K-pop music diffusion in Korea and East Asia: the convergence of visual technology and concrete narratives

ABSTRACT

This study explores the diffusion of Korean popular music (K-Pop) across East Asian countries and aims to understand why it has undergone such fast diffusion throughout the region. For this research, a multilevel model analysis is conducted to examine the role of concrete and abstract narratives in music industry diffusion. The results suggest that the entry of visual technologies into pop music has increased diffusion over that enabled by acoustic technology alone. Concrete narratives moderate the link between visual technology and music industry diffusion. Together, concrete technology and narrative produce positive results compared to those of either alone. Among countries, Korea and Japan are more closely related in terms of technology and narratives than, for instance, China and Vietnam, which also differ from one another. This study provides important insights into K-Pop diffusion and sheds light on the factors that influence the music industry’s growth in the East Asian region.

KEYWORDS:

• Concrete-abstract narratives
• construal level theory
• East Asian music industry
• Korean wave
• pop-music diffusion
• producer-consumer convergence
• visual-acoustic technology

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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

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Notes on contributors

Tariq H. Malik

Tariq H. Malik is Professor of Innovation Studies at Liaoning University, China. He received his PhD on innovation and knowledge transfer from the University of London, UK. He has published 100s of articles in the last 30 years in journals across levels and disciplines as well as many in conferences and reports. He prefers to address ideas rather than addressing journals or other class systems. Tariq has founded and directs ICOIS (International Centre for Organisation & Innovation Studies), and he is also one of the founding members for life of WINIR (World Interdisciplinary Network of Institutional Researchers), a global network of scholars engaged in interdisciplinary institutional research. He on the editorial board of four journals and a co-executive editor of Digital Economy and Sustainable Development.