The purpose of this study is to empirically examine how the activities of Hallyu stars influence the public’s actual behavioral intentions. In particular, the study categorizes Hallyu stars’ activities into professional occupational activities and...
The purpose of this study is to empirically examine how the activities of Hallyu stars influence the public’s actual behavioral intentions. In particular, the study categorizes Hallyu stars’ activities into professional occupational activities and social responsibility activities, and statistically verifies the effects of these activities on two dimensions of behavioral intention: consumption-related payment intentions and donation and volunteering intentions. To achieve this objective, survey data were collected from both the general public and fans of a specific Hallyu star. Furthermore, to identify the psychological mechanisms operating in this influence process, star identification and star loyalty were introduced as mediating variables, and their structural relationships were analyzed.
Previous research has extensively accumulated evidence regarding the effects of celebrities, idols, and public figures on consumer behavior and purchasing decisions. However, empirical studies examining how celebrities’ social contribution activities influence the social behaviors of the public and fans—namely prosocial behaviors such as donation and volunteering—remain extremely limited. In particular, few studies have empirically linked celebrities’ social responsibility activities not merely to image enhancement or favorability, but to actual changes in behavioral intentions as outcome variables.
Meanwhile, socio-cultural changes since the 2000s have significantly increased the necessity for such research. Public entertainers are no longer perceived merely as objects of cultural consumption, but rather as social actors who, like wealthy individuals or entrepreneurs, are expected to assume social responsibilities commensurate with their success and public recognition. At the same time, as CSR, CSV, and ESG management practices have expanded across large corporations, public enterprises, and mid-sized firms, interest in social responsibility and public value creation has grown throughout society.
Within this context, there has been a growing number of cases in which influential celebrities and idols publicly express concern for social issues or engage in social contribution activities, eliciting empathy, support, and participation from fans and the general public. Through broadcast media, the internet, and social networking services (SNS), these phenomena have become increasingly visible. In particular, the social messages and actions of Hallyu stars with global influence demonstrate the potential to expand participation beyond national boundaries to the international level.
Accordingly, this study was conducted based on the need to empirically examine whether the social contribution activities of highly influential Hallyu stars can stimulate not only fans but also the general public’s social behavioral intentions—specifically donation and volunteering intentions. In other words, determining whether the activities of Hallyu stars can function as a form of public influence that promotes social participation beyond mere consumption inducement carries significant academic, social, and industrial implications.
The primary objective of this study is to empirically identify the effects of Hallyu stars’ social concerns and actions on the public’s prosocial behavioral intentions. The initial focus is on examining how Hallyu stars’ engagement with social issues and social contribution activities influence fans’ intentions to donate and volunteer. Furthermore, the study comparatively analyzes whether similar effects appear among the general public who are not fans of a specific star.
To this end, the research topic was defined as “the effects of Hallyu stars’ activities on the public’s behavioral intentions,” and Hallyu stars’ activities were classified into two sub-dimensions: professional occupational activities and social responsibility activities. Professional occupational activities consisted of three sub-dimensions—acting activities, music activities, and advertising endorsement activities—while social responsibility activities were treated as a single dimension without differentiating donation and volunteering.
The dependent variable, public behavioral intention, was divided into consumption-related payment intention and donation and volunteering intention. Consumption-related payment intention was further subdivided into intention to participate in events and intention to purchase products. This classification enabled a more precise analysis of how different types of Hallyu star activities differentially shape public consumption behaviors and prosocial behavioral intentions.
Although various factors such as media exposure, fandom activities, and social atmosphere may influence the formation of behavioral intentions, this study focused specifically on individual psychological factors. In particular, star identification—defined as the process through which individuals perceive a star as similar to or identical with themselves—and star loyalty—defined as a sustained attitude of support and commitment toward a star—were introduced as mediating variables.
This framework is meaningful in that it explains how identity-based psychological factors related to stars are translated into actual behavioral intentions. The study structurally analyzes the mediating roles of star identification and star loyalty in the relationship between Hallyu stars’ activities and public behavioral intentions, as well as how these mechanisms differ between fan groups and the general public.
The survey was conducted from April 20 to June 10, 2025. A total of 330 respondents were sampled from members actively participating in a specific Hallyu star’s fan community, while 171 respondents were sampled from the general public who were neither fans of the star nor participants in related activities. All 501 questionnaires were deemed valid and used for analysis.
Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS v21.0, including descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, regression analysis, and mediation analysis in a stepwise manner. Through these procedures, both the direct effects of Hallyu stars’ activities on public behavioral intentions and the psychological mediating effects were comprehensively tested.
The results indicated that Hallyu stars’ activities exerted significant positive effects on public behavioral intentions, leading to the acceptance of Hypothesis 1. Specifically, among professional occupational activities, music activities and advertising endorsement activities—excluding acting activities—as well as social responsibility activities, significantly and positively influenced both event participation intention and product purchase intention. In addition, music activities, advertising endorsement activities, and social responsibility activities all showed significant positive effects on donation and volunteering intentions.
The verification of Hypotheses 2 and 3 revealed that both professional occupational activities and social responsibility activities of Hallyu stars had significant positive effects on star identification and star loyalty. This indicates that overall star activities function as key factors in forming psychological identification and sustained supportive attitudes among the public.
The results of Hypotheses 4 and 5 demonstrated that both star identification and star loyalty exerted significant positive effects on consumption-related payment intention as well as donation and volunteering intention. In other words, the higher the level of identification with and loyalty toward a star, the more actively individuals engage not only in consumption behaviors related to the star’s activities but also in prosocial behaviors such as donation and volunteering.
Mediation analyses for Hypotheses 6 and 7 showed that star identification and star loyalty partially mediated the relationships between Hallyu stars’ music activities, advertising endorsement activities, social responsibility activities, and public behavioral intentions. In contrast, mediation effects for acting activities were rejected.
This study empirically identified how various activities of Hallyu stars influence the behavioral intentions of both fans and the general public, and structurally analyzed the mediating roles of star identification and star loyalty in this process. The findings confirm that Hallyu stars’ activities exert influence extending beyond consumption-related payment intentions to prosocial behavioral intentions such as donation and volunteering.
Notably, the finding that not only social responsibility activities but also professional occupational activities—such as music activities and advertising endorsement activities—positively affect donation and volunteering intentions suggests that Hallyu stars’ core professional activities can function as potential mediators promoting social participation. Moreover, social responsibility activities exhibited a dual effect by strengthening prosocial behavioral intentions while simultaneously enhancing consumption-related payment intentions.
Comparative analyses between fans and the general public revealed a differentiated structure: while social responsibility activities induced donation and volunteering intentions in both groups, professional occupational activities showed meaningful effects primarily within the fan group. This indicates that the social influence of Hallyu stars can extend beyond fandom to society at large, while also highlighting the need for differentiated strategic approaches depending on target groups.
Ultimately, by empirically demonstrating the linkage between Hallyu stars’ social contribution activities and public social participation, this study provides important theoretical and practical implications for the advancement of Hallyu-related policies, the sustainable growth of the cultural industry, and the formulation of strategies for global social value creation.
Keywords: Hallyu star; Hallyu star activities; professional occupational activities of stars; social responsibility activities of stars; star identification; star loyalty; public behavioral intention; consumption-related payment intention; donation and volunteering intention