Factors Influencing the Popularity of Korean Series in Thai People’s Views

Abstract

        In contrast to several decades ago when choices for entertainment were significantly limited, in the present, a huge amount of people tend to regularly get themselves exposed to the heavy usage of online streaming platforms where they are offered with a wide selection of entertainment contents that they are able to decide on the ones best suited their personal preference and desires to watch, ranging from movies from various genres, TV shows both domestic and international, stand-up comedies, to documentaries. As a result, people are likely to spend more time on screen than ever.

         In Thailand, there is also an interesting information regarding the huge load of people spending on several platforms in order to seek for an entertainment, especially ones imported from and created by South Korea. This leads to the research that aims to investigate factors that influence the popularity of Korean series in Thailand based on Thai people’s views. The research explores about 385 samples with different demographical and personal backgrounds in terms of age, gender, and financial status regarding selected factors that could potentially affect their interests in watching and spending their money on Korean series.

         The result demonstrates that women whose occupations are mostly working in a private firm, tend to watch Korean series more than men do for 1 up to 2 hours a day. Moreover, specifications of the series are perceived as the main indicator for its popularity: contents, actors and actresses, and varieties. A platform also holds relative significance to the popularity of a Korean series, concerning its accessibility, service management, audio and visual quality, interface, and features. What also contributes to this is how a series is advertised: online, offline, or social media, as well as how it is promoted, seen from its trailers and posters.