• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.296-305
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• 2019

With the growth of the Korean Wave and the importance of the fandom economy, it is necessary to consider the competitiveness of the Korean Wave with its fandom viewpoint. Particularly, the fandom phenomenon shows the characteristics of identifying the favorite star and actively acquiring and sharing related information in the fan community. Therefore, in this study, we examined the influence of Korean national image on consumers' intention to use Korean contents, and examined the mediating effects of fandom identification among Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese consumers. As a result of the empirical analysis, cultural image, corporate image, and product image were found to have statistically significant influence on the intention to use Korean Wave contents. In addition, star identification and pan community identification showed partial mediation in the effect of cultural images on the intention to use Korean contents. The results of this study suggest that the Korean Wave is a leading factor for the continuous development of Korean Wave, not the halo effect point for improving the national image, and the mediating effect of the fandom phenomenon is tested empirically.

• Journal of Korea Entertainment Industry Association
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.23-33
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• 2021

Under the long-term influence of COVID-19, offline activities were interrupted and online communication became the main way. With the rapid development of Korean Wave and network information technology, there have been many entertainment communication platforms. Fans can communicate with stars and other fans and share information through entertainment and communication platforms. This can improve users' perception of the value of entertainment communication platforms, arouse emotional resonance and have a positive impact on users' platform recommendation intention. In this study, the influence of user interaction, identity and recommendation intention of entertainment communication platforms was investigated by questionnaire. The results are as follows: First, the interaction between fans and content has a positive effect on psychological and behavioral identity. Second, the interaction between fans does not affect their psychological and behavioral identity. Third, the interaction between fans and stars has a positive impact on psychological identity and behavior identity. Fourth, psychological identity and behavioral identity have a positive impact on community members' willingness to recommend. Behavioral identity plays a partial mediating role between psychological identity and recommendation intention. Based on the above analysis results, the present situation, limitations and future research directions of this study are put forward.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.189-197
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• 2016

This study is aimed at providing basic data necessary for promoting consumption of professional sports licensing in the industry through service quality. Specifically, the current study examines the effects of service quality and licensing product intentions on professional sports and evaluates the moderating identity. For this study, we distributed a total of 480 questionnaires to those sampled through non-probability sampling from people living in small and medium cities including Seoul. Collected data were coded and entered into the computer, and statistically processed using SPSS Statistics 18 The results were as follow: First, service quality of professional sports significantly effect on licensing product intentions, but identity could not effect on licensing product intentions. Second, Identity as a moderating variable has significantly positive effect on the relationship between star player of service quality and Licensing Product Intentions. In conclusion, the companies that participate as title sponsors in professional sports were proven to promotion their licensing product intentions, as identified with sports fans through service quality of professional sports such as record, attractiveness, star player and locally affiliated.

• 한국체육학회지인문사회과학편
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.79-88
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to find spectator's value cognition and expected-benefit factors on professional baseball sportstar. Purposeful Sampling method was used to select among fan club leaders and people who had watched baseball games over ten years 8 informants who watched more than 4 times in 6 baseball games in 2011 Lotte Card Professional Baseball League. Data collection relies on focus group interviews and in-depth interviews. Text analysis was attempted to adopt the A-R-C needs theory proposed by Thomson(2006) for spectator's value cognition and the metaphors for consuming by Holt(1995) for expected-benefit factors. The research summary is as follow: Spectator's value cognition on professional baseball sportstar were an object of entertainment-oriented value, a major figure for social relationship-oriented and an object of identical. Spectator's expected-benefit factors on professional baseball sports tar were confirmation of values and heroic orientation. Meanwhile, spectator who had entertainment-oriented value cognition on professional baseball sportstar expect heroic orientation, who recognize professional baseball sportstar a major figure for social relationship-oriented and an object of identical pursue confirmation of values.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.480-493
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• 2021

In this paper, we attempt to empirically explain the process by which fandom performs social participation using digital media. To do this, we utilize the concept of identification and the Situational Theory of Publics in a theoretical framework, and study ARMY, BTS fandom. We confirmed a positive association between communication behavior and social participation, and verified a mediating effect of the identification as well. Interestingly, horizontal identification, a fan-to-star friendly relationship, had a greater effect on moving toward social participation than did vertical identification, a fan's blind worship of a star. This study has significance in that it has figured out the relationship of personal feelings to public participation by mobilizing achievements in various research fields.

• Journal of Internet Computing and Services
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.59-68
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• 2020

The present study aims to explore the influence of BTS, which is popular around the world. Specifically, it aims to look at differences between Korean and Chinese BTS female fandom. Besides, it also explores factors affecting fandom's daily happiness. The study conducted a survey with Korean and Chinese female fans. Findings from surveys suggest that first, there are differences on star attributes, fandom activity and illusory romance between Korean and Chinese female fandom. Specifically, Chinese female fandom's professionalism and artistic attractiveness which are included in star attributes, and illusory romance which is gained in fandom activity are higher than Korean. In addition, Korean female fans actively participated in offline fandom activities, while Chinese female fans actively participated in online fandom activities. Second, it is found that fandom activity, star identification and illusory romance have positive effects on daily happiness. Based on these findings, implication, limitations, and topics for future research are discussed.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.22 no.8
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• pp.235-246
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• 2022

This study explored the effects of recent 'single life' media contents on the spread of singlehood culture for Korean youth. Extant research on the changing trends across present-centered vs. future-oriented lifestyles had focused mainly on demographic or sociological factors. "Lifestyle transforming (entertainment) reality contents" perspective suggests that reality contents revealing one's personal daily life provides not just entertaining enjoyment but also and more importantly meaningful life-changing experiences for viewers. Given the dependency of single household youth on media use, it is expected that 'singlehood life' media contents such as reality television and YouTube Vlog would have greater influence on viewers' own reality and lifestyles. Survey results indicate that viewership of 'singlehood life' contents showed significant impacts on youth viewers' identification and unmarriedness, as well as present-centered and future-oriented lifestyles. Theoretical and practical implications of these results were discussed.

• Korean journal of communication and information
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• v.80
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• pp.115-142
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• 2016

This study aims to reveal the content of and logic behind a recent negative public sentiment toward female idols with the example of a debate over songstress IU's fourth album that was released late last year. While previous studies on fandom have focused on the identification process towards entertainers and making community, a recent phenomenon of "anti-fandom" or "malicious comments" implies that more research is needed on negative emotions such as hostility or schadenfreude (feelings of pleasure from others' misfortunes). Schadenfreude is a social sentiment that originated in modern liberalism, which features contradictions between public equality and private ownership, and that has been intensified in neoliberalism, which features a maximization of this contradiction centering on a meritocracy. Celebrities in Korea often become the targets of schadenfreude, which is associated with the suspicion that they gain popularity not from their abilities but from "just being popular." It should also be noted that this kind of schadenfreude operates differently between male and female entertainers. Specifically, the acquisition of money and fame by modern women whose presence used to be located in the private possessions of males is considered to be due to their unjustified use of sexuality. This is also the background of the recent online misogyny culture in Korea. In this context, IU, who had been successful at building a differentiated image of "sister-like idol artist," became a valid target. Although accusing IU of utilizing pedophilia reflects a stalemate that a current politics of sexual violence faces, it rather damages the name of an individual than attracts public attention to the structural causes of childsexualabuse. This is why I see the way that pedophilia was used in the debate over IU as a schadenfreude. Consequently, the term pedophilia here contributes to an expansion of the entertainment economy that is sustained by rises and falls of the celebrities' stock prices.