• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.13 no.9
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• pp.92-101
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• 2013

Hallyu in Malaysia is considered to be in the growth stage as in countries such as Philippine, Myanmar, Hungary, and Uzbekistan. In the growth stage, Hallyu becomes increasingly popular and familiar to the general public and the sales of Hallyu-related products starts to increase. The purpose of this research is to compare how Hallyu is perceived among Malaysian youths and adults. Analysis is carried out using FGD. The two groups are asked about what they think of Korea and the success of Hallyu, how much interest they have in foreign cultures in general, and how they come into contact with them. Based on these results, problems currently facing Hallyu and possible solutions are examined. The analysis shows that the interest in Hallyu among Malaysians varies according to age and gender. Both male and female participants in their 20's have shown a much greater interest in Hallyu than the participants over 30's. But Malaysians are known to be relatively open-minded about accepting foreign cultures, and this is reflected in the current study. They view the popularity of Korean drama, movies, and music as a trend, rather than being intolerant of them. There is no concern for negativity toward Hallyu in Malaysia, but it is likely that Hallyu may be replaced by another foreign culture unless its influence is constantly maintained in the area. Therefore, it is essential to develop measures and models to not only retain, but strengthen Hallyu's influence.