INFLUENCE OF THAI DRAMA THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA ON POPULARITY OF THAI CULTURE: CASE STUDIES OF STUDENTS OF BUSAN UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN STUDIES

Abstract

With the rapid development of social media in Korea, the influx of dramas from Southeast Asia, especially Thailand, is increasing. As a result, it can be seen that the awareness and popularity of Thai culture is increasing. This research aims to determine whether Thai drama through social media influence the level of interest in Thai culture among Koreans. It analyzes how Thai dramas introduced to Korea through the development of social media contribute to the rise in popularity of Thai culture. In addition, the research attempts to analyze which Thai culture Koreans are interested in and how they experience those cultures in South Korea. Many Thai workers and immigrants live in Busan, and there is a university with a Thai language department in Busan, so it was selected as Busan. Therefore,The paper aims to examine whether watching Thai dramas through social media stimulate people’s interest in Thai culture and influence the popularity of Thai culture by doing in-depth interview and questionnaires with a sample group. The sample group consisted of students of Busan University of Foreign Studies. And in conclusion, it was concluded that the influx of Thai dramas definitely influenced Koreans in terms of food, language, history, idols, and travel. In addition, an additional conclusion was drawn that not only this cultural element, but also that Thailand has a positive view on the overall image, and that it is a country that will continue to be watched with continued curiosity.