• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.20 no.8
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• pp.186-198
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• 2020

The current study examines how product type and attitudes toward the webtoon - a digital comic that originated in Korea - affect consumer responses to webtoon product placement (PPL). Specifically, it examines the following responses: the perception of PPL intrusiveness, attitudes toward the PPL, attitudes toward the brand, word-of-mouth intention, and purchase intention. It further investigates how PPL type interacts with product type and attitudes toward the webtoon on consumer responses to the PPL. The findings from a 2 (product type: functional vs. hedonic) × 2 (attitudes toward the webtoon: negative vs. positive) × 2 (PPL type: creative placement vs. on-set placement) between-subject experimental study suggest the following: consumer responses to PPL in webtoon is more positive when the product is hedonic (vs. functional) and when attitudes toward the webtoon are positive (vs. negative). This study further suggests when subjects felt favorably toward the webtoon, the creative placement produced weaker perceptions of PPL intrusiveness and more favorable attitudes toward the PPL than the on-set placement. On the other hand, when subjects felt negatively toward the webtoon, the on-set placement evoked weaker perceptions of intrusiveness and more favorable attitudes toward the PPL than did the creative placement.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.585-595
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• 2022

This study confirmed the effect of attitude factors on advertisement effect for the purpose of producing effective webtoon advertisement and suggesting media execution strategy. Data were collected using the experimental method. The research results are as follows. First, it was found that only the attitude of advertisement had a significant effect on the advertisement attention when the form of the webtoon advertisement was general format type ad. Second, when the form of webtoon advertisement was general format type ad, advertisement attitude and product attitude had a significant effect on advertisement click intention. Third, when the placement of the webtoon advertisement was inserted in the middle of the webtoon, the advertisement attitude had a significant effect on the advertisement attention. Fourth, when the product of the webtoon advertisement was an experience product, it was advertisement attitude that had a significant effect on advertisement attention. This study is valuable in that it proposed a strategy for producing webtoon advertisements and executing media through experimental research.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.37-46
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• 2018

This study investigated the differences of message effect by product types and placement types of webtoon PPL(Product Placement). The study have tried to find effective webtoon PPL type and product type to minimized consumers' advertising avoidance. For analysis, two-way between subject design was produced by product types(utilitarian and hedonic product) and webtoon PPL placdement types(image, insert, and combination type). In results, there was a difference by PPL placement types for brand attitude. In special, the insert type had highly positive brad attitude. For webtoon contents, highly positive attitude was discovered in the cases of the hedonic product and the insert type of webtoon PPL.

• (The) Korean Journal of Advertising
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.51-80
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• 2018

This study aims to investigate how the storytelling elements of brand webtoon has influence on developing brand webtoon users' parasocial interaction relationship and their attitude towards brand webtoon contents and word of mouth intention. The results of this study shows that parasocial interaction is strongly influenced by the sub-dimensions of digital storytelling components of brand webtoon (i.e., relevance, trustworthiness, clarity). More specifically, respondents who perceive that the given message of digital storytelling in brand webtoons is relevant to the brand, is trustworthy, and is clear to understand show a higher degree of parasocial interaction with the webtoon content and in turn, it has a strong positive influence on the attitude towards the brand webtoon. In sum, this study not only provides a theoretical foundation to understand how consumers develop parasocial interaction with brand webtoons in terms of the brand webtoon's digital storytelling, but this study has implications for practitioners who are interested in using a brand webtoon for marketing.

• (The) Korean Journal of Advertising
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.111-132
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• 2017

This study investigates how consumers' need for uniqueness and for self-expression have influence on their attitude towards brand webtoon contents and word of mouth intention. The results of this study shows that among the sub-dimensions of brand webtoon users' need for uniqueness, unpopular choices has a significantly positive influence on their need for self-expression, and in turn it has a strong positive impact on both attitude towards the webtoon content and intention of word of mouth. In particular, the data show that respondents' perceived perception of the persuasive intent of the brand webtoon moderates the effect of need for self-expression on the attitude towards the content. More specifically, respondents who perceive the persuasive intent in brand webtoon show a lesser degree of favourable attitude towards the content than do respondents who do report a low level of perception of persuasive intent of the brand webtoon. In sum, this study not only provides a theoretical foundation to understand how consumers perceive brand webtoons in terms of their need for uniqueness and for self-expression, but the study has implications for practitioners who are interested in using a brand webtoon for marketing.

• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.42
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• pp.105-123
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• 2016

The webtoon market has been consisently developing in the digital market. Under such circumstances, The Korea webtoon market is rapidly growing and leading of them. This is the time to prepare the base of a stable environment for the webtoon market which shows a swift rise. The Korean webtoon is surely aiming at the global market as well as the domestic one. As the Korean webtoon companies spread out to the world briskly, The leading publication cartoon market, Japan tries to break into the Korean digital market. The domestic market that has the good-quality cartoons through exportation and importation to make people of all ages enjoy them. and also the Korean webtoon is in the center of the global webtoon markert. The early model of Korean webtoon, line-webtoon is translated in English, Chinese, Thai language and Indonesian language to use on the mobile applications and web. Nevertheless, It is just the stating point. With Eradicating of the Achilles heel of the digital contents, illegal distribution and finding materials for cultural discount rate minimized cartoon, The Korean webtoon can become the highest in the global market and hold it. Moreover, not only webtoon but also published cartoons are existing together to have a long run. Beyond the existing cartoon books printed on paper, we should reach toward the digital books with portability and economic feasibility to make the contents stay out longer.

• Korean Journal of Communication Studies
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.89-121
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• 2014

In order to suggest a strategy for continuous growth of webtoon, this article examined webtoon usage motivation and tried to make a prediction about culture content products and services connected with webtoon, including intention for viewing movies, based on webtoon; intention for switching to paid webtoon content, and intention for buying webtoon character products. From the point of view of Uses and Gratification Theory intentions for using webtoon and human sociocultural behavior intention are already predicted but with the usefulness of Theory of Planned Behavior Integrated Model this study extended the explanation power of prediction about webtoon related behavioral intention. Results found 5 motivational factors for webtoon usage i.e. 'seeking information', 'entertainment and access availability', 'webtoon genre characteristics', 'influence from a friend or acquaintance', and 'escapism and tension release'. Among them the ones that influenced the intention for viewing movies, based on webtoon, were found to be 'webtoon genre characteristics', 'escapism and tension release' and the 3 variables from Theory of Planned Behavior. 'Seeking information', 'entertainment and access availability', 'webtoon genre characteristics', and all the 3 variables from Theory of Planned Behavior were found to influence the intention for switching to paid webtoon content. The intention for buying webtoon based character products was affected by the motivational factors 'seeking information', 'escapism and tension release' and the behavior and subjective norms variables from Theory of Planned Behavior. Based on the uncommon results from the research several suggestions were made for the continuous growth of webtoon.

• Journal of Popular Narrative
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.303-345
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• 2019

This article analyzes the multi-layered communication in the Webtoon Princess Pari, released on the Daum portal site, created (written and illustrated) by Kim Naim, through analyzing the narrative structure and comments with the qualitative / quantitative methodology. The webtoon Princess Pari is structured in an omnibus style in which unit narratives are intermittently articulated, multi-lined, and interconnected. As integrated narratives which link with unitary narratives, Pari's growth story as a shaman and a romance narrative are structured. The classical original story of the shaman was used as a prehistory corresponding to the prequel of the webtoon through a preview, and the writer restructured the narrative to overcome the contradictions of the gender asymmetry and the patriarchal ideology of the original text. The viewer then creates a conversational space by giving critical and reflective comments. According to a statistical analysis conducted through sampling, the types of comments can be classified as follows: Appreciation and criticism of the contents ≫ Emotional response ≫ Intuitive overall review ≫ Knowledge and reflection ≫ Comments on comments. In the process of creation and acceptance of the Webtoon, a multi-layered dialogue between classical and modern, content and audience, acceptance and creation has been at play. In the creation dimension, the writer used a device to fill the gap of mythical symbols of the contents. At the level of the audience, they formed a culture of sharing information, knowledge, and reflection about tradition/folk/culture through comments. This corresponds to classical and modern dialogue through the webtoon. The viewers form a sympathetic bond, attempt hermeneutical coordination, supplement the information, and search for a balanced angle through controversial conversation. In addition, by commenting on attitudes, views, and perspective, the commentators showed a behavioral pattern corresponding to meta-criticism in literature. The viewers' comments acted as feedback on the creation of the webtoons, so that the creation and acceptance itself influenced the production of the content of the webtoon. The webtoon Princess Pari, which was based on Korean classical narrative, has been reorganized onto 'moving and dynamic' content, which leads to sense, thinking, criticism and reflection through the formation of various dialogues.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.295-306
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• 2022

This study examined the effects and roles of transmedia such as trailer (i.e., trailer) and webtoon OST (i.e., Original Sound Track), which have recently served as extended content in webtoons. In recent years, the number of transmedias using webtoons has increased rapidly, and production and consumption in various directions have been taking place. However, studies on whether these contents lead to positive emotions and attitudes toward webtoons are not actively conducted. Therefore, this paper examined the effect through loyalty and perceived enjoyment, and found that 'increasing immersion in content through transmedia' plays a major role as a major variable. In addition, it is determined whether these mechanisms appear differently by gender, and in the case of women, media consumption tends to be based on emotional signals compared to men, so transmedia will further increase the level of immersion, but webtoon content did not show gender effects on media consumption. This is a meaningful result that shows that in general, media consumption methods according to gender appear differently in webtoons. Therefore, based on the results, this study presented directions and implications to keep in mind when planning the production of various transmedias using webtoons.

• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.30
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• pp.169-199
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• 2013

In various directions of cartoon, vertical stroll direction is opposite to the page direction of existing published cartoon with the popularity of webtoon and established new genre. Lots of studies on published cartoon focus on the cut direction by page, but webtoon doesn't have any concept of page. The pivot of cartoon oriented people is changed from paper to computer monitor as times go by, characteristics of media are changed and media is gradually diversified. Like the strengthening of mobile caused by smart phone's popularity, tablet PC's propagation in public education, etc. cartoon is included to the environment of media which is rapidly changed. In this situation, one of cartoon's unchanged important identities can be the direction made by harmony between picture and text. This thesis analyzed symbolic characteristics and effective value of hyogwatae, mimetic words of cartoon, focusing on works of Heo, Young Man. Hyogwatae just delivers not only sound but also shape, feeling, status, etc. and has significant characteristics by invoking the imaginary structure of literature. Strengths of modern Korean, various linguistic expressions and syllabic systems, let people feel minute feeling of language and difference of emotion and remember the memory through the direct and indirect experiences, so it makes it nuance. Because of the characteristics, representative works of Heo, Young Man have commercialization and writer characteristics, have communicated with people for a long time and have plentiful knowledge of Korean cartoon. The characteristics of hyogwatae in Heo, Young Man's cartoon make a lot of effects for the expression and delivery of cartoon more than the general expectation. When conducting the study focusing on the symbolic process of language, uncertainty and vague standard of judgement caused by the wide factors of study on the direction of general cartoon could be endured. And, through the Heo, Young Man's deep analysis on hyogwatae's direction, readers enjoy the process while inferring actually and intellectually between pictures and sentences. In the process, the equipment stimulating imagination more than pictures, effects and dialogues is hyogwatae. It's reader's equipment of active participation and its strength is symbolic structure.