Transnational Korean Cinema explores the interactions of local and global politics, economics, a... more Transnational Korean Cinema explores the interactions of local and global politics, economics, and culture to contextualize the development of Korean cinema and its current place in an era of neoliberal globalization and convergent digital technologies. The book emphasizes the economic and industrial aspects of the story, looking at questions on the interaction of politics and economics, including censorship and public funding, and provides a better view of the big picture by laying bare the relationship between film industries, the global market, and government. Jin also sheds light on the operations and globalization strategies of Korean film industries alongside changing cultural policies in tandem with Hollywood’s continuing influences in order to comprehend the power relations within cultural politics, nationally and globally. This is the first book to offer a full overview of the nascent development of Korean cinema.
Converging theory and practice, this book provides a unique analysis of Korean youth’s attempts t... more Converging theory and practice, this book provides a unique analysis of Korean youth’s attempts to become global celebrities within the growing K-pop phenomenon, which is rapidly becoming part of global media systems and culture. K-pop has become one of the most popular cultural forms in the global music markets, despite having a relatively new global presence. Its recent spread around the world suggests that K-pop exists as a local-based genre of music in global markets, including Western markets.
Unlike other existing books on K-pop, which mainly focus solely on academic analyses or industrial perspectives, K-Pop Idols: Popular Culture and the Emergence of Korean Music Industry combines theory with industry and musical aesthetics. Following the idol group Nine Muses through a year-long chronicle, the authors portray the everyday lives of young girls relentlessly pursuing happiness, satisfaction, and the achievement of their dreams in the K-pop world
Since the Korean Wave phenomenon started in 1997, Hallyu has undergone many changes. Geographical... more Since the Korean Wave phenomenon started in 1997, Hallyu has undergone many changes. Geographically, while Asia has been the largest cultural market for the Korean cultural industries, other parts of society, including North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America have gradually admitted Korean popular culture. The components of the Korean Wave have also greatly expanded. Hallyu originally implied the exports of a few cultural products, such as television dramas, popular music, and films; however, Korea has recently developed and exported K-pop, digital games and smartphone technologies as well as relevant youth culture. Meanwhile, industrial and technological contexts of the Korean Wave have changed significantly during the last 20 years. The role of social media in the Korean Wave’s transnationalization in recent years is especially intriguing because fans around the world can easily access social media to enjoy K-pop, digital games, and films. The changes in the nature and appearance of the Korean Wave, conceptual and theoretical shifts in the studies of the Korean Wave, and the influences of the development of media technologies on the Korean Wave are all very significant. This book aims to provide a better understanding of Hallyu's theoretical and institutional history on one hand, and new features of the Korean Wave on the other hand.
In the networked twenty-first century, digital platforms have significantly influenced capital ac... more In the networked twenty-first century, digital platforms have significantly influenced capital accumulation and digital culture. Platforms, such as social network sites (e.g. Facebook), search engines (e.g. Google), and smartphones (e.g. iPhone), are increasingly crucial because they function as major digital media intermediaries. Emerging companies in non-Western countries have created unique platforms, controlling their own national markets and competing with Western-based platform empires in the global markets. The reality though is that only a handful of Western countries, primarily the U.S., have dominated the global platform markets, resulting in capital accumulation in the hands of a few mega platform owners. This book contributes to the platform imperialism discourse by mapping out several core areas of platform imperialism, such as intellectual property, the global digital divide, and free labor, focusing on the role of the nation-state alongside transnational capital.
H ands On/Hands Off is a contemporary political economic analysis of the various dimensions in th... more H ands On/Hands Off is a contemporary political economic analysis of the various dimensions in the rapid growth of the Korean communication industry, including broadcasting, film, telecommunications, and information technology. As the first comprehensive attempt to analyze the rapid growth and change in the Korean communication systems, this book makes sense of those transitions by looking at global trends and how Korea has developed its communication systems.
Transnational Korean Cinema explores the interactions of local and global politics, economics, a... more Transnational Korean Cinema explores the interactions of local and global politics, economics, and culture to contextualize the development of Korean cinema and its current place in an era of neoliberal globalization and convergent digital technologies. The book emphasizes the economic and industrial aspects of the story, looking at questions on the interaction of politics and economics, including censorship and public funding, and provides a better view of the big picture by laying bare the relationship between film industries, the global market, and government. Jin also sheds light on the operations and globalization strategies of Korean film industries alongside changing cultural policies in tandem with Hollywood’s continuing influences in order to comprehend the power relations within cultural politics, nationally and globally. This is the first book to offer a full overview of the nascent development of Korean cinema.
Converging theory and practice, this book provides a unique analysis of Korean youth’s attempts t... more Converging theory and practice, this book provides a unique analysis of Korean youth’s attempts to become global celebrities within the growing K-pop phenomenon, which is rapidly becoming part of global media systems and culture. K-pop has become one of the most popular cultural forms in the global music markets, despite having a relatively new global presence. Its recent spread around the world suggests that K-pop exists as a local-based genre of music in global markets, including Western markets.
Unlike other existing books on K-pop, which mainly focus solely on academic analyses or industrial perspectives, K-Pop Idols: Popular Culture and the Emergence of Korean Music Industry combines theory with industry and musical aesthetics. Following the idol group Nine Muses through a year-long chronicle, the authors portray the everyday lives of young girls relentlessly pursuing happiness, satisfaction, and the achievement of their dreams in the K-pop world
Since the Korean Wave phenomenon started in 1997, Hallyu has undergone many changes. Geographical... more Since the Korean Wave phenomenon started in 1997, Hallyu has undergone many changes. Geographically, while Asia has been the largest cultural market for the Korean cultural industries, other parts of society, including North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America have gradually admitted Korean popular culture. The components of the Korean Wave have also greatly expanded. Hallyu originally implied the exports of a few cultural products, such as television dramas, popular music, and films; however, Korea has recently developed and exported K-pop, digital games and smartphone technologies as well as relevant youth culture. Meanwhile, industrial and technological contexts of the Korean Wave have changed significantly during the last 20 years. The role of social media in the Korean Wave’s transnationalization in recent years is especially intriguing because fans around the world can easily access social media to enjoy K-pop, digital games, and films. The changes in the nature and appearance of the Korean Wave, conceptual and theoretical shifts in the studies of the Korean Wave, and the influences of the development of media technologies on the Korean Wave are all very significant. This book aims to provide a better understanding of Hallyu's theoretical and institutional history on one hand, and new features of the Korean Wave on the other hand.
In the networked twenty-first century, digital platforms have significantly influenced capital ac... more In the networked twenty-first century, digital platforms have significantly influenced capital accumulation and digital culture. Platforms, such as social network sites (e.g. Facebook), search engines (e.g. Google), and smartphones (e.g. iPhone), are increasingly crucial because they function as major digital media intermediaries. Emerging companies in non-Western countries have created unique platforms, controlling their own national markets and competing with Western-based platform empires in the global markets. The reality though is that only a handful of Western countries, primarily the U.S., have dominated the global platform markets, resulting in capital accumulation in the hands of a few mega platform owners. This book contributes to the platform imperialism discourse by mapping out several core areas of platform imperialism, such as intellectual property, the global digital divide, and free labor, focusing on the role of the nation-state alongside transnational capital.
H ands On/Hands Off is a contemporary political economic analysis of the various dimensions in th... more H ands On/Hands Off is a contemporary political economic analysis of the various dimensions in the rapid growth of the Korean communication industry, including broadcasting, film, telecommunications, and information technology. As the first comprehensive attempt to analyze the rapid growth and change in the Korean communication systems, this book makes sense of those transitions by looking at global trends and how Korea has developed its communication systems.
In the last couple of decades, Korea’s digital and social media has become a major force in trans... more In the last couple of decades, Korea’s digital and social media has become a major force in transforming Korean society, where information and communication technologies are pervasive throughout. Some activists have been using digital and social media as an essential form of mobilization in the public sphere. Meanwhile, corporations driving the cultural industries have utilized digital and social media as a new outlet for the global prominence of Korean popular culture around the world in their myriad forms. The popularity of Korean cultural products, including K-pop, Korean dramas, and digital games in the domestic and global marketplace is evident in recent sensations such as the hit “Gangnam style,” which is still the most viewed YouTube video in history. These activities and practices have asked us to think over the primary role of digital and social media in what is consistently the world’s most networked society both socially and in terms of internet access. This panel conside...
International Journal of Communication, Oct 15, 2013
This article sets out to historicize the development of e-sport (organized competitive digital ga... more This article sets out to historicize the development of e-sport (organized competitive digital gaming) in the early 1980s using three new conceptual frameworks. We identify e-sport as an accompaniment of the broader embryonic gamer culture, a hallmark of the "experience economy" concept, and as a succession of consumer practices whose development was coterminous with the rise of event marketing as a leading promotional business strategy. By examining the origins of e-sport as both a marketized event and experiential commodity, we see this period as a transitory era bridging different phases in the areas of sports, marketing, and technology, resulting in the expansion of competitive cyberathleticism.
ABSTRACT In the era of social media, the notion of immaterial labor or free labor can be interpre... more ABSTRACT In the era of social media, the notion of immaterial labor or free labor can be interpreted in different ways. On the one hand, Hardt and Negri argue, immaterial labor as labor creates immaterial products. On the other hand, free labor can be understood as unpaid labor that is voluntarily given. Fuchs combines the theories of free labor and Hardt and Negri's concept of the multitude with audience commodity theory in an innovative Marxist analysis of the Internet. In this perspective we critique Fuchs's argument for considering social networking sites as the scene of capitalist exploitation of free labor. We argue that Fuchs reduces the user interactions on the Internet to its economic function and so dismisses its democratic implications. In so doing he ignores the human significance of online interaction as a new public sphere.
The International Encyclopedia of Media Studies, 2012
Asian cultural industries have produced and exported domestic television programs and films on a ... more Asian cultural industries have produced and exported domestic television programs and films on a large scale since the mid-1990s, challenging scholars' theories of cultural imperialism. The process remains complex, however, because the US still dominates the Asian cultural market and has expanded its influence through massive capital investments. This chapter analyzes the nature of transnationalization for Asian cultural industries in order to establish whether cultural imperialism is phased out in Asia. It explores the flows of Asian cultural products and examines the import and export of these goods in recent years. It then challenges the assertions made by scholars who formulate a reverse cultural imperialism thesis, and it questions whether cultural imperialism is still useful in explaining the Asian cultural market. Keywords: Asian cultural industries; cultural imperialism; globalization theory; Korean Wave; media markets
The global telecom system has undergone dramatic change under neoliberal globalization. A swift r... more The global telecom system has undergone dramatic change under neoliberal globalization. A swift restructuring of the telecom industries, which began in the early 1980s, was possible because governments around the world adopted neoliberal telecom polices, as they confronted intensifying pressure not only from corporations but also directly from international organizations and the US government. Telecom companies, however, have in recent years begun to present symptoms of what appears to be the same life-threatening disease. This in turn has expedited new strategies such as spin-off and/or split-off strategies as well as counter-deregulation. This article examines who set the agenda for telecom policy over the last two decades to analyze a long-term change in the global telecom system. It investigates how transnational corporations were involved in the reshaping of the global telecom system by exploring the consolidation through mergers and acquisitions. It also examines the relations...
BTS fandom has been one of the strongest, and many Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth members... more BTS fandom has been one of the strongest, and many Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth members have dedicated themselves to protect BTS from numerous controversies, while promoting the group’s messages, which can be identified as cyber-nationalism. By employing a critical discourse analysis on BTS fans’ social media posts and their online activities surrounding a few incidents, this article attempts to develop cyber-nationalism in the context of the BTS fandom. It investigates the formation of transnational cyber-nationalism, and then discusses how Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth members as citizens in the BTS nation utilize cyberspace, in particular, social media, not only to form alliances but also to protect BTS from any critical points of view. Finally, it articulates how transnational cyber-nationalism in tandem with BTS has shifted the notion of cyber-nationalism, which can be identified as negative, even patriotic parochialism, into constructive and socio-culturally...
International Journal of Communication, Oct 15, 2014
This article examines the framing of U.S. debates around securitization of the Internet and quest... more This article examines the framing of U.S. debates around securitization of the Internet and questions the need for a securitizing approach. Undoubtedly the Internet could be more secure, but we stress the importance of cyberspace as an open, global commons of information that has allowed innovation and rapid technological growth. We therefore discuss how the cybersecurity issue can be reframed to take into account the importance of this openness instead of viewing it as a vulnerability, and seek solutions that do not unduly or disproportionately impact civil liberties.
BTS fandom has been one of the strongest, and many Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth members... more BTS fandom has been one of the strongest, and many Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth members have dedicated themselves to protect BTS from numerous controversies, while promoting the group's messages, which can be identified as cyber-nationalism. By employing a critical discourse analysis on BTS fans' social media posts and their online activities surrounding a few incidents, this article attempts to develop cyber-nationalism in the context of the BTS fandom. It investigates the formation of transnational cyber-nationalism, and then discusses how Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth members as citizens in the BTS nation utilize cyberspace, in particular, social media, not only to form alliances but also to protect BTS from any critical points of view. Finally, it articulates how transnational cyber-nationalism in tandem with BTS has shifted the notion of cyber-nationalism, which can be identified as negative, even patriotic parochialism, into constructive and socio-culturally corrected cyber-movements.
AbstractDue to technical complexity, most public policies in technological society are dominated ... more AbstractDue to technical complexity, most public policies in technological society are dominated by expert-centrism and technocracy (an institutional form of expert-centrism), based on the belief that they should be the exclusive realm of technical experts. But globally, expert-led and technocratic policy-making culture is faced with challenges. We analyse the democratic implications of the Korean experience of the citizens’ jury, a form of citizens’ deliberative participation. We document and examine the citizens’ jury on the National Pandemic Response System in 2008, which was the fi rst case of the citizens’ jury in Korea. We conclude that such characteristics of citizens’ jury present positive implications in realising deliberative democracy.
This article is to document digital Korea. It discusses the sociocultural contexts of the growth ... more This article is to document digital Korea. It discusses the sociocultural contexts of the growth of digital technologies and culture because the current boom of digital technologies and culture cannot be separated from each other. Although it cannot go back several decades, it starts to address some early developments of the Internet directly influencing the contemporary Korean society. This historicization process allows us to firmly comprehend several key developments, in particular, the major reasons for development and the implications of the digital Korean phenomenon.
Video gaming is one of the most popular past times of digital media, whether on the Internet, on ... more Video gaming is one of the most popular past times of digital media, whether on the Internet, on smartphones, or on tablets, and it often outranks other digital activities such as reading online news, searching information, or streaming videos. This is certainly the case across Asia, where video games are a crucial sector of cultural industries and youth culture, though often in diverse ways: consoles are extremely popular in Japanese or Singaporean gaming, while online games still dominate China’s and Korea’s gaming landscape, and mobile gaming is sweeping across Southeast Asian societies like Indonesia or Malaysia with the rapid growth and use of smartphones. Video gaming has also become so pervasive that, for many players, it is no longer a hobby. Whether it is video game tournaments, known as e-Sports, or the economy surrounding “Gold Farmers”– professional players who offer to play and upgrade other gamers’ characters for a fee – video games are often a serious affair. And gamers are not the only ones taking video games seriously: governments in the region regularly intervene in digital cultural industries, whether it is to regulate “harmful” content, produce propaganda games, or “cure” perceived gaming addictions.
In this special issue, we ask contributors to explore the dynamics of digital play in Asia. What social, political and ethical roles do video games play in the region? What factors shape their creation, content, and distribution? How do gamers interact with the medium, and how does the medium react to gamers? What happens when digital play becomes digital labour, or when it becomes professionalized in the form of e-Sports. Most importantly: where should we locate “Asia” in these dynamics, whether aesthetically, politically, socially, or economically? And what tools and methods should researchers deploy to analyse these issues in the Asian context?
Asia's transnational mediascape has increasingly attracted academic attention, as exemplified by ... more Asia's transnational mediascape has increasingly attracted academic attention, as exemplified by the growing number of recent publications on trans-Asian media culture. The academic craze of media flows in Asia seems to
It was not long ago when ESPN launched its own eSports vertical on ESPN.COM. ESPNwhich had previo... more It was not long ago when ESPN launched its own eSports vertical on ESPN.COM. ESPNwhich had previously rejected eSports for its own program-suddenly jumped on the eSports bandwagon, which was considered another step toward mainstream acceptance of professional video gaming. ESPN's entry into the eSports world fulfills the convergence of digital games, sport, and media, which means that eSports is the intricate interrelationship among these three, previously separated, elements.
In order to celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Korean Association for Broadcasting and Telecom... more In order to celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Korean Association for Broadcasting and Telecommunication Studies (KABS) and to launch a new scholarly journal, KABS will hold a twoday conference with the general theme of "Global Digital Technology and Culture" in Seoul, South Korea, on August 17-18, 2018. The primary goal of the conference is to broadly discuss the changing digital technology environment and its cultural, social and/or psychological consequences from a global perspective.
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Books by Dal Yong Jin
The book emphasizes the economic and industrial aspects of the story, looking at questions on the interaction of politics and economics, including censorship and public funding, and provides a better view of the big picture by laying bare the relationship between film industries, the global market, and government. Jin also sheds light on the operations and globalization strategies of Korean film industries alongside changing cultural policies in tandem with Hollywood’s continuing influences in order to comprehend the power relations within cultural politics, nationally and globally. This is the first book to offer a full overview of the nascent development of Korean cinema.
Unlike other existing books on K-pop, which mainly focus solely on academic analyses or industrial perspectives, K-Pop Idols: Popular Culture and the Emergence of Korean Music Industry combines theory with industry and musical aesthetics. Following the idol group Nine Muses through a year-long chronicle, the authors portray the everyday lives of young girls relentlessly pursuing happiness, satisfaction, and the achievement of their dreams in the K-pop world
The book emphasizes the economic and industrial aspects of the story, looking at questions on the interaction of politics and economics, including censorship and public funding, and provides a better view of the big picture by laying bare the relationship between film industries, the global market, and government. Jin also sheds light on the operations and globalization strategies of Korean film industries alongside changing cultural policies in tandem with Hollywood’s continuing influences in order to comprehend the power relations within cultural politics, nationally and globally. This is the first book to offer a full overview of the nascent development of Korean cinema.
Unlike other existing books on K-pop, which mainly focus solely on academic analyses or industrial perspectives, K-Pop Idols: Popular Culture and the Emergence of Korean Music Industry combines theory with industry and musical aesthetics. Following the idol group Nine Muses through a year-long chronicle, the authors portray the everyday lives of young girls relentlessly pursuing happiness, satisfaction, and the achievement of their dreams in the K-pop world
In this special issue, we ask contributors to explore the dynamics of digital play in Asia. What social, political and ethical roles do video games play in the region? What factors shape their creation, content, and distribution? How do gamers interact with the medium, and how does the medium react to gamers? What happens when digital play becomes digital labour, or when it becomes professionalized in the form of e-Sports. Most importantly: where should we locate “Asia” in these dynamics, whether aesthetically, politically, socially, or economically? And what tools and methods should researchers deploy to analyse these issues in the Asian context?