The Influence of National Image based on Satisfaction with the ‘2021 Thailand K-Pop Academy’ Classes

Abstract

Among Asian countries, Thailand is a major consumer of Hallyu and shows active consumption of various related contents, including K-pop. In response, the Korean government is supporting various K-pop related education projects through the Korean Cultural Center in Thailand. The aim of this study was to investigate how satisfaction with a K-pop course influenced the national image based on satisfaction with the ‘2021 Thailand K-Pop Academy’ third vocal classes. Methodology included an online survey conducted with 224 local students who directly participated in the course; empirical analysis was conducted using SSPS 22.0 and Amos 21.0. It was found that cultural adaptation has a significant positive effect on class satisfaction and on the attitude toward Korea. Attitude toward Korea was found to have a significant positive effect on intention to visit Korea. Lastly, class satisfaction does not influence the intention to visit Korea. This study is meaningful in that it provides current empirical analysis that examines the influence of K-pop academy class satisfaction on Korea’s national image with various implications for staff at overseas Korean cultural centers who are operating K-pop academies.