There has been increasingly harsh criticism of the Korean Wave’s negative influence on young Malaysian women and girls since the early 2000s. This resulted from several untoward incidents that triggered the wrath of Malaysian Muslim society. From Muslim society’s point of view, young female Muslims in Malaysia seem to be deviating from Islamic norms and teachings due to the detrimental impact of Korean popular culture.
This study examines the impact of Korean popular culture on young female Muslims in Malaysia. It looks, in particular, at whether they are exhibiting i) deviant behaviors, ii) erosion of moral standards, and iii) signs of identity crisis due to the negative influence of certain cultural elements in Korean popular culture that they passionately love. Their predicament was examined from the perspective of anomie through an analysis of data obtained from a survey of 643 female Muslim respondents between the ages of 13 and 40. The findings indicated that the majority of young female Muslims in Malaysia have not yet presented symptoms of anomie, as they are fully aware of the disparity between Korean and Islamic culture and norms. Nevertheless, amidst harsh criticism by the mass media and society of the deviations of some Korean Wave enthusiasts, some teenage respondents displayed uncertainty about the cultural disparity between their own Islamic norms and their beloved Korean culture. To overcome the prevalent skeptical view of the Korean Wave in Muslim society, it is imperative that all stakeholders provide Muslim youth with optimal guidelines and strategies to prevent potential anomie and deviance while ensuring their social, mental, and emotional well-being.