Abstract

This study examines the impact of Korean dramas on Pakistani youth, in their lifestyle and preferences, their cultural influence, language influence and emotional impact. A quantitative research approach was used, and a survey of K-dramas viewers with a sample size of (N=259) was conducted. The study uses the Cultivation theoretical framework and a questionnaire to obtain data from respondents. The study explores the different reasons why youth are inclined towards K-dramas which include unique storylines, good camera work, good-looking actors, good shooting locations, interest in Korean language and cultural diversity. Korean dramas have become a popular source of entertainment for Pakistani youth, and they have become a part of the Hallyu wave

Key Words

Korean Dramas, Pakistan, Hallyu, Culture, Korean Language

Introduction

Globalization allows the transmission of diverse knowledge around the world; people from different parts of the world are now able to connect freely with each other regardless of the distance between them. And this helps in promoting a country's cultural diversity in other countries. The rise in popularity of Korean television dramas among Asian viewers during the late 1990s is an unexpected phenomenon. It believes that in less than ten years, Korean dramas have risen to prominence as one of the most popular forms of television programming in several Asian nations (Alada, 2023). South Korea is one of those countries whose culture has been greatly highlighted lately; Korean food, clothes, music, and beauty especially Korean dramas have crazed audiences of different countries. Even teens are so into their language that people, particularly students, try to speak and learn different words of their language (Sughra et al., 2022).

Among all these things, k-dramas are most popular among Pakistani youth, and they have had a great impact on them. Students are crazy about K-dramas, and they frequently search for different Wi-Fi or hotspot channels so that they can watch those dramas on the Internet (Hogarth, 2013). Beginning with dramas, people are now gradually inclined towards their culture as dramas represent the cultural aspects of society. But these dramas have a great impact on their viewers. These K-dramas often portray idealized and romanticized bonds and relationships between the characters that may not exist, and this might create unrealistic expectations among viewers. Also, the characters of their dramas are portrayed as perfect in body shape and beauty which can deform the perception of Pakistani viewers. These dramas are taking people away from reality leading them to excessive daydreaming. Although K-dramas have an impact on viewers; not only on Pakistani youth but on viewers of all over the world. However, it is important to maintain a balanced approach while consuming K-dramas (Touhami & Al-Haq, 2017).

Literature Review

By the 2000s, Korean culture made its recognizable existence throughout the world, especially in East Asia and the USA as the result of globalization. Today, it is one of the most popular cultures among this generation. It is also known as 'Korean wave' or 'Hallyu’. The term Hallyu was first coined by a Chinese journalist in the 1990s to describe the popularity of Korean pop culture in his country. Since then, Korea has been exporting a wide range of cultural goods i.e., dramas, movies, music, and games to Asia and other countries worldwide (Pha & Lhe, 2022; Bhatti, Khalid, & Khalid, 2022; Fortunata & Utami, 2021).

In 2016, the drama 'The Jewel in the Palace' on aired on Pakistan National TV channel, PTV home as Nageen, which gained popularity due to its unique storyline as it portrays the struggle of a girl who became the first royal physician in the Joseon Dynasty. Nowadays there are many websites and channels which debug Korean dramas in Urdu language which plays a vital role in the popularity of Korean dramas in Pakistan. Korean Wave has gained immense popularity in Pakistan during the COVID era. The Korean Wave has been able to attract an audience because of its compelling characters, cultural diversity, and unique and engaging storylines (Bhatti et al., 2022).

Korean culture has reformed the entertainment industry all around the globe and has attracted the attention of world-class filmmakers and won many international awards for their amazing cinematography and storytelling. In 2020, the film 'Parasite' won Oscar awards in four categories including Best International Feature Film and Best Picture awards and in 2022, the film 'Broker' won the Ecumenical Jury Award for Best Film at Cannas Film Festival (IMBD, 2019 & 2022). In 2021, the Netflix series 'Squid Game' broke the record of being the most popular series on Netflix remaining on trending for more than a month. Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Business Proposal, Vincenzo, It's Okay to Not Be Okay, The Glory, Dr Romantic, All of Us are Dead, Hometown Cha Cha Cha, Twenty-five, Twenty-one and Little Women are some of the Korean series that trended in Pakistan and on Netflix worldwide (Insider, 2023). Apart from their movies and dramas, their music band 'BTS' is one of the most liked music groups and won many international awards including nominations for Grammy awards.Other notable music groups include Black Pink, EXO, Seventeen, Astro etc.

This literature review will focus on the impact of Korean dramas on youth with reference to existing literature. The first and foremost reason to watch Korean dramas is the diversity of their topics and cinematography. The main themes of k dramas are youth, friendship, romance, mental health, women empowerment, crime, thrill, technology, medicine and history which also show their societal issues but also show family values. Apart from their strong themes, these dramas also provide strong emotional engagement to the audience because they feel connected to the storyline and characters shown in the show. Other than a strong storyline, their direction, cinematography, beautiful locations, performance and beauty of actors and actresses also attract an audience to watch their drama (Qu et al., 2022; Bhatti et al., 2022).

Media consumption patterns and increased availability of different streaming sites like Netflix, YouTube, and Disney+ also played a role in the popularity of Korean dramas in the country (Bhatti et al., 2022). It is also observed by different researchers that youth tend to be more inclined towards content which shows cultural similarities to them (Tajul, Bakar, Hassan, Yusof & Hafezah, 2018) and Korean dramas not only show cultural similarities i.e., family values but also talk about the issues that they want to discuss. It is also implied that South Korea's economic success is a reason behind its cultural success, but it is also true that the Korean entertainment industry contributes greatly to the country's economy and tourism.

The main reason behind the shift of Pakistani audiences from their traditional media to Korean media is the repetition of the same stories related to the saas-bahu fight and extramarital affairs which the audience doesn't want to watch. So, the big reason for watching K-content is its unique storyline and location (Bhatti et al., 2022). Pakistani dramas are usually of long duration i.e., more than 30 episodes while Korean dramas are usually 16 episodes and are comparatively less time-consuming (Fortunata & Utami, 2021) than Pakistani dramas.

Hallyu is the expansion of Korean culture, affecting individuals from many cultures through music, television, cinema, and behavioural factors. The popularity of K-dramas in Pakistan has seen a significant increase over the past few years, leading to many researchers investigating the impact of this cross-cultural phenomenon. It's found that Pakistanis using Korean content have been highly influenced by Korean culture popularly known as the Hallyu wave.

The (Sughra et al., 2022) study is concerned with the impact of the "Korean Wave" on the language of non-Korean speakers, namely the bilingual population in Pakistan who appreciate Korean popular music, drama/film, and so on. Furthermore, the study explores what aspects of Pakistani Korean fans' language are impacted by Hallyu.

As (Touhami et al., 2017) point out, the Korean Wave offers people a whole new perspective on life that can significantly affect their lifestyles in the areas of cultural practices, cuisines, modes of living, and most importantly language. It also provides them with a means of entertainment. In accordance with this, it is highly relevant to refer to the article uploaded by Haein Yoon on Weverse Magazine (2021) titled "Hangeul Holds the ARMY World Together". It tells how K-pop has introduced the Korean language to the world and worldwide people have started adding it to their own cultural language.

Korean dramas have brought a new cultural phenomenon to Pakistan, which encourages cross-cultural exchange, language learning, and globalization. (Maqsood, Batool & Zaffer, 2022) They have also provided a new source of entertainment and escapism for Pakistani viewers, who have grown tired of the same repetitive storylines in local dramas.

The findings of the study (Maqsood et al., 2022) show that Pakistani viewers consuming Korean content accept that they use Korean terms in their daily lives, even on social media and when they text others. As per findings people use the Korean terms consciously and unconsciously in their daily life. The result shows, that many Pakistani Korean content consumer uses Korean phrases and words even while self-communication or talking to themselves unconsciously.

Our research focuses on the impact of Korean drama on Pakistani society. Furthermore, Korean dramas have also had a significant impact on the fashion and beauty industry in Pakistan. Many Pakistani women are now emulating the fashion styles and beauty standards of their favourite Korean stars. This trend has led to the introduction of Korean beauty products in Pakistan, which have become increasingly popular.

The influence of Korean dramas on Pakistani society may have negative implications as well. For example, some Korean dramas tend to romanticize stalking, possessiveness, and toxic relationships, which can have a negative impact on young viewers who may not be able to distinguish between fictional and real-life relationships. This could lead to the normalization of toxic behaviours in romantic relationships, which could have long-term consequences in terms of mental health and well-being (Alada, 2023).

The exposure of Korean content especially K-dramas has an immense impact on the lives of Pakistani youth and leading them to adopt the Korean culture at a large scale (Maqsood et al., 2022). The influence of Korean content, particularly K-dramas and K-pop culture among Pakistani youth. It also touches on the impact of Korean beauty on Pakistani youth. It highlights the largely diversified and geographically dispersed audience of Korean dramas which shows its huge impact on viewers. The subsequent part of this literature focuses on the dominance and acceptance of K-dramas and Hallyu fueled by romance. It is providing a new window for Korean culture, traditions and way of life and this cultural exchange is broadening their worldview and sense of curiosity about different cultures.

The literature raises the question, of why Korean content is so appealing that makes everyone restless to visit Korea. The Pakistani youth is so impressed by the content and dramas of Korea that they feel desperate and want to visit Korea, and all this is because of the intimate themes and romantic representation of the Korean dramas, and the desire for Korean men.

Korean content especially Korean dramas portrays a distinct cultural perspective and lifestyle that is different from Pakistani culture and values. Its excessive consumption is leading Pakistani youth to disconnect from their own culture (Pha & Lhe, 2022) Korean dramas depict idealized romantic relationships, lavish lifestyles and flawless characters that create unrealistic expectations and perceptions of life, beauty and success among Pakistani youth. Past studies on how they received transnational K-dramas have tended to place them within an inter-Asian cultural framework, focusing on postcolonial concerns in modernized Asian cultures (Ju, 2019).

Korean dramas have made the Pakistani youth-obsessed and addicted to its content. Binge-watching Korean dramas have led the Pakistani youth to addiction-like behaviour by affecting their productivity, social interactions, and overall well-being. Korean content often represents a specific standard of beauty which differs from Pakistani ideals. This creates a body image issue and disturbs the self-esteem of Pakistani youth who may feel pressurized to confirm these standards (Bhatti et al., 2022

Theories and Opinions

The research paper incorporates different theories and opinions related to the impact of Korean content among Pakistani youth

Cultural Hegemony

It mentions the concept of cultural hegemony that suggests the increasing popularity of Korean dramas over Pakistani culture.

Globalization

It has blurred the boundaries and facilitated the spread of Korean media to Pakistan. It has allowed cultural diversity and the acceptance of Korean content especially Korean dramas in Pakistani society.

Soft Power

It indicates that Korean content, particularly Korean dramas, plays a significant role in shaping perception and creating awareness about different ideas like perfect partners and romance

Gaps

This research focused is just Korean dramas, and other Korean content is not covered in this research, which includes K-pop, anime, etc. Secondly, the research is survey-based based so there is a gap between content analysis and qualitative research

Impact on Local Media

It focused on the popularity Korean dramas in Pakistan but did not explore its impact on local media, viewership and production of

Comparison to other International Content

literature mentioned that Korean content is The preferred over other national and international content by Pakistani youth, but it does not discuss the reason behind its preference specifically for Korean content.

Long Terms Sustainability

The increasing popularity of Korean dramas among Pakistani youth did not discuss the potential challenges and sustainability of this trend.

Objectives

1)    To investigate the Korean cultural influence on Pakistani females and males.

2)    To investigate the kind of dramas most frequently watched by the K-drama audience.

3)            To find how much time viewers spend watching K-dramas

Hypothesis

H1: It is more likely that females watch Korean dramas than males because of their unique storylines.

H2: It is more likely that females watch Korean dramas than males because of their good-looking actors.

H3: There is a higher Korean cultural influence on Pakistani females than males

Research Methodology

The present study is a quantitative cross-sectional study focusing on how the popularity of Korean dramas in Pakistan has increased over the past few years. It's found that Pakistanis watching Korean dramas have been highly influenced by Korean culture popularly known as the Hallyu wave. There could be noticed the effect of Korean dramas on Pakistani youth. The study applies Cultivation theory as the theoretical framework and a survey questionnaire is used as a research tool to collect data from the respondents

Research Design

This study utilizes a survey methodology to gather data from the participants. The survey questionnaire will be designed on Google Forms. The survey method is used to measure the effect of Korean dramas on Pakistani youth.

Sample Size

The sample of this research consists of 259 individuals based in Pakistani society. The specific research methodology employed in this study includes the use of a purposive sampling technique, and the only participants were youth who watch K-dramas.

Population

The population includes the selected participants, the Korean drama viewers will be surveyed for data collection to examine the effect of Korean dramas on youth.

Research Tool

A survey questionnaire consists of 22 questions sub

divided into demographics, Korean consumption, influence on lifestyle and preference and emotional impact and identification which were used as a research tool in the present study. The questionnaire includes the ordinal level of measurement consisting of a Likert Scale (where 1= strongly agree and 5 = strongly disagree). The survey questionnaire will be designed on Google Forms and distributed through social media platforms i.e. WhatsApp and Facebook to fill the form online. The survey questionnaire will also be filled out by approaching directly to people directly.

Operationalization

Hallyu Wave

Hallyu Wave (also known as Korean Wave) is a term used to describe the global popularity of South Korean culture, especially in Asian countries. This cultural phenomenon gained momentum in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and it includes Korean music, television dramas, movies, fashion, beauty, food, and technology.

Youth

People of Pakistan who are young and aged above 15 and under 30.

Result

Table 1

	Female	Male	t	sig
Mean	2.14	2.81	-2.350	0.020
N	181	16

Table 1: H1 was tested by comparing the Unique storyline of Korean drama and the mean of gender (male=16, female=181). Two-tailed Significance value (0.453) suggests that there is no statistically significant difference between the storyline of k-drama and the mean of gender.

Table 2

	Female	Male	t	sig
Mean	32.39	35.56	-1.400	0.163
N	181	16

Table 2: H2 was tested by comparing the good-looking actors of Korean drama and the mean of gender (male=16, female=181). Two- Two-tailed significance value (0.020) suggests that there is a statistically significant difference between good-looking actors of k-drama which shows that female viewers are more in numbers who watch K dramas because of Actors

Table 3

	Female	Male	t	sig
Mean	32.39	35.56	-1.400	0.163
N	181	16

Table 3

	Female	Male	t	sig
Mean	32.39	35.56	-1.400	0.163
N	181	16

Table 3:H3 was tested by comparing the cultural influence of Korean drama and the mean of gender (male=16, female=181). Two-tailed Significance value (0.163) suggests that there is no statistically significant difference between the cultural influence of k-drama and the mean of gender

Discussion

Due to the immense popularity of Korean dramas across the globe, it also has a big impact on Pakistani youth and is quite popular among them exposing them to new culture and language. The research data was collected by sample (N=259); including those who watch Korean drama or not from which 89.3% are female and 10.7% are male. Our study is related to the impact of Korean dramas on Pakistani youth so, we only selected the respondents who watch Korean dramas a total of 197 respondents i.e. 181 females (91.9%) and 16 males (8.1%).

In our study the survey was filled by respondents of age between 15 to 30 among which 63% are of the 20-23 age group and undergraduate people are most influenced and consume Korean dramas. Youth in Pakistan are increasingly consuming Korean dramas, as seen by the change in their watching habits—many of them are spending more time watching these series than local ones. Our study shows that 70.6 % of consumers spend 2- 3 hours daily watching Korean dramas and this pattern is more common in female audiences than in males

Korean Consumption

Netflix is the most common OTT platform to watch Korean dramas as another research showed (Maqsood et al., 2022). The study’s findings showed that respondents watch romantic, thriller and fantasy-based dramas more frequently than they do other genres. The result of the survey revealed that 63.5% of respondents like to watch romance-based Korean dramas, 56.3% of respondents like to watch Thriller Korean dramas, 50.8% of respondents like to watch Fantasy Korean dramas, 46.7% of respondents like to watch Action based Korean dramas, 36.5% respondents like to watch youth based Korean dramas, 25.4% respondents like to watch Historical based Korean dramas, 29.4% respondents like to watch Social issue based Korean dramas and 4.5% respondents like to watch other genres of Korean dramas. As in another study done during the pandemic shows that the viewers enjoy romantic, suspenseful, and fantasy Korean dramas because they convey them to fascinating realms beyond reality. The addition of exciting and action-packed scenes increases the viewers' enjoyment of these dramas. (Muhammad Ahsan Bhatti, Aqsa Khalid, Rania Khalid, 2022)

Reasons to watch Korean Dramas

The reasons to watch Korean dramas section comprises a total of 7 questions.

Our study result shows that 56.3% of respondents strongly agreed, 34.5% of respondents agreed with the reason that they like to watch Korean dramas because of good storytelling, 7.6% showed a neutral response 0.5% of respondents disagreed, and 1% of respondents strongly disagree with the statement.

H1 examines that females watch Korean dramas more than males because of their unique storyline but the claim is not supported in the study, respondents don't make their choice to watch Korean drama because of the storyline. These Korean dramas draw viewers of all genders because of their visually appealing actors, interesting locations, and learning Korean language Furthermore, the global appeal of Korean dramas is reinforced by their sympathetic leads and emotional depth, which challenges the idea that the story is the only factor attracting female viewers.

Our study result shows that 34.5% of respondents strongly agreed, 27.9% of respondents agreed with the reason that they like to watch Korean dramas because of good-looking actors, 24.5% showed a neutral response while 10.2% of respondents disagreed, 3.0% of respondents strongly disagreed with the statement. K dramas have fast-paced, surprising narratives that make fans laugh, and the actors and actresses look good and perform well (Alada, 2023).

H2 examines that females watch Korean dramas more than males because of their good-looking actors. As a result, the claim is supported because Asian countries have high beauty standards, which place importance on traits like pale skin and a trim figure. By emphasizing the impact of cultural norms and the popularity of stars like Lee Min-ho and Song Hye-Kyo on the success of Korean dramas among women, these standards also help to boost the number of female viewers. The results show that 45.7% of respondents strongly agree 26.9% of respondents agreed with the reason that they like to watch Korean dramas because of good shooting location, 21.3% showed neutral responses 4.1% of respondents disagree and 2.0% of respondents strongly disagree with the statement.

Our study result shows that 11.7% of respondents strongly agree 20.3% of respondents agreed with the reason that they like to watch Korean dramas because they can relate to the story, 37.1% showed a neutral response 23.4% of respondents disagree 7.6% of respondents strongly disagree with the statement. Our study result shows that 20.8% of respondents strongly agree 23.9% of respondents agreed that the reason that they like to watch Korean dramas is because interested in the language, 24.4% showed neutral responses 21.8% of respondents disagreed while 9.1% of respondents strongly disagree with the statement. Our study results show that 20.8% of respondents strongly agree 24.9% of respondents agreed with the reason that they like to watch Korean dramas because of cultural diversity, 32.5% showed neutral responses 14.2% of respondents disagreed and 7.6% of respondents strongly disagreed with the statement. The impact of Korean culture on individuals in Pakistan, regardless of gender, is affected by vary. Cultural influence is frequently shaped by social interactions, media intake, exposure, and individual preferences either male or female.

Our study results show that 43.7% of respondents strongly agreed 28.9% of respondents agreed with the reason that they like to watch Korean dramas because of cinematic shots, 20.3% showed neutral responses while 5.1% of respondents disagreed while 2.0% respondents strongly disagreed with the statement. The study shows that the viewers of Korean dramas are attracted to them by their gripping narratives, engaging performers, and stunning locations. Given that there are no genre limits and that they may watch a variety of Korean content on Netflix with subtitles, fans in Pakistan connect strongly with Korean dramas.

. Our stInfluence on Lifestyle and PreferencesThe reasons to watch Korean dramas section comprises a total of 7 questions. Our study result shows that 56.3% of respondents strongly agreed, 34.5% of

The section's influence on lifestyle and preferences comprises a total of 11 questions.

H3 examines that there is a higher Korean cultural influence on Pakistani females than males. Results show that H3 was not supported as there was no significant difference between both genders when it came to cultural influence. In a Malaysian study opposite findings were found that Korean culture highly influences them. Korean dramas are extremely popular in Malaysia because they bridge an emotional gap that Western dramas could miss. (Ariffin, Bakar & Yusof, 2018).

Our study results show that 12.2% of respondents are strongly influenced strongly while 29.4% of respondents are moderately influenced by their fashion sense after watching Korean drama, 23.9% are slightly influenced and 34.5% of respondents were not influenced at all. This concludes that a lower percentage of people are strongly influenced by fashion choices after watching K- drama, while most of the percentage is not influenced at all. Our study results show that 13.2% of respondents are strongly influenced strongly while 27.9% of respondents are moderately influenced by the style choice after watching Korean drama, 29.4% are slightly influenced and 29.4% of respondents were not influenced at all. This concludes that less percentage of people are strongly influenced by the style choices after watching K- K-drama, while most percentage is not influenced at all.

When asked, have the participants tried eating Korean dishes, according to the results obtained 7.6% of respondents always, 16.2% often tried eating Korean food, 38.1% sometimes, 12.2% seldom and 25.9% of people have never tried Korean food. It shows that many participants have sometimes tried eating Korean food. When asked, have the participants tried Korean cooking dishes, according to the results obtained 7.1% of respondents always, 11.2% often tried Korean cooking food, 20.3% sometimes, 15.7% seldom and 45.7% of people have never tried cooking Korean food. It shows that there is a very minor number of participants who are interested in Korean cooking dishes while the majority of K-drama viewers have never cooked Korean dishes. There are beautiful locations and scenery present in Korean dramas which attract the viewer's attention and make them want to visit Korea to witness the beauty. According to the results, 24.4% of respondents always were influenced while 14.2% were often influenced to visit the location after the portrayal in the drama, 19.8% sometimes, 10.2% seldom and 31.5% of people have never been influenced to visit Korea.

There have been games and different activities portrayed in K-drama, when asked to participants if they have tried certain activities in real life so 7.1% of respondents always perform certain activities 15.2% often try the portrayed activities, while 20.3% sometimes, 19.3% seldom while 38.1% of people have never performed any activity. It shows that among the participants most participants never involved themselves in the activities portrayed in K-dramas.

There is a specific way of greeting, talking, delivering speech and characters shown reacting to the situation. Our study result shows that 13.7% of respondents are very likely to adopt behaviour while 22.8% of respondents are likely to adopt the behaviour, when asked people how likely they think they are to adopt certain behaviours depicted in Korean dramas, 26.4% show neutral response, 20.8% respondents are unlikely, while 16.2% respondents are not likely at all to adopt the behaviour shown in K-dramas.

There are historical and time period Korean dramas which discuss the ancient dynasties of Korea and show ancient Korean traditional dress and lifestyle. Our study results show that 13.2% of respondents have learned while 32.5% of respondents have learned quite a bit about Korean history from watching Korean dramas, 21.8% showed a moderate response, 25.4% of respondents have learned not much, 7.1% of respondents have learned nothing at all about Korean history. It shows that a significant number of people have learned Korean history after watching Korean dramas.

Our study result shows that 20.8% of respondents strongly agree 23.9% of respondents agreed with the reason that they like to watch Korean dramas because interested in the language, 24.4% show a neutral response 21.8% of respondents disagree 9.1% of respondents strongly disagree with the statement. Our study result shows that have learned quite a lot about Korean customs from Korean dramas. Out of the selected sample who responded, 28.9% have learned a lot about their customs, 33% have learned quite a bit and 24.4% have moderately learned about their customs. However, 10.7% of respondents didn't learn much about their customs and 3% of respondents didn't learn anything at all. Our study results show that 26.4% have learned a lot about their language, 31% have learned quite a bit and 21.8% have moderately learned about their language. However, 17.3% of respondents didn't learn much about their language and 3.5% of respondents didn't learn anything at all. In our study results show that 11.2% have picked up a lot about their language by watching Korean dramas, 43.7% have picked up quite a bit and 16.2% have moderately picked up their language. However, 23.4% of respondents didn't pick up much about their language and 5.6% of respondents didn't pick up anything at all.

Emotional Impact and Identification

Our study results show that 31.5% have felt strongly connected to the characters in Korean dramas, 23.9% of respondents have felt moderately connected and 17.3% have felt somewhat connected to the Korean drama characters. However, 21.3% of respondents felt a slight connection and 6.1% of respondents didn't feel any connection at all. Our study result shows that 21.8% of respondents strongly agreed with the fact that Korean dramas helped them cope with their stress, 38.6% of respondents agreed and 19.3% of respondents stayed neutral. However, 7.1% of respondents disagreed, and 13.2% of respondents strongly disagreed with the question. Our study results show that 23.4% of respondents discuss Korean dramas very often with their peers, 22.8% of respondents discuss them often and 27.4% of respondents discuss them occasionally. However, 17.3% of respondents discuss rarely, and 9.1% of respondents discuss very rarely with their peers

Conclusion

In the present time 'Hallyu wave' has become one of the most popular terms. The term Hallyu was first coined by a Chinese journalist in the 1990s to describe the popularity of Korean pop culture in his country. Since then, Korea has been exporting a wide range of cultural goods i.e., dramas, movies, music, and games to Asia and other countries worldwide (Qu et al., 2022; Bhatti et al., 2022; Fortunata & Utami, 2021).

This study investigated the impact of Korean dramas on Pakistani youth. First, Korean dramas created a cultural phenomenon in Pakistan that has crossed national borders and increased young people's understanding and incline towards Korean culture. It is noticeable that how Korean language, culture, food, and customs are embedded in Pakistani society. The Pakistani youth are using different OTT platforms like Netflix and different websites to watch Korean dramas. Our study covers three aspects, which include the consumption of Korean dramas, their influence on the lifestyle of Pakistani youth and the emotional impact of Korean dramas on viewers. The study showed that there is a significant difference between male and female K-drama viewers in some aspects while it's not in some aspects. It showed that female viewers are more inclined towards the adoption of the Korean language in their daily lives. In the present time, Korean dramas have become a way for Pakistani youth which helps them to cope with stress, and they find themselves emotionally engaged and tangled in those dramas. There are a number of youths in Pakistan who fantasise through K-dramas and want to travel to Korea witnessing the locations and the portrayal of characters in dramas. Korean material, particularly Korean dramas depict a unique cultural perspective and lifestyle that differs from Pakistani culture and morals. Its excessive usage is causing Pakistani young to disconnect themselves from their own culture. Korean dramas show idealized love relationships, opulent lifestyles, and faultless protagonists, leading to exaggerated expectations and perspectives of life, beauty, and success among Pakistani young.

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