The Role of New Media towards the Way K-Pop Fans Do Fashion as Their Self Representation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14421/kjc.71.03.2025Keywords:
fans, fashion, k-pop, new media, self-representationAbstract
Korean pop (K-pop) culture has become a global phenomenon, significantly influencing youth lifestyles and fashion trends, especially in countries like Indonesia. This study investigates how new media acts as a central platform through which K-pop fans engage with and adopt fashion styles inspired by idols, and how these styles are used for identity construction and self-representation. The research focuses on Indonesian youth aged 15–25 who actively follow BTS, EXO, and Blackpink, the groups with the largest and most engaged fandoms in the country. Using questionnaires and visual documentation from social media, this study draws on theories of new media, fandom, and self-representation. The findings reveal that new media platforms not only disseminate K-pop fashion trends but also empower fans to creatively express their social identity and sense of belonging through personalized fashion choices aligned with their fandom.
Abstract viewed: 568 times
|
PDF downloaded = 482 times
References
Abidin, C., & MacDonald, A. (2021). Influencers and social media cultures in Southeast Asia. Journal of Cultural Economy, 14(4), 411–425. https://doi.org/10.1080/17530350.2021.1930670
Bahri, S. (2020). The meaning of communication in fashion style of Muslim student in Institut Agama Islam (IAI) Al-Aziziyah Samalanga Bireuen Aceh. Budapest International Research and Critics Institute (BIRCI) Humanities and Social Sciences, 3(3), 2105–2113. https://doi.org/10.33258/birci.v3i3.1145
Baker, L. (2017). The outrageous street-style tribes of Harajuku. BBC Culture. https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20170920-the-outrageous-street-style-tribes-of-harajuku
Bell, C. (2020). For K-pop stans, style is liberation. Teen Vogue. https://www.teenvogue.com/story/k-pop-style-liberation
Cote, J. (2020). What is new media? Southern New Hampshire University. https://www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/2020/02/what-is-new-media
Cruz, E. G., & Thornham, H. (2015). Selfies beyond self-representation: The (theoretical) f(r)ictions of a practice. Journal of Aesthetic and Culture, 7(1), 28073. https://doi.org/10.3402/jac.v7.28073
De Veirman, M., & Hudders, L. (2021). Disclosing sponsored Instagram posts: The role of material connection with the brand and message-sidedness when disclosing covert advertising. International Journal of Advertising, 40(3), 401–432. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2020.1726747
Fuhr, M. (2015). Globalization and popular music in South Korea: Sounding out K-pop (Vol. 7). Routledge.
Gray, J., Sandvoss, C., & Harrington, C. L. (2007). Fandom: Identities and communities in a mediated world. New York University Press.
Hogg, M. A., Abrams, D., & Brewer, M. B. (2017). Social identity: The role of self in group processes and intergroup relations. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 20(5), 570–581. https://doi.org/10.1177/1368430217690909
Hurt, M. W., & Jang, W. (2018). Korean street fashion as truly popular culture: The ‘PAEPI’ as an interruption in the discursive formation of ‘Hallyu’ and the special ‘K’. Marxism 21, 15(2), 7–36. https://doi.org/10.26587/marx.15.2.201807.007
Jin, D. Y. (2020). Transmedia storytelling in East Asia: The rise of digital media and fandom in global context. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50890-3
Kaur-Gill, S. (2023). Digital spectatorship and algorithmic visibility in fan communities. Media, Culture & Society, 45(1), 56–71. https://doi.org/10.1177/01634437221101234
Kho, C., & Loembie, M. (2013). The fashion bible for man. PT Gramedia.
Laffan, D. A. (2021). Positive psychosocial outcomes and fanship in K-Pop fans: A social identity theory perspective. Psychological Reports, 124(5), 2072–2094. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033294120961524
Lawler, S. (2014). Sociological perspectives (2nd ed.). Polity Press.
Nikita, N., Andela, R., Fauziah, G. Z., & Nazafi, Z. A. (2019). The contrast portrayals of American and Pakistani culture in The Big Sick movie. Insaniyat: Journal of Islam and Humanities, 3(2), 111–124. https://doi.org/10.15408/insaniyat.v3i2.11124
Oriwoh, E., & Conrad, M. (2015). ‘Things’ in the Internet of Things: Towards a definition. International Journal of Internet of Things, 4(1), 1–4.
Oxford English Dictionary. (2006). Little Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press.
Suntikul, W. (2019). BTS and the global spread of Korean soft power. The Diplomat. https://thediplomat.com/2019/11/bts-and-the-global-spread-of-korean-soft-power/
Trzcińska, J. (2018). Polish K-pop fandom phenomenon, structure & communication. Trickster. https://trickster.pw/en/articles/polish-kpop-fandom/
Udoudo, A. J., & Ojo, G. O. (2016). New media and the development of education sector: Appraisal of selected schools. SAGE Open, 6(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244016671373
van Dijck, J., & Poell, T. (2013). Understanding social media logic. Media and Communication, 1(1), 2–14. https://doi.org/10.12924/mac2013.01010002
Xiao, X., Su, Y., & Lee, D. K. L. (2021). Who consumes new media content more wisely? Examining personality factors, SNS use, and new media literacy in the era of misinformation. Social Media + Society, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305121990635
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Lambok Hermanto Sihombing
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. that allows others to share and adapt the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
