Iranian Journal Of Antheropology

Iranian Journal Of Antheropology

Journey into the World of K-Drama Enthusiasts: An Ethnographic Study of the Influence of Korean Language and Culture on the Everyday Lives of Generation Z Girls in the City of Yazd

Document Type : Research Paper

Author
Assistant Prof., Faculty of Social Sciences, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran
10.22034/jasi.2026.2088099.1623
Abstract
Korean culture is among the most popular foreign cultures in Iran. This phenomenon, known as the Korean Wave, primarily attracts adolescents and young adults as its audience. What is particularly noteworthy is the extensive impact of Korean cultural products, particularly films and television series, which significantly influence viewers. The present study aims to explore how Korean language and culture permeate the daily lives of Generation Z girls. Using an ethnographic approach, the data were collected through direct observation, participant observation, and in-depth as well as informal conversations among girls born in the 2000s in the city of Yazd during the second half of the Persian year (2025–2026). Snowball sampling was employed, and data collection continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. Subsequently, overarching narratives of the process of cultural penetration into the everyday lives of K-drama enthusiasts were presented using thematic analysis. Based on the narratives emerging from living in the world of K-drama fans, codes such as fluid genre, restorative time, K-drama consumption, negotiation with objects, and tasting culture were extracted. These codes were then systematically organised according to their semantic relationships, leading to the generation of the overarching theme of cultural and linguistic penetration. It should be noted that this influence results from indirect cultural proximity between Iran and South Korea. A phenomenon that has gained considerable momentum with the expansion of the internet and video content platforms, significantly increasing the degree of cultural contact between the two societies.
Keywords
Subjects

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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 19 August 2026