Conceptualizing the ‘hook’ in K-drama: Racial segregation and unity in media consumption among multiracial Malaysian youth before and after Hallyu 1.0

Abstract

Since the phenomenon of Hallyu 1.0, Korean transnational popular culture has caught the attention of scholars worldwide, sparking discussions about soft power, gender, media consumption, and fandom in countries from the East to the West. However, there is a lack of studies on multiracial Malaysian youths’ consumption of South Korean transnational popular culture, as highlighted by the onset of trendy K-dramas. This study focuses on the shift from highly segregated, ethnic-based media consumption to a more unified consumption of East Asian television drama productions by reviewing trends of media consumption before and after Hallyu in Malaysia, and highlights the impact of Korean soft power in Malaysia in the form of a new hybridized trendy drama. We conceptualize features of the K-drama model: hybridized physiognomy, romantic innocence, ‘neo-Romantic’ ballads, and foreign language as a ‘hook’, borrowing Gary Burn’s terminology in popular music, that united multiracial consumption among the Malaysian youth. Finally, the results suggest a ‘re-packaging’ of homogeneity in television drama production and consumption.