Korean Soft Masculinity vs. Malay hegemony: Malaysian masculinity and Hallyu fandom

This paper examines feedback from a number of male fans of Korean popular culture based in Malaysia. It argues that the model of Soft Masculinity represented in these texts allows men who are marginalised by restrictive and inclusive models of hegemonic masculinity in Malaysia to build new forms of masculine identity through which to express themselves. Building upon the corpus of recent research addressing male fans of texts coded as female-centric, the article concludes that while this engagement represents a form of resistance to state-control in an increasingly authoritarian context, such fandom does not necessarily challenge existing patriarchal hierarchies of gender relations within Malaysia.