• Cross-Cultural Studies
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• v.45
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• pp.433-478
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• 2016

This article investigates the role of Japan in Korean consumption of Nordic design. In spite of the development of greater access to wide information and global markets, the popular trends in Korea have been mediated by Japan. The cultural power of Japan comes from otaku subculture. Japanese influence can be discussed by two sides. One is the images or symbols composing the Nordic style in Korea. The other is the way how to consume the Nordic design. Japanese neopop images combined with the Nordic design. Japanese 'slow movie' has combined American Kinfolk style with Nordic style. 'Database consumption' from otaku subcultre conceptualized by Azma Hiroki can be applied to Korean consumption of Nordic design.

• Journal of Korea Entertainment Industry Association
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• v.13 no.8
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• pp.117-130
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• 2019

After Marx, the issues regarding human labour have been the alienation towards production means and the distributive justice. Fourth industrial revolution and development of AI(Artificial Intelligence) opened the possibility of a independent production and economy system absolutely excluding against human nature and labour. Using robots and AI will deepen demarcation between living things and one not having life, separating the intelligence from the consciousness. At present, so called pre-stage of post human, seeking interests for life, new social relationship and new community will be increased as well. We can understand that interests for small community, self-sufficiency, dailiness, food and body in this context is increasing too. Representative trend towards this cultural phenomena is called as the 'Kinfolk culture.' Work-life balance, 'Aucalme', 'Hygge', 'So-Hwak-Haeng'(a small but reliable happiness) are the similar culture trends as. Vital capitalism, presented by O-Yong Lee, seeks focusing onto living things principles, e.g. 'topophilia', 'neophilia', and 'biophilia' as the dynamics looking for the history substructure, not class struggle and conflicts. He also argues the 'Vital Capitalism' be regarded as a new methodology to anticipate a social system after post human era. G. Deleuze said "arts is another expression method for existential philosophy. It gives a vitality onto philosophy and gives a role to letting abstract concept into definite image." We can find a lot cases arts' imagination overcomes critical point of scientific prediction power in the future prediction. This paper reviews ideas and issues of 'vital capitalism' in detail and explorers imaginating initial ideas of vital capitalism in the film 'Little Forest.'

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.629-647
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• 2017

As fashion has concentrated increasingly on inner values, it has become more directly connected with human life and society. This study analyzed anti-fashion, a movement that resists mainstream society and culture, which it views as causing inner conflicts such as competition, mammonism, consumerism, and egoism by fixating solely on the pursuit of growth and improvement. The study examined Kinfolk, an independent lifestyle magazine, to determine the essential values and principles that comprise this movement's refusal of mainstream modern society. The analysis of Kinfolk identified the following characteristics of, the Kinfolk lifestyle: essentialism, nature-friendliness, retro sensibilities, socio-ethical awareness, and diversity. Essentialism refers to the pursuit of essence, brevity, innovation based on tradition and slow life. Nature-friendliness involves communion with nature and humanity, animal-friendliness, de-industrialization, de-urbanization, and nomadic behavior. The components of the retro sensibility include nostalgia, and interests in vintage culture, and handcrafts. Diversity encompasses commonplaceness, various subcultures, agelessness, genderlessness, acceptance of other cultures, and new understanding. The analysis identified the tendencies of anti-fashion in Kinfolk magazine as simplicity, naturalism, resistance to novelty, ethics, and inclusiveness. Anti-fashion pursues the essential values of human life that have been lost or forgotten in modern society. It is important to pay constant attention to the values of minority, non-mainstream and indie cultures that represent anti-fashion. It exerts considerable influence and has great potential as an area for the development of various style-based paradigms rather than as a single fashion direction.