The Influence of the Korean Wave on the Consumption of the Iconic Korean Spirit, ‘Soju’, by Thai Consumers
Keywords:
Korean Wave, Soju, Theory of Planned BehaviorAbstract
In recent decades, Korean culture has gained global attention due to globalization and rapid technological advancements. This cultural phenomenon, known as the “Hallyu” or “Korean Wave”, has conferred substantial soft power on Korea through its impact on entertainment media, the arts, fashion, language, and cuisine. The main objective of this research is to examine how Economic Value (ECV), Quality Value (QV), Emotional Value (ETV), Epistemic Value (EPV), Familiarity (FM), Subjective Norm (SN), and Perceived Behavioral Control (PBC) influence Thai consumers, purchase intentions for Soju, a popular Korean alcoholic beverage, by applying the extension of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Methodologically, this study employed a quantitative approach, conducting a cross-sectional survey of 464 Thai consumers in Chiang Mai. The collected data were analyzed using the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression method. The study reveals that perceived quality, emotional value, familiarity, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control have a significant impact on Thai consumers’ purchase intentions for Soju. In contrast, economic and epistemic values do not show significant influence. Based on these findings, businesses should focus on quality assurance, cultural integration strategies, enhancing product familiarity, leveraging social influence, and improving product accessibility to expand the Soju market in Thailand effectively. Implementing these targeted marketing approaches can strengthen Thai consumers’ connection to Korean culture and enhance Soju’s market presence nationwide.
References
Addis, M. (2023). Exploiting the cultural consumption experience. International Journal of Arts Management, 26(1), 54-62.
Ahn, A. (2022, October 19). Enrollment in Korean classes has shot up. NPR. https://www.npr.org
Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179-211. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T
Ayar, I., & Gürbüz, A. (2021). Sustainable consumption intentions of consumers in Turkey: A research within the theory of planned behavior. Sage Open, 11(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211047563
Berg, M. (2020). Cultural proximity or cultural distance? Selecting media content among Turkish diasporic audiences in Germany. Diaspora, 20(3), 354-371.
Chiang Mai Provincial Public Health Ofce (n.d.). Population in the middle of 2003-2021, Chiang Mai Province. Chiangmaihealth. https://www.chiangmaihealth.go.th/cmpho_web/detail_article2.php?info_id=670
Choe, J. Y. J., & Kim, S. S. (2018). Effects of tourists’ local food consumption value on attitude, food destination image, and behavioral intention. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 71, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2017.11.007
Ghorban Nejad, S., Skeiseid, H. V., & Derdowski, L. A. (2024). Consumers’ intentions to undertake consumption reduction: An extended TPB approach. Journal of Consumer Behavior, 23(1), 45-60. https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.2215
Islam, M. S., Karia, N., & Khaleel, M. (2019). Intention to adopt mobile banking in Bangladesh: An empirical study of emerging economy. International Journal of Business Information Systems, 31(1), 136-151. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJBIS.2019.098710
Jeong, S., & Lee, J. (2021). Effects of cultural background on consumer perception and acceptability of foods and drinks: A review of latest cross-cultural studies. Current Opinion in Food Science, 42, 248-256. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cofs.2021.07.004
Kin, T. W., Rahamat, S., Yusri, M., & Iman, M. D. (2024). Consumers’ intention to purchase healthful foods and beverages from vending machines in a healthcare institution: An application of theory of planned behaviour and health consciousness. Malaysian Journal of Medicine & Health Sciences, 20(5), 42-51.
Leong, L.-Y., Hew, T.-S., Ooi, K.-B., Metri, B., & Dwivedi, Y. K. (2023). Extending the theory of planned behavior in the social commerce: A Meta-Analytic SEM (MASEM) approach. Information Systems Frontiers, 25, 1847-1873. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-023-
-9
Li, X. (2022). Consumers’ value perceptions on sparkling wine and purchasing intention: The impact of country of origin and purchasing purposes [Master’s thesis]. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management West Lafayette.
Satrio, D., Priyanto, S. H., & Nugraha, A. K. (2020). Viral marketing for cultural product: The role of emotion and cultural awareness to influence purchasing intention. Montenegrin Journal of Economics, 16(2), 77-91. https://doi.org/10.14254/1800-5845/2020.16-2.6
Simpson‐Rojas, D., Phipps, D. J., Jenkins, K., Fleig, L., Hagger, M. S., & Hamilton, K. (2024). Predicting alcohol consumption: Application of an integrated social cognition model of intentions, habits, and cue consistency. Applied Psychology: Health and Well‐Being, 16(4), 2340-2361. https://doi.org/10.1111/aphw.12463
Soliman, M. (2021). Extending the theory of planned behavior to predict tourism destination revisit intention. International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration, 22(5), 524-549. https://doi.org/10.1080/15256480.2019.1689968
Yamane, T. (1973). Statistics: An introductory analysis (3rd ed.). Harper & Row.
