KOREAN MUSIC FEVER: ITS INFLUENCE ON THE PSYCHOSOCIAL WELL-BEING OF MAGUINDANAON STUDENTS

Korean music, particularly K-pop, had become a global sensation, reaching even Maguindanao students. The study examined its influence on the psychosocial well-being of students at Sultan Sinanggayan Integrated School, Sultan Ali Akbar Sinenggayan High School, and Esperanza National High School in Sultan Kudarat during the 2024-2025 school year. It focused on emotional well-being, social support, self-esteem, and cultural identity while analyzing the relationship between these factors and educational variables using statistical methods like mean, standard deviation, and simple linear regression. A quantitative research design was used to survey students' engagement with Korean music genres such as K-pop, Korean ballads, Korean hip-hop, and Korean court music. Results showed that Korean music moderately influenced students, with most engagement occurring through digital platforms. Emotional well-being and social support remained stable, while self-esteem and cultural identity showed moderate stability. A moderate positive correlation was found between exposure to Korean music and psychosocial well-being, indicating that more engagement could enhance students' overall well-being. However, no significant relationship was found between music preference and academic performance, and gender did not influence music preference. The study highlighted the impact of global music trends on youth experiences and emphasized the need to balance cultural exposure with local identity preservation. It recommended strengthening cultural awareness programs, improving mental health support, and conducting further research on the long-term effects of foreign cultural influences on Indigenous communities.