Earticle

This paper aims to determine why Chilean fans of K-pop enjoy the incompatible aesthetics of K-pop idols. It will analyze the variation of the ideal of beauty according to socioeconomic level in Chile and fans’ perception of the beauty canons of K-pop. Hypothesizing that the relationship between race (rather skin color) and class in Chile affects K-pop consumption, this study will delve into why the canon of beauty attracts Chilean fans, despite the contrast that exists with the Chilean canon of male beauty. Latin American culture is constituted by sexual roles marked and determined by gender (Cristian Valenzuela 2015); these roles perpetuate male superiority based on the figure of the male. Specifically, the hegemonic masculinity present in the region stands out for having such characteristics as strength, rationality, seriousness, domination, hetero- sexuality, and sexual activity. Asians are often called Chino, and K-pop fans are considered strange. Though Chileans tend to conflate all Asian pop cultures, they are particularly suspicious of the sexual identity of K-pop fans. Based on a qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with sixteen upper-class and twenty middle-lower- class Chileans, this paper investigates how Chilean K-pop fans consume and negotiate with the aesthetics of K-pop in a conservative, European-oriented, oligarchic society.

The Korean Wave, or Hallyu, is no longer simply a new phenomenon or an unusual surge in the cultural market. We argue that it is instead a cultural trend and environment with substantial influence among youth outside of Korea, and that it has the transformative power of (re)shaping Korean identity among young diaspora Koreans. Drawing upon the literature of diasporic identity construction, we explore the impact of the Korean Wave on the construction of Korean identity among Korean-Kazakhstani youth. The present article examines how young Korean Kazakhstanis interpret K-pop in relation with their selfidentity as Korean. Our qualitative analysis of a focus group exhibits that the current trend of K-pop in Kazakhstan not only involves the consumption of a cultural product, but also serves as stimuli for young diaspora Koreans to reflect upon their identity. Using Cohen’s (2004) framework for diasporic identity, we find that Korean-Kazakhstani youths interpret K-pop in a universal sense as well as in cultural and biological terms. The popularity of K-pop among local consumers in Kazakhstan has a transformative influence on young members of the Korean diaspora, as the Korean Wave has positively changed people’s perceptions of Korea in general.

In 2016, the Korean drama, “The Descendants of the Sun” reached 38.8% rating in Korea. In China, it was streamed simultaneously on iQIYI and recorded over 2.7 billion views. This drama is a good example of Hallyu, a phenomenon which have been around for 20 years. Many say that Hallyu started when What is Love all about? aired in CCTV in 1997. Following the popularity of Korean Dramas, K-Pop (Korean Pop Music) started to gain recognition. Notably, the boy group H.O.T. performed at sold-out concert in Beijing in February 2000. Super Junior, Big Bang and EXO have over 10 million combined followers in the social network site nowadays. Hallyu had number of positive impacts both culturally and economically on Korea. Reviewing the history of the Hallyu especially K-Pop, the number of success factors were studied. Some scholars used the model to evaluate the national advantage while other scholars used cultural diamond to evaluate production and consumption aspects. All of the studies have legitimate findings, but other aspects including external environment and customer centric market needed to be also taken into consideration. In this article, 4C marketing mix which fits better with online focused environment was used to evaluate K-Pop in customer centric market while number of external issues were reviewed. Further the importance of understanding the global fans was stressed to contemplate about regional strategy moving on. Finally, critical elements for future success of Hallyu and K-Pop were suggested.

이 글의 목적은 미디어 지구화의 최근 논의들에서 K-Pop의 지구화를 설명할 수 있는 새로운 분석틀을 모색하는 데 있다. K-Pop으로 대표되는 한류의 최근 변화는 기존 한류 연구의 일면적인 - 아시아 중심적, 매스미디어 중심적, 국가 중심적, 장소 중심적, 생산 또는 수용 지향적 - 한계를 부각시키고 있다. 따라서 이 글은 한류 현상을 제대로 이해하기 위해서는 글로벌과 로컬, 문화생산과 수용 과정을 통합적으로 고려하는 새로운 접근이 필요하다고 주장한다. 이를 위해 문화경제지리학, 대중문화연구, 참여문화 등의 이론적 시각에서 글로벌 음악 산업의 특징과 변화를 살펴보고, 이러한 변화의 문맥에 K-Pop의 지구화 과정을 위치지울 수 있는지에 대해 검토한다. 그리고 이론적 논의와 음악 산업의 변화에 대한 검토에 근거해 K-Pop의 지구화를 통합적으로 설명하기 위한 가설적 분석틀을 제시한다.

This paper tries to build an integrative analytical framework for understanding media globalization with a case of K-Pop. It draws on the emerging theoretical discussions in cultural economic geography, new mobilities paradigm, the scene perspective and participatory culture. This framework can be employed as an alternative to the existing perspectives in analyzing the Korean Wave since it better accommodates the technological, economic and social changes, such as increasing use of global social media in the marketing and consumption of K-Pop and unexpected expansion of K-Pop fandom beyond Asia. We propose an exploratory model for understanding why and how K-Pop has been globalized. Most importantly, our framework integrates the processes of media production and consumption.

본 연구는 온라인 동영상 플랫폼에 적용되는 추천 알고리듬을 이해하고자 유튜브에서 K-pop 뮤직비디오의 콘텐츠 특성과 재생 시 추천되는 연관 비디오(related video)의 관계를 규명하고 네트워크 분석을 통해 어떤 비디오가 연관 비디오로 추천되는지 살펴보았다. 분석 결과, K-pop 재생 시 비디오의 좋아요 수가 추천 순위에 영향을 주었으며 대부분 같은 채널에 속하거나 동일한 기획사에서 제작한 비디오가 연관 비디오로 추천되었다. 그리고 연관 비디오의 네트워크 분석 결과, K-pop 뮤직비디오의 네트워크가 강하게 형성되어 있으며 연관 비디오의 네트워크 분석에서 BTS의 뮤직비디오가 중심성이 높게 나타났다. 이러한 연구결과는 K-pop간의 네트워크가 강하기 때문에 K-pop을 검색 쿼리로 입력해서 비디오를 시청할 때는 연속적으로 K-pop을 즐길 수 있지만, 반대로 다른 장르의 비디오를 시청할 때는 K-pop이 연관 비디오로 추천되지 못할 수 있음을 의미한다.

In order to understand the recommendation algorithm applied to the online video platform, this study examines the relationship between the content characteristics of K-pop music videos and related videos recommended for playback on YouTube, and analyses which videos are recommended as related videos through network analysis. As a result, the more liked videos, the higher recommendation ranking and most of the videos belonging to the same channel or produced by the same agency were recommended as related videos. As a result of the network analysis of the related video, the network of K-pop music video is strongly formed, and the BTS music video is highly centralized in the network analysis of the related video. These results suggest that the network between K-pops is strong, so when you enter K-pop as a search query and watch videos, you can enjoy K-pop continuously. But when watching other genres of video, K-pop may not be recommended as a related video.

본 연구는 리얼리티 오디션 프로그램의 '재미'에 대한 것이다. '왜, 사람들은 리얼리티 오디션 프로그램에 그토록 열광하는가?' '오디션 프로그램 수용자들은 어떤 재미를 느끼는가?' 라는 의문에 대하여 '재미진화 모형[1]'의 적용을 통해 확인해 보고자 한다. '재미진화모형'의 4단계에 따라 수용자의 재미추구 행동양식을 구분하고 시간의 변화에 따라 단계별로 변화하는지 살펴보았다. 2013년 SBS "K-POP STAR"(시즌3)에 참여한 오디션 프로그램의 수용자들은 4가지 재미유형(보기, 가지기, 하기, 되기)을 충실히 따랐고 시간이 지남에 따라 재미추구 행동양식이 단계적으로 변화하고 있음을 확인하였다. 이것은 오디션 프로그램을 즐기는 수용자들에 대한 '재미진화' 모형의 수용을 의미하는 것으로 오디션 프로그램 수용자들의 '보기'(시청) 단계는 점진적으로 온라인과 오프라인을 통해 '가지기'(참가자 지지/악플 댓글 달기, 블로그/트위터 참여, 사진자료 수집활동)단계와 '하기'(심사단 참여, 팬클럽 만들기, 사생 팬 활동하기, 전화 투표 참가)단계를 거쳐 프로그램에 대한 재미(fun)를 증대시키고 있음을 확인할 수 있었다.

A study on the 'FUN' of TV reality audition programs. "Why are the audience so enthusiastic about the survival audition programs?" "What fun do the audition program audience have?" In order to find the answers for such questions, this study applied 'the 4-step fun evolving model' and thereby, categorized audience's fun-seeking behavioral modes, and therewith, examined how such fun-seeking behavioral modes would change by step over time. As a result, it was found that the audition program audience had faithfully followed the 4 fun types (watching, having, doing and becoming), and that their fun-seeking behavioral modes had changed by step over time in SBS "K-POP START" (Season 3) in 2013. Such findings suggest that the audition program fans accommodated 'the fun evolving model.' Their step of 'watching' evolved gradually into the step of 'having' both on-line and off-line (support of participants/malicious or good-will replies, participation in blogs/twitters, photo materials collection activities) and that of 'doing' (application for the jury group, organization of fan club, crazy fan activities, participation in phone voting, etc.), while increasing their fun.

This paper explores the role of K-pop fandom in cultivating transnational social empathy, particularly focusing on Japanese university students. Drawing from the theoretical framework of social empathy as proposed by Elizabeth Segal, the paper analyzes how cultural consumption―especially of Korean pop culture―can transcend national boundaries, challenge ethnocentric media narratives, and enable deeper contextual and macro-level understanding of international relations. Based on qualitative interviews with 16 Japanese K-pop fans, the study reveals how participants not only formed emotional attachments to Korean idols but also developed contextual and balanced understandings of Korea?Japan historical tensions. The findings underscore the potential of pop culture as a catalyst for fostering social empathy among groups with tensions in the global community.

The purpose of this paper is to theorize cultural appropriation using a critical perspective that centers structural inequity and uneven global power by examining the case of South Korean media. This paper argues that cultural appropriation is a particular form of intercultural borrowing that relies on structural inequities of power, whereby a more powerful culture takes from a less powerful culture in such a way that it causes structural and representational harm to the borrowed culture. To clarify cultural appropriation as a particular form of cultural borrowing, I provide a typology of different forms of cultural borrowing before positing six criteria of cultural appropriation in order to challenge and problematize binary notions of borrowing as appropriative or appreciative. This shifts the understanding of cultural appropriation toward one that is multifaceted and complicated by different relationships of power.

Japanese hallyu fans who often travel to Korea after falling in love with Korean dramas or K-pop music are usually referred to as “tourist audiences.” More recently, K-pop tourist audiences come not only from Japan but also from Southeast Asia, China, Europe, and the Americas, expanding the nationality boundary of the concept. Although such tourist audiences are still predominantly female, the number of male K-pop tourist audience members is also growing slowly. In this study, we address the question of learning behavior among tourist audiences from different countries in the K-pop mecca of Seoul. Based on the notion of forward and retrospective learning, in-depth interviews with Japanese and Indonesian female K-pop fans who have encountered fans from other countries were conducted in order to delineate differing patterns of learning behavior. We find that forward learners from Indonesia actively engage in meeting Korean, Chinese, and Japanese fans, whereas retrospective learners from Japan are very reluctant to meet Chinese or Indonesian fans, although they were somewhat interested in meeting their North American or Western counterparts.

본 논문은 1930년대 식민지 경성에서 형성된 라틴 리듬 수용의 양상을 분석하고, 이를 21세기 K-pop의 라틴아메리카 수용과 비교함으로써 남남적 정동(South–South affect)의 역사적·감각적 구조를 규명한다. 경성 신문·잡지·연재소설에 나타난 탱고, 룸바 등의 묘사는 라틴아메리카의 실재적 음악 세계를 반영하기보다, ‘남국(南國)’이라는 추상적 기호로 탈맥락화된 감각적 근대성을 구성하였다. 이러한 라틴 리듬은 일본을 경유한 제국의 음향적 사슬 속에서 도착한 번안-라틴이었으며, 경성 청년들에게는 비서구적 세련됨의 새로운 감각적 지평을 열어 주었다. 한편 21세기 라틴아메리카에서의 K-pop 수용 또한 한국의 실재보다 ‘세련된 비서구 근대성’의 이미지에 기반하고 있으며, K-pop과 라틴팝의 협업은 1930년대 라틴 리듬의 감각을 한국 대중음악이 재구성한 뒤 다시 라틴아메리카로 회귀시키는 순환 구조를 보여준다. 본 연구는 이러한 ‘음악적 남남성’의 역사적 궤적을 통해, 비서구 세계가 서로를 감각적으로 상상하고 재구성하는 방식을 해석하는 새로운 지역학적 프레임을 제안한다.

This study examines the reception of Latin rhythms in 1930s colonial Seoul and compares it with the contemporary reception of K-pop in Latin America, proposing a conceptual framework of “musical South?Southness.” An analysis of newspapers, magazines, and serialized fiction reveals that genres such as tango, rumba, and samba circulated not as representations of Latin American musical realities, but as abstract signifiers of “Southern exoticism,” functioning as sensory markers of modernity. These sounds reached Seoul through Japan’s mediated cultural infrastructure, resulting in the consumption of hybridized, decontextualized “translation-Latin.” For colonial youth, Latin rhythms offered an alternative, non-Western form of sophistication and modern desire. In the 21st century, the popularity of K-pop in Latin America demonstrates a parallel dynamic: Korean pop is consumed less for its cultural specificity and more as an emblem of non-Western modernity. Collaborations between K-pop and Latin pop further illustrate a circular movement in which reinterpreted Latin rhythmic sensibilities embedded in K-pop return to Latin America. By tracing this aesthetic and affective cycle, the paper proposes “musical South?Southness” as an analytical lens for understanding how non-Western regions imagine, interpret, and resonate with one another across shifting historical conditions.

This research examines what motivates students to learning Korean, and how their motivation also affects their preferences for content of Korean culture and Korean popular culture/K-pop. For this study, I conducted surveys of 155 students and interviews with 30 students enrolled in the beginners’ level Korean language course at The University of Queensland in 2014. The results show that students are motivated most by ‘K-pop’ and ‘Korean popular culture’, followed by Future job prospects, and Others. Regardless of their different motivations, students commonly showed high preferences for learning content related to ‘Daily life in Korean society’, ‘Greetings/etiquettes of Korean society and language’, while they showed lower preferences for topics such as ‘Fashion’ and ‘Housing’. The average mean score of culture content students wanted to learn for beginners’ level of Korean is included in the paper. In addition, the results showed that K-pop did not significantly impact the students’ preferences in cultural content, but that the influence of Korean popular culture was much more significant. There were strong/moderate positive correlations between interest in ‘Korean popular culture’ and culture content. However, the students’ ultimate aim was not to learn Korean popular culture; rather, they want to understand the daily interactions of Korean people, greetings/etiquettes of Korean society and language, and Korean target culture including the different values and traditions embedded in Korean popular culture. This research focused on beginner level of Korean, in order to gain an understanding of the general trends of students’ motivations. Further study of intermediate/advanced Korean learners is needed.

This study examines the evolution of parasocial interactions within K-pop fandoms, focusing on the BTS fan community Cypher ARMY Malang. Utilizing a virtual ethnography approach, the research explores how parasocial relationships evolve into trans-parasocial interactions, where fans transition from one-way connections to two-way interactions with artists, fostering active participation in fan culture. The study investigates experiences, Q&A sessions, and live-stream engagements to uncover how these interactions construct shared meaning and cultivate collective experiences among fans. Our findings reveal that platforms like Weverse and Instagram play a critical role in facilitating two-way interactions, enabling fans to build emotional closeness and engage in fan activism. Fans demonstrate creative participation through content creation, social campaigns, and cultural contributions, reflecting dynamic interactions between the fanbase and idol narratives. This progression underscores the sociological implications of trans-parasocial interactions in digital culture, offering fresh insights into fan studies, cultural sociology, and media studies.

This article develops an infrastructural perspective on diaspora to examine its mediating role in the global circulation of K-pop within platformized and mobility-driven cultural environments. Existing Korean Wave scholarship has largely conceptualized diaspora as an audience category, historical precursor, or symbolic resource, generating important insights into identity, reception, and representation. However, these approaches provide limited analytical attention to how diasporic actors participate in mediation processes that enable cultural circulation across linguistic, geographic, and technological contexts. Drawing on infrastructure studies, platform studies, and migration infrastructure scholarship, this study conceptualizes diaspora as diasporic cultural infrastructure: relational assemblages of actors, technologies, and practices that facilitate translation, coordination, and accessibility within global cultural systems. This perspective complements existing approaches by examining how diasporic actors contribute to cultural circulation through infrastructural mediation, including translation practices, platform coordination, and spatial facilitation across migration networks and tourism mobilities. Methodologically, the article outlines empirical strategies capable of tracing diasporic infrastructural mediation across platforms and geographic contexts, including multi-sited ethnography, platform-aware analysis, and labor-focused research. By conceptualizing diaspora as infrastructural mediation rather than solely identity or audience, the article provides analytical tools for examining how global cultural circulation is sustained through coordinated mediation across actors, platforms, and spatial infrastructures.

The coronavirus has changed our daily lives dramatically, driving us to spend time in the virus-free digital world, providing an imagined community in which we can be reborn. In this study, I highlight an interesting intersection of three phenomena in virtual spaces: the culturally hybrid content of the Korean Wave, or Hallyu; participatory culture of fandom; and a new kind of public defined by emotion. I show how Hallyu fandom becomes a fandom public using digital media by exploring the voluntary practices of Chilean fans in the production of the 2018 KBS Music Bank World Tour in Chile. Chilean K-pop fans form a Latin American fandom community in a digital space where they act as a fandom public based on affective intimacy, thereby influencing wider society. This finding offers insights to determine the capabilities of Hallyu fandom as a public.

By conducting interviews with 20 K-pop fans who engage daily on social media and different creative projects, this study found that most fans view their involvement as enjoyable, despite their time-consuming nature and the lack of monetary compensation. While some recognize a degree of labor exploitation, they often perceive their activities as voluntary and under their control. Despite their awareness of the capitalist mechanisms underlying the K-pop industry, fans inadvertently reinforce these structures by contributing to the production and promotion of idols as commodities, which continues to generate economic value.

This study aims to provide an overview of the evolution of male music bands and analyze their syndrome via sociological theories. It employs a qualitative research as its methodology, in which the relevant academic research and literature were searched and analyzed. The contents of the evolution of the bands include the origin of the male vocal group, the blueprints for the male music band genre in the early to mid-20th century, the template for the modern male music band, the explosion of modern male music bands in the West, the growing popularity of male music bands in the East, and the takeover of K-pop in the male music band sphere. Then the phenomena are analyzed through sociological theories of collective effervescence, fan identification, and stereotypes of gender roles. In conclusion, male music bands have driven socio-cultural changes and contributed to economic development as they continue to become more popular. It is suggested to explore further the various factors of their popularity and their different impacts on the music industry.

This paper is an ethnographic account of the desires and struggles of some parents in South Korea who invest ? financially and emotionally ? in their children’s dream of becoming K-pop stars in the hope of securing a better future for their young, and repositioning themselves more favorably in an extremely restrictive and competitive environment. It is based on personal interviews with 15 mothers and 8 fathers, and participation-observation of young South Koreans’activities in a private academy where they receive “professional training.” This study contends that these parents are strategically benchmarking and re-benchmarking their place within a rapidly changing society by following shifting trends of pursuits that have emerged as new measures of success and status, so that they would not be “left behind” by a rapidly globalizing society.

이태원 게이클럽에서는 케이팝을 틀어놓고 정해진 춤을 다 함께 따라 추면서 노는 모습을 쉽게 볼 수 있다. 연구는 이태원 게이클럽의 케이팝 놀이가 만드는 공동의 감각을 빅터 터너의 커뮤니타스라는 개념으로 설명한다. 그리고 케이팝 놀이에 함께하기 위한 참여자의 노력이 이태원을 중심으로 고유한 형태의 놀이 문화와 실천적인 게이 놀이 공동체를 만드는 수행이 되고 있음을 조명한다. 공동체가 만들어지는 과정에서 케이팝의 의례적 힘이 중요한 매개로 작동하는 것이다. 이와 동시에 이태원의 케이팝 놀이는 스스로 경계를 만들고 안과 밖을 구분하며 놀이가 일어나기 위한 조건을 다진다. 놀이에 어울리지 않는 섹슈얼한 상호작용이 경계 밖으로 밀려나기도 하고, 놀이를 더 잘 즐길 수 있는 클럽을 운영한다는 명목으로 특정한 사람의 클럽 입장을 제한하기도 한다. 연구는 놀이가 더 강렬한 즐거움을 만들기 위해 경계를 창출하고 내부의 동질성을 높이는 여러 방식을 조명한다. 그 결과 외국인이 많은 이태원에서 케이팝 놀이가 인종이라는 사회적 범주를 따라 비명시적 경계를 만든다는 점을 보인다.​

At Itaewon gay clubs, it's common to see people dancing choreography together to K-pop girl group song. This study explains the shared sense of community created by 'K-pop play' in Itaewon gay clubs using Victor Turner's concept of communitas. It also highlights how participants' efforts to engage in the play creates a unique form of play culture and a practical gay community of play around Itaewon. The ritualistic power of K-pop functions as a crucial mediator in the process of community formation. Simultaneously, 'K-pop play' establishes its own boundaries, distinguishing inside from outside. Sexual interactions deemed incompatible with the play are pushed outside these boundaries. Also clubs restrict access for specific individuals to making themselves better places for the play. The study illuminates various ways boundaries are created and internal homogeneity enhanced to generate more intense pleasure from the play. Consequently, it demonstrates how K-pop facilitates the creation of play boundaries along the social category of race in Itaewon, an area with a large foreign population.

이 논의는 <케이팝 데몬 헌터스>(이하 <케데헌>)의 케이팝을 텍스트의 서사적 측면과 미디어적 측면에서 분석하고, 이를 토대로 미디어의 재매개 작용에 대해 살피는 것을 목적으로 한다. <케데헌>에서 케이팝은 문제를 해결할 수 있는 인물의 능력으로 표상된다. 주인공인 루미(헌트릭스)와 대척점에 진우(사자보이즈)는 케이팝을 통해 문제를 해결한다. 그러나 <케데헌>은 케이팝을 대체 가능한 소재나 기능으로 사용하는 데 그치지 않고, 케이팝의 장르-미디어 현상들을 <케데헌>의 사건 진행에 적극적으로 관여시킨다. 케이팝의 생태계가 <케데헌>의 플롯으로 작동하는 것이다. 또한 <케데헌>은 케이팝의 커뮤니케이션 관습을 해석의 배경으로 삼아 사건 연쇄의 빈칸들이나 병렬적으로 나열된 장면들에 개연성을 부여한다. <케데헌>은 넷플릭스 플랫폼 스트리밍을 통해 전 세계에 동시에 공개되고, 이후 극장에서 싱어롱 버전으로 상영된다. <케데헌>의 두 관람 방식은 재매개 방식에 관여하는 요소들을 살필 수 있도록 한다. 수용자가 넷플릭스 플렛폼으로 <케데헌>을 전달받는 경우, OTT 미디어는 수용자들에게 인식되어 하이퍼매개적으로 지속될 수 있다. 반면 수용자가 극장에서 <케데헌>을 전달받는 경우, 수용자들은 <케데헌> 이야기 속 케이팝을 통해 <케데헌>에 몰입하고, 영화관의 영상은 공연 미디어로 비매개될 수 있다. 미디어의 재매개 양상은 <케데헌>의 일부들을 <케데헌>의 맥락에서 찢어내어, <케데헌>을 요소들의 모자이크처럼 인식하게 만들기도 한다. <케데헌>에서 분리된 요소들은 물질 혹은 기술과 결합되어 있는 여러 미디어로 재매개된다. 어떤 경우는 일회적으로 혹은 반복적으로, 어떤 경우는 개별적으로 혹은 집합적으로 연결됨으로써 ‘어떤 문화’의 네트워크를 형성한다

This discussion aims to analyze K-pop in K-pop Demon Hunters (hereafter KDH) from both narrative and media perspectives, and on this basis examines the process of media remediation. In KDH, K-pop is represented as a character’s capacity to resolve problems. Jinwoo (of SajaBoys), positioned in opposition to the protagonist Rumi (of Huntrix), resolves conflicts through K-pop. However, KDH does not merely deploy K-pop as a substitutable motif or functional device; rather, it actively integrates the genre?media dynamics of K-pop into the progression of events within the narrative. The K-pop ecosystem ultimately structures and drives the plot of KDH. In addition, KDH takes the communicative conventions of K-pop as a framework for interpretation, using them to render coherent the gaps in the chain of events as well as sequences of scenes arranged in parallel. KDH was released globally and simultaneously through Netflix streaming and was subsequently screened in theaters as a sing-along version. These two modes of reception allow for an examination of the elements involved in processes of remediation. When receivers encounter KDH via the Netflix platform, the OTT medium remains perceptible to them, sustaining a condition of hypermediacy. By contrast, when KDH is received in a theatrical setting, audiences immerse themselves in KDH through the K-pop embedded within its narrative, and the cinematic medium may be experienced as a performance medium in terms of immediacy. The modes of media remediation observed in KDH also fragment parts of the text from its original context, leading receivers to perceive KDH as a mosaic of discrete elements. These detached elements are remediated into multiple media forms that are coupled with material or technological conditions. Whether connected momentarily or repeatedly, individually or collectively, such remediated elements form networks that constitute what may be understood as a cultural network.

본 연구는 해석학적 현상학 관점에서 넷플릭스 애니메이션 영화 K-Pop Demon Hunters를 통해 글로벌 시청자들이 한국 문화를 어떻게 경험하고 의미화하는지를 분석한다. 기존 한류 연구가 주로 문화 확산과 수용에 초점을 두어 왔다면, 본 연구는 문화 세계화를 살아 있는 정서적 경험으로 개념화한다. 연구 참여자는 대한민국 충청북도 소재 사립대학교의 영어 매체 교양 수업에 참여한 대학생 28명으로, 자료는 영화 시청 이후 작성된 성찰 에세이와 반구조화된 심층 면담을 통해 수집되었다. 수집된 자료는 반 마넨(van Manen)의 접근에 기반한 현상학적 주제 분석을 통해 분석되었다. 분석 결과, 한국 문화는 명시적 문화 지식으로 경험되기보다 정서적 분위기, 일상적 이미지, 음악적·신체적 몰입, 그리고 접근 가능한 판타지 서사를 통해 경험되는 것으로 나타났다. 참여자들은 한국 문화를 정서적 강도와 분위기를 통해 먼저 접촉한 뒤, 음식, 치유 공간, 일상적 실천과 같은 인식 가능한 요소를 통해 그 경험을 구체화하였다. 특히 K-pop 음악과 퍼포먼스는 인지적 해석에 앞서는 신체적·감각적 반응을 유발하였으며, 판타지 장르는 문화적 거리감을 완화하고 개방적인 참여를 촉진하였다. 이러한 결과는 한국 문화 세계화가 설명이나 지식 전달이 아니라 경험적·정서적·체화된 참여를 통해 작동함을 시사한다. 본 연구는 현상학적 미디어 연구에 기여함과 동시에, 경험 중심 학습 접근을 강조함으로써 영어 문화 교육에 대한 교육적 시사점을 제공한다.

This study examines how global viewers experience and make meaning of Korean culture through the Netflix animated film K-Pop Demon Hunters from a hermeneutic phenomenological perspective. While prior research on the Korean Wave has largely emphasized cultural diffusion and reception, this study conceptualizes cultural globalization as lived and affective experience. Participants were 28 university students enrolled in English-medium liberal arts courses at a private university in Chungcheongbuk-do, Korea. Data were collected through reflective essays and semi-structured interviews following the film viewing and analyzed using phenomenological thematic analysis informed by van Manen’s approach. Findings indicate that Korean culture was not experienced as explicit cultural knowledge, but as emotional atmosphere, everyday imagery, embodied musical engagement, and an accessible fantasy narrative. Participants first encountered Korean culture through affective intensity and mood, later grounded in recognizable elements such as food, healing spaces, and daily practices. K-pop music and performance elicited bodily and sensory responses preceding cognitive interpretation, while fantasy reduced cultural distance and encouraged open engagement. These findings suggest that Korean cultural globalization operates through experiential, affective, and embodied engagement rather than explanation or instruction. The study contributes to phenomenological media research and offers pedagogical implications for English culture education, highlighting experience-centered learning approaches.