O fenómeno Koreaboo na fandom transnacional da Hallyu

: o caso de estudo da comunidade de fãs portugueses da cultura sul-coreana

Abstract

Across the world, fans of the "Korean Wave" use the internet to listen to K-Pop and watch K-Dramas, as well as to interact with other fans who share these interests. It was in this context that some members of this community began to be denounced for their obsessive behaviour in relation to South Korean culture and designated, apart from the majority of this fandom, as koreaboos. The aim of this dissertation was to identify and analyze this emerging phenomenon, based on the case study of the Portuguese community of South Korean entertainment fans. With the goal of understanding the various dimensions of the Hallyu fandom and exploring the koreaboo phenomenon, quantitative methodologies were combined, through the construction and application of a questionnaire, and qualitative methodologies, including the analysis of comments on a fan blog - Koreaboo Stories - as well as a semi-structured focus group interview. These efforts resulted in the conclusion that the behaviors associated with koreaboos relate to the decontextualisation of South Korean cultural elements, obsessive actions towards South Korean celebrities and ignorance of the country's social problems. Nonetheless, the research also revealed that fans are highly subjective about identifying koreaboos, which does not make the behaviours reported clear signs of this phenomenon. This is a dynamic that establishes a more detailed recognition of koreaboos and seeks to contribute to the advancement of scientific knowledge in the field of Asian Studies, in conjunction with Fan Studies and Hallyu Studies.

Date of Award	21 Feb 2024
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Beatriz Puertas Hernandez (Supervisor) & Tânia Ganito (Co-Supervisor)