K-POP ONLINE SURVEY - PRELIMINARY FINDINGS
On behalf of the GMU Research Team, we would like to thank all the participants who completed the online survey. As of June 2, 2022, a total of 1,710 participants completed the online survey. We had three raffle winners (sha*****ner@gmail.com, St. Louis; kel*****ll@gmail.com, Georgia; and d*****79@gmail.com, New York) who each received a $50 Amazon gift card. In the discussion below, we present key preliminary findings from the survey data. If you have any questions about the survey, please feel free to contact us:
- Dae Young Kim, dkio@gmu.edu
- Byunghwan Son, bson3@gmu.edu
Preliminary Findings
Among those who completed the survey, a total of 952 respondents are U.S. residents while 758 reside abroad. Our analysis below is for those who are U.S. residents and exclude international fans.
Residence:
The survey participants indicate that they have residence throughout the United States although a substantial number of fans reside in Virginia, California, Florida, Texas, and New York, states known for significant demographic change and racial and ethnic diversity (See Figure1).
Figure 1: U.S. Participants by State
Gender:
Much in line with the extant literature, the majority of the respondents identify as female (See Figure 2). This gender make-up is fairly consistent across racial groups as seen in Figure 3 where whites and Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders (AAPI) make about 70% of the sample.
Figure 2: Gender Breakdown, U.S. Participants
Figure 3: Race/Gender Breakdown, U.S. Participants
Age:
Looking at the age distribution, although older fans in their 30s and 40s did participate in the survey, a modal respondent is from their early 20s or late teens, regardless of their racial identity (See Figure 4).
Figure 4: Age Distribution
Education:
Given the age distribution of the respondents, it is not surprising that many of the respondents have a college degree or ‘some college’ experience (See Figure 5). Still, whether due to the age criteria for survey participation (16 and older) or the demographics of the K-pop fanbase, our sample is disproportionately highly educated. Furthermore, compared to the U.S. general population, our respondents are even more positively selected socioeconomically as about 56% of the parents of the respondents have a college or graduate degrees (See Figure 6).
Figure 5: Educational Attainment
Figure 6: Parent’s Educational Attainment
Length of Participation in K-pop:
The distribution of the respondents in terms of the ‘age’ of their K-pop experience is bimodal. While about half (48%) are relatively new fans (3 years or under), a sizable number of respondents (32%) are quite experienced fans as seen in Figure 7.
Figure 7: How long have you been a K-pop fan?
How First Introduced to K-pop:
The survey shows that about 31.8% of respondents were first introduced to K-pop through friends’ personal recommendations, 27.6% through YouTube, and 12.9% through engagement in K-drama or other Korean media content.
Figure 8. How did you get into K-pop?
What Appeals the Most about K-pop:
American fans report in the survey that catchy and addictive rhythms (38.7%), performance/choreography (26.3%), and appealing voices (13.1%) are the main reasons why they enjoy K-pop.
Figure 9. What do you like the most about K-pop?
Favorite K-pop Genre:
Close to half of fans (49.9%) choose dance/pop as their preferred K-pop genre, followed by R&B (12.3%) and hip hop/rap (12.2%).
Figure 10. What is your favorite genre of K-pop?
