Examining the Influence of Korean Entertainment Culture on Purchase Intentions of Sri Lankan Gen Z

Abstract

Korean entertainment culture, spanning K-pop, K-dramas, and K-movies, has emerged as a powerful global phenomenon, reshaping consumer behavior across borders. Among Sri Lanka’s Generation Z, this cultural wave, known as Hallyu, has fueled rising interest not only in Korean media but also in associated products such as cosmetics, fashion, and food. Although extensive studies have examined Hally’s influence in East and Southeast Asia, research on its consumer impact in South Asia remains limited. A little is known about how Korean entertainment culture shapes purchase intentions among Sri Lankan Gen Z consumers, presenting a clear literature gap. This study addresses that gap by investigating five cultural dimensions – cultural curiosity, cultural similarity, attractiveness, relational factors, and viewing habits and their influence on purchase intentions. Guided by cultural diffusion theory, the research adopts a quantitative cross-sectional design. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire survey administered to 152 Gen Z respondents in Sri Lanka. The responses were analyzed using Spearman’s correlation and ordinal logistic regression to test hypothesized relationships. The findings reveal that while all five dimensions positively correlate with purchase intention, only cultural curiosity, cultural similarity, relational factors, and viewing habits demonstrate statistically significant predictive power. Attractiveness, although initially appealing, did not sustain an influence on purchase intention. These results suggest that deeper cultural engagement and emotional bonds are stronger drivers of consumer behavior than surface-level appeal. The study concludes that Korean entertainment culture plays a transformative role in shaping the consumption patterns of Sri Lankan Gen Z. Viewings the limited South Asian scholarship on Hallyu provides actionable insights for marketers, suggesting that strategies which foster cultural curiosity, cultural similarity, relational factors, and viewing habits can more effectively translate cultural popularity into consumer purchase intentions.