K-POP FANDOM IN VEIL: Religious Reception and Adaptation to Popular Culture

Abstract

Indonesia is a rising center of K-pop fandom next to China and Japan. This study examines K-pop fandom in Indonesia by focusing on intercultural communication between two countries whose cultural and religious differences are extensive. An ethnographic study of young Muslims in Indonesia was conducted in order to examine the motivations and cultural practice of K-pop fans. Having the largest Muslim population in the world, Indonesia has young people who both practice religious piety sincerely, and enjoy Korean popular music passionately. Although these interests appear to be contradictory, the historical and social context of Indonesian Islam provides a clue about how they accept cultural diversity. K-pop fandom implies multiple meaning. Long term study of this ethnography using in-depth interviews and participatory observation is an attempt to find the inner meaning of K-pop fandom in Indonesia seemingly contradicting from religious piety that most young Indonesians maintain now. Cultural tastes of young Muslims imply social consciousness and vision of new cultural identity that they wish to promote. This case may enlighten a new alternative to the radicalization of Islam and an example of intercultural cooperation in global communication.

Faith and fandom: young Indonesian Muslims negotiating K-pop and Islam

“…Since Korean celebrities she liked did not promote their religions, and she did "not focus on that part", she did not find their religions or values influencing her. This notion of "just for entertainment" is also precisely the discourse drawn upon by Yoon's (2019) Muslim participants in explaining the irrelevance of their Islamic faith and K-pop fandom ("… anyway it's for entertainment …", Yoon, 2019, p. 11). Other expressions relating to this position from participants in the current study include "no need to mix hobby and religion" (Cheeze, 23 yo) and "religion and hobby are different, they have their own place" (Fira, 21 yo).…”

“…This "complete opposition" position constituted through conservative Islamic discourses was what precisely made her leave that radical-leaning group. Some of Yoon's (2019) participants also represented the taking up of this subject position which resulted in clandestine practices of emulating K-pop culture among Indonesian fans, such as enjoying K-pop in the secrecy of their bedroom, setting their hair like Korean stars underneath their hijab, and wearing hot pants only in their private space; because K-pop culture was understood as opposing the general rules of their faith. As a participant in our study noted (Mira, 21 yo, self-identifying as an ex-fan), "repentance -leaving K-pop fandom -is the only way out for Muslims."…”

“…I think there is only difference in culture between Indonesia and Korea… but I have never seen Korean stuff from religious perspective." ~ An Indonesian Muslim K-pop fan, cited in Yoon (2019) While the first two subject positions discussed in this article were predicated upon a belief that Islam and K-pop culture are in tension, the final two subject positions focus on Muslim fan subjectivity which considers there is no tension between one's identity as a Muslim and being a K-pop fan. This section will discuss the first no-tension subject position, that is, Muslim fans who see their faith as irrelevant with their practices and subjectivity as a fan.…”

“…It can be argued that ideological shifts might have happened discursively or even subconsciously. Since Anna became a K-pop fan, for example, she prefers soft masculinity, "hygienic, and boyfriendable boys", which was different from the dominant masculine norms in Indonesia (Yoon, 2019). Islam, as the main source of her life values, might have been partially replaced by K-pop culture without her being aware of it.…”

“…Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous country and the home for the world's largest Muslim population, have increasingly become a significant market for K-pop in recent years. With more than 850 thousand K-pop fan clubs (Oh, 2017), Indonesia is the place for one of the biggest and strongest K-pop fandoms in Asia and the world (Yoon, 2019). The relatively wide acceptance of K-pop among Indonesian young fans could be attributed -to a degree -to Indonesia's long history of co-existing, even mutually constitutive, Islam and popular culture; particularly among the traditionally dominant Islamic groups such as Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah.…”