive and lacks authenticity (Ainslie, Lipura, & Lim,
2017).
SUMMARY
The massive popularity of Hallyu is undeniable – Korean products of all kinds can now
be seen from every corner of the world, including the Philippines. It is quite observable that
majority of the Filipino people has patronized products that are made from South Korea. From
tangible products such as jewelries, clothes, and make-ups to intangible products such as music
and drama, Hallyu has won the heart of the Filipinos.
Furthermore, the shift from Mexican soap operas, to Japanese anime, and recently, to
Korean drama, has shown that Filipinos are very flexible in terms of their preferences. Filipino
people have grown accustomed to foreign products entering their country that it has become a

30
normal everyday scene. This proliferation of Korean products in the Philippines is a
manifestation of the strong Filipino patronage towards these products, to the extent of
disregarding domestically-produced ones.
However, the increasing number of dissatisfied customers is also noteworthy. Although
there have been some studies that show several reasons behind this potential backlash, such
studies are done through a costumer‘s perspective only. One study conducted by Ainslie,
Lipura, and Lim did tap the potential correlation of Hallyu and patriotism; however, it failed to dig
deeper into the causes and effects of such correlation, and whether Hallyu is becoming a threat
to the people‘s spirit of patriotism. In addition, the said study relied only on the subjective
perceptions of the participants and failed to provide an objective picture from the participants.
The development of Filipino Patriotism already has a long background and consists of
many stages, from the invasion of the Spaniards, to the shift of control to the Americans and the
occupation of the Japanese during the Second World War. In the modern times, the Filipino
Patriotism is entering a new stage and is currently facing an issue regarding the rise of Hallyu
and how will it affect the sense of patriotism in the Philippines.
From these gaps, the researchers became interested in looking at this causal
relationship The probable relationships include: (a) the overgrowing patronage of Filipinos,
specifically of the youth, to Korean products is becoming a threat to their sense of patriotism, (b)
Hallyu might pose an enormous, and even serious effect to the way Filipino youth perceive their
country, (c) Hallyu might damage the youth‘s pride for their country, and (d) Hallyu can be a
reason for protests in the long run due to its possibility of affecting the sense of patriotism and
the Filipino people patronizing Korean products, tangible or intangible, that can lead to its own
backlash. These relationships, as part of this paper's aims and objectives, could be proven by

31
looking through the concept of patriotism, its current state in the Philippines and how Hallyu
affects the spirit of patriotism in students.
To sum it up, the main reason why the researchers consider this causal relationship
between watching South Korean TV Drama and patriotism is because of its evident nature in
the Philippines, especially to the youth. Searching for and proving this relationship is very
significant as it may pose a threat to Filipinos‘ sense of patriotism – which may lead to serious
impacts to different aspects, once unattended.

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CHAPTER 3
METHODOLOGY
PARTICIPANTS
The study focuses on Senior High School students of the University of the East
Caloocan specifically the Grade 12 Humanities and Social Sciences students. Ten (10) students
will be selected through a purposive sampling procedure in which the researchers will look for
five (5) Korean drama fans and five (5) non-Korean drama fans in the HUMSS strand.
DATA COLLECTION METHOD
There will only be one data collection method to be used in this particular study. The
method is a direct interaction with the selected participants through individual interviews. The
whole interview will have a one-on-one process in which one interviewer will interact with a
single participant. The interviewer will ask the participant while handling the audio recorder,
which will record the answers delivered by the participant. The researchers chose this method
because it will allow them to know if watching South Korean TV Drama affects students‘ patriotic
sentiment towards their own country through an in-depth conversation with them. A set of ten
(10) questions will be asked to each participant with probing questions if the need arises. The
set of questions that will be asked to the Korean drama fans and non-Korean drama fans is
paralleled with each other.

33
RESEARCH DESIGN
The researchers use a qualitative study with a comparative research design in order to
deepen their understanding about the possible causal relationship of Korean drama
consumption and patriotism. The researchers believe that by using a comparative study, it could
help them form a clearer view when analyzing and finding not just the correlation, but also the
possible causation of the Korean drama consumption and patriotism from two different
perspectives from Korean drama fans and non-fans.
To analyze the data, the researchers will utilize two distinct kinds of analysis: (a) KJ
Analysis, and (b) Discourse Analysis. KJ Analysis will be used in segregating, categorizing and
labeling the raw data that would be obtained from the interview conducted with the participants.
Discourse Analysis will be applied in analyzing the structure and linguistic nuances of the
participants‘ answers.

34
CHAPTER 4
PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA
In this chapter, the results gathered from conducting an in-depth interview with each
participant were presented. Two paralleled interview questions were used in gathering the data
– one for the Korean TV drama fans and the other for the non-fans.
Three variables were determined using the instrument: (a) the level of pride for being a
Filipino and towards the Philippines, (b) the context and reason behind K-drama consumption
and non-fans‘ perception to it, and (c) the incorporation of South Korean cultural influence in the
Philippines and the participants‘ perception to it.
Using an in-depth interview with ten (10) participants, which were conducted individually,
the researchers were able to gather the following data which will be utilized in answering the
question, ―How does watching Korean TV drama affect the patriotism of Grade 12 HUMSS
students in University of the East – Caloocan?‖
The Participants
The participants‘ age ranged from 17 to 19 years old, and of the ten participants, six (6)
were females and four (4) were males. Five of the interviewees are fans of South Korean TV
Drama, while the other five interviewees are non-fans. The the names, ages, and groups the
participants belong to could be seen in Table 1.

35
NAME AGE SEX GROUP
Bartolome 18 Male Non-fan
Pedro 17 Male Non-fan
Laura 19 Female Non-fan
Maria 18 Female Non-fan
Imelda 17 Female Non-fan
Minho 17 Male Fan
Gong Yoo 17 Male Fan
Shin Hye 18 Female Fan
Suli 18 Female Fan
Yoona 18 Female Fan
Table 1: Demographic Profile of Participants
THEMES AND RESULTS
I-A. Perception towards the Philippines as altered by Filipino TV drama
Fan
Four of the participants, namely Gong Yoo, Suli, Minho, and Yoona answered that
their perception towards Philippines is not changed by watching Filipino TV drama, with
the exception of Yoona who did not encounter the question. Suli asserted that in watching
Filipino TV drama, it is more sided on being rated as Strong Parental Guidance (SPG). Minho
explained that the current state of the Philippines, reality speaking, is also the same current
state of his country as portrayed in Filipino TV drama. He also added that the reason behind his
answer is "sa perception tungkol siguro sa aspect ng film industry." Lastly, Yoona

36
reasoned "makikita mo yung sistema nila sa bansa nila...and yet maiisip mo na bakit di
pwede iapply sa bansa natin para mas maging develop tayo."
Non-fan
In light of this question, four of the participants, namely Bartolome, Maria, Suli, and
Laura agreed that Filipino TV drama alter their perception towards the Philippines, while
Pedro was not asked. For Maria, Filipino TV drama shows the spirit of joyfulness in every
Filipino through various Filipino variety shows. Suli said that her perception towards the
Philippines was altered by Filipino TV drama in both positive and negative ways – although
those TV drama presents the beauty of the tourist spots in the Philippines, some drama that
portray the negative side of the Filipinos makes her perception negative. Laura, although at first
she mistakenly asserted that her perception is not changed, said that she is affected in a better
way. Bartolome reasoned that "yung South Korean TV drama yung nagiging standard mo"
and not the Filipino TV drama.
Comparison
For non Korean drama fans Bartolome, Laura, Maria and Imelda stated that their
perceptions have changed but in a better way through the national resources, tourist
spots, and traits of Filipinos like “yung mga tao, parang happy lang” that are shown in
Filipino drama. However, Imelda also stated that Filipino drama could affect others negatively
since some Filipino drama storylines usually revolve around “mistress[es]”.

37
For Korean drama fans Minho, Shin Hye, Gong Yoo and Suli, they stated that their
perceptions have not changed since they are already aware of the happenings in real life
that are mimicked in Filipino drama.
I-B. Pride for Local Products
Fan
When the participants were asked whether or not they are proud of the products
made in the Philippines, four of the K-drama fans said “yes” while one fan was not asked
with the question. Suli said that she is proud of the local products for its high quality and
durability. Minho said that he is “proud na proud” because “pinagbuhusan ng enerhiya,
energy, ng effort, pinagbuhusan talaga siya ng effort yung mga produkto natin.” Shin
Hye, on the other hand, said “Proud, kasi ang galing diba kasi hanggang ngayon pati yung
mga dating products mayroon din kasi mga stores na pang Filipino tapos binebenta sa
airport tapos binibili ng mga dayuhan.” Lastly, Gong Yoo said “Syempre, mapapakita mo
naman na proud ka kapag sinuportahan mo siya. Kapag mayroon iPhone di kaya or
cellphone ng Pilipinas, syempre kung bibilhin mo yung product ng Philippines.”
Non-fan
Only three of the non-fans were asked whether or not they are proud of the products
made in the Philippines. Bartolome said that he is proud because “magaling tayo, magaling
ang mga Pilipino sa pagcraft, sa mga crafts at nakikilala na rin yung mga Filipino crafts
even sa ibang bansa gaya nung sa pineapple na textile.” On the other hand, Pedro said
“Mas proud ako sa atin kasi may Chinese. Ito yung nagparealize sakin na mas maganda

38
pa rin ung products natin among chinese products.” Lastly, Maria said that she is
“sobrang proud” of the Philippines, reasoning that “nasa kalidad kasi yan hindi naman sa;
of course lagi tayong nag eexport ng goods katulad nalang ng mga dried mangoes tapos
nakilala siya sa ibang bansa kasi usually tatak natin mga Filipino „yun.”
Comparison
All of the participants who were asked of the question – namely, Suli, Minho, Shin
Hyee, Gong Yoo, Pedro, Bartolome, and Maria – said that they are proud of the local
products made in the Philippines. Their pride, however, varies in degree. Some said that they
are “very proud” while the others said that they are “proud.” This pride for local products,
however, does not encompass TV drama, as shown in the participants‘ answers in the second
main question of the interview.
II-A. Preference for TV Drama
Fan
The participants were asked about their preferred TV drama. Four out of five Korean
drama fans answered that they prefer watching Korean TV drama. Generally, the factors
that they considered were the storyline of Korean drama which are different, unpredictable, and
unique. Minho also disclosed that Korean drama offer a lot of twists which are rooted in deep
and critical conceptualization of the production. Conversely, Gong Yoo preferred watching
Filipino TV drama, stating that, “mas makakarelate ako tsaka sa lahat ng mga drama na
iyon and of course, medyo naranasan ko yung iba.”

39
Additionally, as a follow up question, they were asked what the factors or qualities are
that prompts them to watch preferred drama. For the Korean drama fans, Minho explained
that the actors of Korean TV drama undergo a rigorous and extensive training and preparations
before they become a professional actor. He also focused on the technological advancement
and quality of the films.
Non-fan
On the other hand, four out of five non-fans choose Filipino TV drama over Korean
TV drama. Most of them reasoned out that Filipino TV drama are more relatable in the aspects
of the usage and medium of language and actors who portray the roles and involve in the
drama. Pedro put a stress on how he admires Filipino TV drama and he also shared that as a
future film maker, he wants to witness Filipinos will admire and patronize his own works. Laura
chose Filipino TV drama over Korean TV drama because, "mas nakaka-relate ako kapag
Pinoy yung gumawa...lalo na mas naiintindihan." However, one non-fan, Bartolome, did not
state his preference when it comes to TV drama, but he emphasized that Korean drama project
excitement, can never be easily tired to watch, and not cliché compared to Filipino TV drama.
Comparison
Comparing the non-Korean drama fans, Laura chose Filipino TV drama the Korean TV
drama primarily because the production is from the Philippines and she also said that it is
should be one of the things that they should feel proud as Filipinos. Pedro also considered the
factor of how the Filipino TV drama demonstrates truthfulness to the viewers. Lastly, Maria
believes that Filipino TV drama and films serve as a way in showing the distinctiveness of
Filipino identity. She also said that there is nothing wrong if Filipinos will exhibit their

40
creativity in Filipino TV drama and films, which she believes that this will be the way on how
the Filipinos will avoid imitating and copying foreign films and drama.
II-B. Expenditures for Korean and Filipino TV drama merchandise
Fan
Korean drama fans were asked if they have already spent their money or bought
Korean merchandise. Shin Hye mentioned that one time, she bought, a Korean beverage,
Soju, worth 80 pesos. Her reason was because she wants to try the taste and she have seen it
in different Korean drama. She also considers this as her most expensive Korean drama
merchandise she bought, while Suli have already spent on some merchandises made from
South Korea, which was five times. She also added that the most expensive Korean drama
merchandise that she bought was worth 200 pesos. The rest of the participants stated that they
have not yet bought any Korean TV drama merchandise. Minho, particularly explained that he
does not spend his money, but rather saving it. Gong Yoo said that instead of buying Korean
drama merchandise, he will just support Filipino products, and reasoned that "pag bumili ka ng
merchandise, kalaunan, malalaos na din, so yung binili mo sayang lang." Moreover,
Yoona believes that the trending factor of merchandise will fade away as time goes and
considering it as a waste of money. She also mentioned that she would rather buy her basic
needs rather than spending expensive Korean drama merchandise.
Non-fan
For the set of non-Korean drama fans, they were asked about their perception
towards to the Korean drama fans who usually buy Korean (TV drama) merchandise.

41
There were variations and differences of perception on how they perceive Korean drama fans.
Bartolome and Suli emphasized the concept of practicality. Bartolome emphasized that instead
of buying expensive Korean drama merchandise, Korean drama fans should also consider
applying practicality such as printing the picture of your idols by their own or downloading the
songs directly instead of buying album. Laura understands the feeling of Korean drama fans
who usually spend their money for different merchandise because she also experiences the
same as well, she believes that it brings happiness to them. Maria stated that patronizing and
putting the attention foreign products is not a total disadvantage, but she also believes that
Filipinos should also consider supporting local products. Lastly, Pedro said that he does not
have any problems, but he has concerns with it. He shared that he usually teases his friends
wherein he mentioned “ayan nanood ng ganito pero hindi nanood ng ganitong TV series,
Filipino „yon. Mas inuuna pa ung panonood K-drama.”
Comparison
Both of the two sets of participants were presented a question wherein if they would
consider buying Filipino TV drama merchandise. Four out of ten participants from the
both groups who are Minho, Pedro, Gong Yoo and Laura said yes. They have mentioned that
they will consider buying Filipino TV drama merchandise depending on the degree on how
fanatic and admirer on a specific drama. Minho said that, "kung sobrang fan ako siguro ng
drama na „yun, siguro bibili ako kapag may pera ako." Maria, a non-Korean drama fan, said
that her willingness to spend her money will be contingent on the cause of the merchandise
or if its profit will be donated in a certain charity. Imelda and Bartolome, who are both non-
Korean drama fans participants, said that they do not consider buying any merchandise of
Filipino TV drama. Imelda explained that she does not have any intentions to spend her own
money on merchandise. On the other hand, Bartolome still remains in putting an emphasis on

42
the concept of practicality, reasoning that purchasing merchandise is tantamount to
"nagsasayang ng ano, pera". Lastly, Yoona, Shin Hye and Suli, who are Korean drama fans,
have the same sentiments in buying Filipino TV drama merchandise. They pointed out that
buying Filipino TV drama are as follows: (1) awkward (cited from Suli‟s statement), (2) waste
of money (mentioned by Yoona) and will be considered as a „jejemon‟. Yoona also
expounded that buying merchandise of Filipino TV drama will not be useful and functional in
daily life.
III-A. Influence of South Korean Culture
Fan
In considering the influence of South Korean culture to K-Drama fans, three of the
participants, namely; Minho, Suli and Yoona agreed that they are being influenced. However,
only Minho and Suli directly said that they are consciously being influenced. Shin Hye gave
two answers; consciously influenced, because she embraces and uses the Korean
language, which she finds “cute,” and unconsciously because she is not aware that she is
constantly changing her wallpaper with faces of Korean actors and the songs that she
downloaded are all by Park Bo Gum. Meanwhile, Gong Yoo said that he is unconsciously
being influenced because in some instances, he uses the Korean language in casual
conversations.
When asked regarding the perception of this influence, Shin Hye, Suli and Yoona
directly said that they perceive these cultural influences as positive. Shin Hye said that she
don‟t see anything wrong with those influences, while Suli and Yoona both reasoned that
they gain knowledge from South Korean culture that they would have not learned otherwise.
The remaining two participants, namely Minho and Gong Yoo gave two answers. Minho said

43
that those influences are more on the positive side since he is able to learn good manners
and good values, while those are negative because of the presence of the concept of
social approval. Gong Yoo mentioned that it is positive in a way because it helps people to
learn their language for if the need arises to go abroad, they have some of the needed
knowledge already and is also considered negative because he implied that Filipinos tend to
use the Korean Language than their own language.
Non-fan
While for the non K-Drama fans, four of the participants, namely; Bartolome, Pedro,
Maria, and Laura, agreed that the said fans are being influenced. However, only Maria and
Laura directly said that the fans are consciously being influenced. Bartolome mentioned his
classmate, Kimchi, as one of the concrete examples of a K-Drama fan that is influenced by
the South Korean culture, which is indirectly paralleled to the answer of Pedro implying that
the display of certain actions of K-Drama fans shows the said influence. Laura explained
that K-Drama fans are able to recognize whether or not they are influenced by the South
Korean culture, which is usually manifested through their actions, in terms of Korean
practices such as dining etiquette. Maria, meanwhile, said that the South Korean culture
can be considered as a form of a basis for the K-Drama fans‟ actions. The other
participant, Imelda, said that the K-Drama fans are being influenced by the South Korean
culture in an unconscious manner. Both Maria and Imelda cited that K-Drama fans are
being influenced by the South Korean culture through their conscious use of Korean
phrases or the Korean language itself.
When the perception was asked to the non-fans regarding the influence, only Imelda
and Laura gave a direct answer; Imelda implying that the influence is considered positive,

44
since the South Korean culture is a source of new knowledge, while Laura implied that the
influence is negative due to the loss of pride and love for Filipino products. The other
three participants, namely Bartolome, Pedro, and Maria, perceived the influence as both
positive and negative. Bartolome explained that it is positive due to his assumption that
the South Korean Culture can help improve the fans‟ skills in dancing. However,
Bartolome also implied that, at some point, it shows the discrepancies in the fans‟
recognition and knowledge about South Korean Culture vis-à-vis Filipino Culture. Pedro
said that his perception on the influence vary on the context; stating that it is positive if the
fans‟ use it as a tool for self-improvement while it is negative if it will cause identity loss of
K-drama fans. Maria discussed that it is acceptable to discover new things while it is also
considered negative once the fans forget their own culture.
Comparison
Four K-drama fans, Suli, Minho, Yoona, and Suli declared that they are being
influenced consciously by Korean TV Drama while three non K-drama fans, namely
Bartolome, Maria and Laura, assumed that K-drama fans were being inluenced consciously
by Korean TV drama. Shin Hye mentioned that she is consciously being influenced because
she fully embraces the culture because she finds it cute. Laura‘s assumption was
strengthened by the statement that Shin Hye gave.
Two K-drama fans, namely Gong Yoo and also, Shin Hye said that they were being
influenced by the culture of South Korea in an unconscious manner. They both mentioned
that they just noticed that they were being influenced and its manifestations include through
casual converstations, particularly Gong Yoo, and through songs and wallpapers,
particularly Shin Hye. In light of this, the statement of Imelda and Maria regarding K-drama

45
fans being influenced with its manifestations through the use of the Korean phrases or
language itself is proven to be true based on the statement of Gong Yoo.
III-B. Perception on the Influence of South Korean Culture
Fan
When asked regarding their perception of this influence, Shin Hye, Suli and Yoona
directly said that they perceive these cultural influences as positive. Shin Hye said that
she don‘t see anything wrong with those influences, while Suli and Yoona both reasoned that
they gain knowledge from South Korean culture that they would have not learned otherwise.
The remaining two participants, namely Minho and Gong Yoo gave two answers. Minho said
that those influences are more on the positive side since he is able to learn good manners
and good values, while those are negative because of the presence of the concept of social
approval. Gong Yoo mentioned that it is positive in a way because it helps people to learn
their language for if the need arises to go abroad, they have some of the needed knowledge
already and is also considered negative because he implied that Filipinos tend to use the
Korean Language than their own language.
Non-fan
When asked regarding their perception of this influence, only Imelda and Laura
gave a direct answer; Imelda implying that the influence is considered positive, since the
South Korean culture is a source of new knowledge, while Laura implied that the influence is
negative due to the loss of pride and love for Filipino products. The other three participants,
namely Bartolome, Pedro, and Maria, perceived the influence as both positive and negative.
Bartolome explained that it is positive due to his assumption that the South Korean Culture can

46
help improve the fans‟ skills in dancing. However, Bartolome also implied that, at some
point, it shows the discrepancies in the fans‟ recognition and knowledge about South
Korean culture vis-à-vis Filipino culture. Pedro said that his perception on the influence
vary on the context; stating that it is positive if the fans‘ use it as a tool for self-improvement
while it is negative if it will cause identity loss of K-drama fans. Maria discussed that it is
acceptable to discover new things while it is also considered negative once the fans
forget their own culture.
Comparison
In terms of the positive influence brought about by watching Korean TV drama, all
K-drama fans and three non K-drama fans, namely Bartolome, Maria, and Imelda, inferred
that the South Korean influence is a source of new knowledge. Bartolome mentioned that,
through this influence, dancing skills can improve. Minho specified that it is a source of where
you can extract good manners and good values.
Meanwhile, two K-drama fans, namely; Minho and Gong Yoo, and three non-fans,
namely; Bartolome, Pedro and Maria, perceived those South Korean cultural influences
as both positive and negative. Minho reasoned that those are positive because he is able to
learn good manners and good values, while those are also negative because of the
presence of the concept of social approval, while Gong Yoo mentioned that it is positive
because it helps people to learn Korean language, although he also considered those as
negative because he implied that Filipinos tend to use the Korean Language than their own
language. The same sentiment is echoed by the non-fans, Bartolome focusing on the
difference between cultural knowledge, while Pedro and Maria focused on the possibility
of identity loss.

47
III-C. Degree of Incorporation of South Korean Culture in the Philippines
Fan
With regard to the degree of the incorporation of South Korean Culture in the
Philippines, four participants from the K-drama fans group, namely; Minho, Suli, Gong
Yoo and Yoona agreed that the South Korean Culture is already incorporated in the
Philippines, while Shin Hye gave an uncertain answer. Both Minho and Suli reasoned out that
the presence of different products such as cosmetic products in Filipino stores is one of
the manifestations of the South Korean culture incorporation in the Philippines. Minho
added that it is also evident in the showbiz industry, since most Filipino celebrities mimic the
songs and dance numbers of South Korean idols. Shin Hye, who gave an uncertain answer,
said that as more Filipinos watch Korean TV Drama, its influence becomes wider in
scope, and may even reach a point when South Korean culture can no longer be
detached from the Philippines. Gong Yoo and Yoona both stated the cases in concerts of
South Korean idols, in which Filipino fans invest most of their time and money instead of
patronizing their own local products such as OPM.
On the perception of the degree of the incorporation of South Korean culture in the
Philippines, four participants on the K-drama fans group, namely; Tialengcho, Suli, Gong Yoo
and Yoona perceived this incorporation as negative while Minho considered this
influence as positive. The four participants who said that this influence is negative all echoed
their concerns for their own culture and identity, saying that fans might forgot the culture of
their own country. Gong Yoo added that the Philippines is slowly being dominated by a
foreign tradition and culture while our own is slowly deteriorating. Meanwhile, Minho viewed
the incorporation as positive since it is also a manifestation of globalization – the Philippines
became open to foreign cultures and Filipinos gave value to the differences among cultures and
traditions of different countries.

48
Non-fan
While in the non-fans group, four of the participants, namely, Bartolome, Pedro, Maria,
and Imelda, agreed that the South Korean Cullture is already incorporated in the
Philippines. Bartolome implied that the mere fact Filipino TV networks broadcast K-drama,
is in itself, already a manifestation of the Philippines‘ acceptance of South Korean Culture. He
also stated that K-drama are considered to be idealistic. While two of the participants,
namely Pedro and Maria, agreed with a backing of statistical assumptions; Pedro stating that
18% of the country is already incorporated by the South Korean Culture while Maria said
that ¼ of the teenage population is already inclined towards South Korean Culture,
specifically K-drama and K-pop. Only Laura disagreed with the question, stating that
Filipinos still have their own culture that they themselves only possess, behind the
presence of South Korean Culture. Laura mentioned that the Filipino Culture was not shaped by
the said culture despite its presence in the Philippines.
While in the non-fans group, two of the participants, namely Bartolome and Imelda,
perceived this incorporation as positive while Maria considered this influence as neutral.
Bartolome reasoned that Filipinos should be flexible and not be confined with just their
own culture, stating that incorporation of various cultures will help their own culture
richer. Maria stated that it is not right to just acknowledge just your own culture and
recommended that Filipinos should discover new things.
Comparison
Four participants from each group said that the South Korean culture is already
incorporated in the Philippines in terms of the TV industry, cosmetic industry, and the
entertainment industry in terms of watching concerts of Korean idols. Laura stated that there

49
is no incorporation of South Korean culture in the Philippines despite its presence because
Filipinos still have their own culture that Filipinos only possess.
Four K-drama fans and two non K-drama fans perceived that the influence of
South Korean Culture is negative due to culture and identity as a cause for concern.
Minho, K-drama fan mentioned that the influence is considered positive because it is a
manifestation of globalization while Bartolome, a non Kdrama fan, suggested that Filipinos
should learn to be flexible and not be confined within their own. Gong Yoo, a K-drama fan
who perceived the influence as negative, implied that the Philippines is slowly being
dominated by a foreign culture. Maria, on the other hand, has a neutral reaction towards the
subject matter. She suggested that Filipinos should acknowledge other things and be
open for discovering new things.
III-D. Perception on the Possibility of Full South Korean Culture Influence
Fan
The set of the Korean drama fans participants were asked if they can see themselves as
being fully influenced by the Korean culture for a long time. Most of the participants answered
that they do not perceive themselves as being fully influenced. Gong Yoo elaborated that
he knows his limitations as a Filipino, his boundaries what he is supposed to watch or not.
He also implied that even though he watches Korean drama, he still prefers Filipino drama.
Yoona only answered no, she did not expound her statement anymore. Suli make cleared that
she knows the good things that Philippines will bring to her and she proved that through
her residency and the impact that was conveyed to her. Lastly, Minho mentioned that
there is a 30 percent chance that he might be influenced. He supported his statement
through his attitude of being open minded in different aspects such as showbiz,

50
cosmetic and et cetera. But he also presented that even though there is a chance, he still
considered the factor of being immersed in Filipino values.
Non-fan
Bartolome said that k-drama fans will not be fully influence by K-culture because
he believes that there is still some sense of being Filipino left with them. Bartolome also
mentioned that patronizing foreign products does not necessarily equate to total
devotion to the country it came from. Laura stated that being fully influenced by K-culture
depends on the situation. She stated that there are K-drama fans who would rather want to be
Korean and reside in Korea but there are also some fans that have “pusong pinoy” despite
patronizing Korean culture. Pedro assumes that a K-drama fan cannot be fully influenced
by K-culture because they cannot afford to live a Korean life in the Philippine setting.
Also, Pedro mentioned that there are many eyes and mouth in the Philippines that would judge
those who wears Hanbok making it unbearable for the fans. Maria thinks that because
Filipinos love new things and adventures that they will eventually be fully influenced by
other culture such as South Korea. Imelda believes that K-drama fans can be fully
influenced by K-culture but she did not further elaborate.
Comparison
As for the comparison of the two sets of participants, data reports showed that
the group of mostly of Korean TV drama fans affirmed that they perceived themselves as
not being fully influenced by the Korean culture. For some reason that the limitations and
boundaries they set in themselves hinders them to be fully influenced by Korean culture,
specifically cited Gong Yoo‗s statement. Minho, a participant from the set of Korean TV drama

51
fan, explained that there is still a thirty (30) percent chance that he might be influenced but
due to the factor he considered as being immersed in Filipino values and for Suli‟s
perspective, she knows that Philippines will bring positive to her individuality. On the other
hand, from the point of view of non-Korean TV drama fans, Bartolome pointed out that he still
believes to Korean drama fans because there is still sense and identity of being Filipino;
he also implied that buying foreign products does not equate to devotion. Laura expounded that
being influenced by Korean culture does depends on the situation. She described that
some of the fans who wants to become Korean but there is still the heart of Filipino (pusong
pinoy). As for Pedro‟s opinion, he consider the factor of financial aspect and adapting a new
lifestyle; he also added that adapting Korean culture such as wearing traditional costume
will be difficult for the part of the fans because of judgement of the society. Lastly, Maria
explained that because of the Filipino‟s nature of being adventurous and open minded to
discover new things, this will eventually turn to be the cause of being influenced by the
Korean culture.
III-E. Perception on the Manifestation of South Korean Culture
Fan
The set of the Korean drama fans participants were asked if they can see themselves as
being fully influenced by the Korean culture for a long time. Most of the participants answered
that they do not perceive themselves as being fully influenced. Gong Yoo elaborated that
he knows his limitations as a Filipino, his boundaries what he is supposed to watch or not,
therefore she cannot totally forget of its culture. He also implied that even though he watches
Korean drama, he still prefers Filipino drama. Yoona only answered no, she did not expound her
statement anymore. Suli make cleared that she knows the good things that Philippines will

52
bring to her and she proved that through her residency and the impact that was conveyed to
her. Lastly, Minho mentioned that there is a 30 percent chance that he might be influenced.
He supported his statement through his attitude of being open minded in various aspects
such as showbiz, cosmetic and et cetera. But he also presented that even though there is a
chance, he still considered the factor of being more immersed in Filipino values.
With regards to probing question 2, they were also asked if they can see others whom
they know as being fully influenced by the Korean culture for a long time and also consider
visiting, going or staying in South Korea. Only one participant was asked on this portion. The
rest of the participants skipped this part. Suli shared that her friends showed manifestations
such as imitating the Korean fashion, doing makeup and learning Korean dances. She
cleared that her friends were almost look alike with their Korean idols due to the way they dress
themselves as nearly the same with their idols. Lastly, Imelda sees her friends that they will
decide to stay in South Korea because of their Korean idols.
Non-fan
The interviewers asked the non k-drama fans if they think that the k-drama fans will
consider visiting, going or staying in South Korea but only two participants gave their feedback.
Maria said that she knew many people who would want to visit South Korea. On the other
hand, Suli assumes that it will happen in the near future because k-drama fans dream of
visiting Korea to see their idols.

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