Cross-cultural adaptation is a social behavior that occurs when individuals enter a foreign cultural environment. Cross-cultural adapters learn the moral norms, language customs, and other aspects of the host culture, gradually adapting to and accepting it. They integrate their inherent beliefs, thoughts, emotions, and behavioral patterns with the host culture, forming a diverse multicultural background. Since humans have engaged in cross-geographical interactions, cross-cultural adaptation has existed worldwide. With the development of science and technology and the advent of global economic integration, the world has become a global village. Nowadays, more and more people travel far from their hometowns to study, work, and engage in activities in foreign countries. Cross-cultural encounters bring novelty, mystery, and a sense of pressure, as living in a different culture means making specific changes in lifestyle and thought patterns. This change can be stressful, and not everyone can overcome it to adapt to life in a foreign country successfully. Therefore, cross-cultural adaptation is one of the most essential areas in today’s cross-cultural education. This study explores the internal and external factors that affect the cross-cultural adaptation of international students in South Korea and proposes relevant strategies to improve their cross-cultural adaptation.

Korean Wave is a very popular cultural phenomenon in China in the 21st century. Under the background of modern society, it exports various Korean cultural products to China through mass communication, and develops rapidly in China through Korean movies, pop music, variety show, food clothing and other forms. The input of these cultural products not only affects the Chinese public, but also profoundly affects contemporary Chinese college students. They have positive effects such as changing their way of life, improving their international perspective, and promoting personality shaping, but also have negative effects such as the worship of money in consumption concepts, the popularity of value orientations, and the shaking of cultural confidence. College students are the backbone of national construction. In the face of the coming Korean Wave culture, the family, school and society should correctly guide contemporary college students to treat rationally. While absorbing essence, they should adhere to cultural self-confidence and establish correct personal values.