earticle

영어

This study empirically analyzes the effects of tangible and intangible Korean Wave experience of Chinese residents on their intention to visit Korea with the emphasis on the moderating effect of national image. The results of the empirical analysis targeting 300 Chinese residents are as follows. First, tangible Korean Wave experience seems to show a positive effect (+) on Chinese intention to visit Korea. This result shows that the Chinese who have experienced tangible Korean Wave can increase their intention to visit Korea in order to experience or purchase Korean culture or Korean Wave derivatives. Secondly, intangible Korean Wave seems to show a positive effect (+) on Chinese intention to visit Korea. These results show that through intangible Korean Wave experience Chinese people can feel familiar to Korea, and the positive intentions and emotional appeal can enhance the intention to visit Korea. As a result of examining the interaction effect of the national image, the national image did not show an interaction effect with tangible Korean Wave experience, but it strengthened the positive relationship between the intangible Korean Wave experience and visiting intention. This result implies that when Chinese people visit Korea to purchase or experience goods through tangible Korean Wave experience, the intention to visit can be formed regardless of the positive image of the country. However, the situation that the emotional appeal of Korea, such as familiarity through intangible Korean Wave experience, results in the increase of intention to visit Korea, showing that the image of the country can improve the situation. We expect several implications through analysis of this research. First, this study shares a meaningful implication since it was based on the Chinese people before the THAAD deployment controversy, and it can be an important comparative study when studies are conducted targeting Chinese people after the THAAD controversy. In particular, after the controversy of THAAD, the interaction effect of the national image may be different. Secondly, this study is also meaningful in the way that it was divided into tangible and intangible Korean Wave experiences. Prior to this study, it was difficult to find a study that classified Korean Wave experience into types. In this study divided the Korean Wave experiences, and shows interaction between intangible Korean Wave experience and national image.