Leiden University Student Repository

Morri, Rachel Catharina (2020)

In the Name of My Idol: Gifts and Donations in Korean Fan Culture

Bachelor thesis | Koreastudies (BA)

The last two decades, the popularity and accessibility of K-Pop have transcended Korean and Asian borders, reaching new audiences and gaining new fans, with K-Pop groups becoming not solely dependent on having a fanbase in Korea for their continuation. Not only have the music and visuals gone international, but also fan culture, having been adapted by international fans as well. But what makes Korean fandom culture stand out in comparison to other fan cultures? Regarding K-Pop and fans, what has been mostly covered in scholarship and media is the spread of Korean entertainment products as drama series and music, the phenomenon Hallyu, and fans as consumers of these products. The practice of fans making donations in the name of their idols is placed within the framework of gift exchange practices and parasocial relationships. This research looks at what this phenomenon could tell us of the role and position that fans and fandoms have within the Korean entertainment industry in regard...Show moreThe last two decades, the popularity and accessibility of K-Pop have transcended Korean and Asian borders, reaching new audiences and gaining new fans, with K-Pop groups becoming not solely dependent on having a fanbase in Korea for their continuation. Not only have the music and visuals gone international, but also fan culture, having been adapted by international fans as well. But what makes Korean fandom culture stand out in comparison to other fan cultures? Regarding K-Pop and fans, what has been mostly covered in scholarship and media is the spread of Korean entertainment products as drama series and music, the phenomenon Hallyu, and fans as consumers of these products. The practice of fans making donations in the name of their idols is placed within the framework of gift exchange practices and parasocial relationships. This research looks at what this phenomenon could tell us of the role and position that fans and fandoms have within the Korean entertainment industry in regard to their favourite idols and the changing approach to and dependencies of their fans.Show less

Hallyu

Fans (Persons)

Exchange

parasocial relationships

Author

Morri, Rachel Catharina

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Supervisors

Veldkamp, Elmer

ECTS Credits

10

Language

en