Abstract: Korean pop has been growing in presence in the global entertainment sector, serving as a distinc- tive element of Korean culture and its soft power. Bearing this in mind, this study analyzes the inter- connections between the credibility of K-pop idols and foreigners’ attitudes, desires, and purchase intentions toward Korean food. This study develops foreigners’ behavior to enhance our understanding of the effect of foreigners’ purchase intentions toward K-food, by utilizing the source credibility model. We obtain these causal relationships by analyzing the effect that the credibility of K-pop idols has on K-food purchase intentions. The data comprising 249 questionnaires were obtained through an online survey company target- ing Americans who are interested in K-pop idols. The results show that the credibility of K-pop idols was found to have a positive effect on Americans’ attitudes toward K-food, attitudes were found to have a pos- itive impact on their desire for K-food, and ultimately their desires had a positive effect on K-food purchase intentions. However, the attitude of Americans did not directly affect the intention of purchasing K-food. Based on these findings, various academic and practical implications were derived regarding the globalization and sustainable growth of K-food.

Keywords: K-pop idol, credibility, desire, purchase intention, K-food