This research focuses on the role of Indian Korean popular music (henceforth, K-pop) fans as prosumers of K-pop music and merchandise. Using Henry Jenkin’s Participatory Culture Theory as an approach to understanding how fans have taken agency in importing and distributing K-pop band merchandise from South Korea to India due to a lack of availability of direct purchase channels, the study also proposes to extend Participatory Culture Theory to include not only fans’ role as creatives and content creators, but also as that of market creators and entrepreneurs. K-pop entertainment companies have often been attributed with playing a pivotal role in the revival of physical CDs and merchandise, and among fans, owning such merchandise has become an aspect of fan identity. Despite facing many difficulties in importing band merchandise, such as high customs and international shipping fees, Indian K-pop fans continue to purchase goods with the aid of the fandom community through grouping multiple orders and repurchasing and selling of items, effectively creating and sustaining a market for K-pop cultural products. Through in-depth interviews of K-pop fans on Instagram— the primary platform for purchasing and displaying K-pop merchandise among Indian fans, this study proposes to explore how fans play a major role in consuming and producing the Korean cultural industry, their motivation to consume K-pop and its influence in purchasing related cultural products, and lastly, insights that other entertainment industries can gain from K-pop’s novel approach to fan engagement.

Authors:
Koninika Kundu, MICA, India
Santosh Patra, MICA, India

About the Presenter(s)
Ms Koninika Kundu is a third-year doctoral scholar at MICA, India. Her interests lie in the study of popular culture and consumer culture. Currently, she is pursuing her thesis on Korean popular culture and soft power.

Connect on Linkedin
https://in.linkedin.com/in/koninika-kundu-aaa303230

Connect on ResearchGate
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Koninika-Kundu

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