• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.162-173
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• 2019

The candlelight vigil is a nonviolent collective action by Koreans to communicate with the government. Although they have political goals, candlelight vigils are represented as cultural events. However, despite its importance in Korean society, it is unclear how Koreans perceive the cultural meaning of the candlelight vigil. This study, therefore, investigates the cultural meaning of the candlelight vigil, ultimately aiming to extending the framework for understanding active publics. To this end, this study conducted 47 in-depth interviews with participants of 2008 and 2016 candlelight vigils. The findings showed that the candlelight vigil has cultural meanings of festivity, humor, and self-expression. Theoretical implications of the findings and future research directions are discussed.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.311-318
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• 2017

The objective of this study was to reveal the educational meanings of candlelight rallies for the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye. For this, the origin and history of Korean candlelight rallies were divided. The researcher divided Korean candlelight rallies into four stages such as rallies for cherishing Hyosun & Miseon for Stage1, rallies for opposing the import of US beef for Stage2, rallies for the impeachment of President Roh Moo-hyun for Stage3, and rallies for the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye for Stage4. After that, the researcher revealed five educational meanings of the candlelight rallies for the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye. First, it is the change of educational structure. Second, it is the appearance of new subject. Third, it is the place for democratic communication and expression. Fourth, it is the equality and solidarity. Fifth, it is the establishment of an opportunity to have rational growth.

• Korean journal of communication and information
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• v.48
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• pp.109-134
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• 2009

This study explores the political parody, which has become an active art form in order to express Korean Internet users' political practices, especially, during the politically turbulent periods from the presidential election of 2003 to the recent candlelight vigil protest of 2008. This study investigates the rise and fall of a parody culture by online users from the mid-2000s, and also examines aesthetical aspects of parodic artworks relying on amateurism culminated in 2004. Specifically, the current study questions an aesthetical lack shown in 'appropriation', by which most of the online users simply produce imitations of original image. This study rather notes 'photomontage' as an aesthetic prototype, the political aesthetics made by John Heartfield, through which this study intends to observe how his aesthetical legacy of political art could be realized in the contemporary form of political parodies produced by online users. The present paper concludes that online users' political participations in producing critical works of art could allow us to negate the dichotomy between the elite and the mass, professional artists and amateur parodists, and a radical politics and the politics of style.