When Indonesian Volleyball "Rided" the Korean Wave

The cost is even greater for fans who come from outside Jakarta, let alone outside of Indonesia like Yosephin. A resident of Lampung who works in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, has set aside up to Rp 10 million to finance all of her expenses in order to meet her idols, especially Park Hye-min and Yeum Hye-seon. Despite having to dig deep into her pockets, she doesn't have a problem with it because she feels satisfied to be able to meet the Red Sparks volleyball players in person.

Also read: The Bigger Goal of the National Volleyball Team Vs Red Sparks Exhibition

Until now, Yosephin could only watch the Red Sparks players through internet broadcasts. Her initial interest in Red Sparks and volleyball as a whole is inseparable from Megawati Hangestri Pertiwi's performance in the Korean Volleyball League.

“It all feels like it's paying off. It feels similar to being a fan of Blackpink or BTS members. The difference is, this is really satisfying because you can meet so closely. If it's a K-Pop (Korean music) concert, usually (watch) it from afar. That's why it feels so good. "It's hard to describe in words," said Yosephin, who also brought gifts for the players in the form of paintings.

Fernanda (25), who came with her parents, Anam (57) and Wati (53), felt a similar happiness. Fernanda's face lit up when she got all the autographs and photos from Red Sparks players and the Indonesian national team.

It all feels like it's paying off. It feels similar to being a fan of Blackpink or BTS members. The difference is, this is really satisfying because you can meet so closely.

Actually, Fernanda was not initially fond of playing volleyball. It was her parents who enjoyed the sport. Anam and Wati's love for volleyball was evidenced by naming their child after the first name of a Brazilian women's volleyball player, Fernanda Tome.

Also read: Female Volleyball Challenge to Follow in Megawati Hangestri's Footsteps

Fernanda herself prefers to watch Korean dramas and listen to Korean music. This hobby has made Fernanda familiar with some Korean words. As a result, when her parents watch the Red Sparks game and watch their vlogs, she knows what they are talking about.

“After a while, I started watching volleyball too. In fact, I ended up finding out about volleyball in Indonesia. When there was information that Red Sparks was going to Indonesia, I immediately bought a ticket. "This is also a gift for the 27th wedding anniversary for father and mother," said Fernanda.

The influence of Korean culture has spread throughout the world. Since the pandemic, the wave of Korean culture through dramas has become increasingly popular, including in Indonesia.

A survey by the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), now known as the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), at the beginning of the pandemic showed that the number of Korean drama viewers increased and the duration of watching became 4.6 hours per day, up from only 2.7 hours previously.

Also read: Megawati Hangestri Pertiwi "Buy" Consistency in South Korea

In the music sector, Indonesia is also one of the markets for Korean music (K-Pop). Various boy bands/girl bandsoften hold concerts in Jakarta. Fans are also willing to dig deep into their pockets to collect their idols' accessories.

The influence of Korean culture was then leveraged as a gateway to the enthusiasm for volleyball. The Acting Director of LPDUK, Ferdinand K Tangkudun, does not deny that they are utilizing the Korean wave to attract public interest towards the national team's exhibition event versus the Red Sparks.

Also read: The Phenomenal Beginning of Pevoli Megawati "Megatron" in Korea

The series of activities were made similar to a K-Pop concert, including holding a fan sign. Generally, fansigns are carried out by each member of an idol group by signing albums for their fans. Fansign is usually held when a K-Pop idol group or soloist releases a new album.

"We see that Red Sparks fans come not only from sports enthusiasts, but also those who are fond of K-Pop and other Korean cultures. Therefore, we have packaged it accordingly," said Ferdinand.

Ferdinand is optimistic that this event will be the first step in building the Indonesian volleyball sports industry. The revival of the industry, according to Ferdinand, will also have an impact on the development of this sport.

Instead of stemming the Korean wave, which seems impossible, there's no harm in "riding it" for the sake of Indonesian sports. If so far Korea has attracted the enthusiasm of Indonesian citizens through its cultural waves, now it is Indonesia's turn through its sports to take advantage of the Hallyu wave.