Title_The Influence of the Republic of Korea’s National  Image on Consumers’ Purchase Intention:  Focusing on Perceptions of Youth in Malaysia

Author_Kim, Yoomi

Pages_48-57

Abstract_Malaysia is an emerging consumer market. It is a high-income country compared to neighboring Southeast Asian countries, and is geographically close to Korea. This study aimed to determine whether Korea’s national image affects the purchase of Korean products in Malaysia. To verify the research hypothesis, a survey was conducted with 100 university students in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s capital. The subjects were university students with a relatively high education level, sensitivity to trends, and high purchasing power. Factor and correlation analyses were conducted based on the survey. As a result of the analysis, the factors were classified into three categories: political, economic, and socio-cultural. The results of the correlation analysis between the three factors and the intention to purchase Korean products were all significant; in particular, the economic and socio-cultural factors showed a high correlation. The study results indicated that promoting Korea’s positive economic and sociocultural image will be effective when entering the Malaysian consumer market.

Keywords_National image, Purchase intention, Malaysia, Perception, Korea