Investigating the effect of country image and subjective knowledge on attitudes and behaviors: U.S. Upper Midwesterners’ intentions to consume Korean Food and visit Korea

Korean food (Hansik) is one of the fastest growing cuisines globally. This trend is evident with the number of Korean restaurants scattered around world. An increasing number of Korean restaurants have been observed in the United States, especially in more culturally diverse areas such as major cities on the east and west coasts. However, noticeably less Korean restaurants are seen in the Midwest region. This study investigated the Midwesterners’ intention to try Hansik and further to visit South Korea (henceforth referred to as Korea) based on the country image of Korea and knowledge they have of Korean cuisine, which together influence their attitude toward the new cuisine. The results showed that cognitive image influences the attitude through affective image, and subjective knowledge also influences the respondents’ attitude toward Hansik. As proposed, these constructs have positive influences on both intentions to try Hansik and to visit Korea in the near future. Study implications and suggestions for future research are also discussed.