Abstract
This study examines the impact of the Korean TV drama "Winter Love Song" on Japanese viewers from the perspective of intercultural communication. The results of survey research conducted from December 2003 through October 2004 show that 70% of the respondents thought that their image of Koreans underwent mild to radical changes after having watched the 20-hour serial drama. Their psychological distance toward Korean people was significantly reduced (p < .001, df = 79) after having seen the drama. Partial correlational analysis indicates that empathy for the main characters and a favorable attitude toward the leading actors show a relatively strong correlation to affinity for Korean people (r = .316 - .422, p < .01). Regression analysis suggests that what brought about the changes in viewers' images of Koreans were affinity to Korean people, favorable attitude toward the drama, and empathy for the main characters. Content analysis of open-ended questions shows that the drama served a vehicle for learning about Korean culture. On the whole, the broadcast of the drama in Japan had a favorable impact upon Japanese viewers in terms of intercultural communication, given that it changed Japanese viewers' perceptions in a positive way and made them more pro-Korean than they had been previously.
