• Korean journal of communication and information
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• v.70
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• pp.95-131
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• 2015

This paper points out the importance and necessity of 'non-representational cultural studies' in South Korea. For this, Stuart Hall's seminal research "Encoding/Decoding" (1980) is to be re-read thoroughly with articulation of his later practices. Along with, this research looks at how non-representational cultural studies can expand the scope of understanding various comtemporary phenomenon of our society usually untold by mainstream cultural studies' themes and methods which focus more on abstract division and representational discourses. Notably, Stuart Hall's influential early writings and practical later engagements could bring us to think more seriously not only where contemporary cultural studies goes but also where cultural studies in South Korea should go. This article narrows the attention into Hall's EC/DC theory and related research-practical activity influenced by his own philosophy. Indeed, cultural studies in South Korea still seems to be almost same as early Birmingham cultural studies especially in the aspects like research direction and theme; however, that is quite unusual in some points. These points are to be explicated by this attempt of following Hall's meaningful life-long trajectory as a cultural activist as well as media theorist.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.153-159
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• 2022

This research investigates the accessibility of Korean modern values at screens from the perspectives of North American audiences while consuming Korean films and TV dramas. In order to decode Korean cultural values at screens, this study collects the data of 266 Korean films and TV dramas distributed in North America from IMDb platform, unlocking that the success of box office for Korean projects in North America is positively correlated with the characteristics of Violence & Gore and Profanity. Meanwhile, the audiences' positive responses to the violent project mainly depends on the degree of "Sex and Nudity", the plots of "social groups". The current success of Korean cultural and creative industry as well as the future global markets strengths are analyzed in this research. Stuart Hall's cultural studies approach and cultural psychological account theory are applied to discuss the success of Korean entertainment industry in the transnational cultural communication.

• International Journal of Contents
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.32-40
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• 2021

With love as the theme and mythology, ghosts and magic as elements, Korean fantasy TV dramas have set romantic and beautiful plots and attracted a large number of Chinese female audiences. Based on Melodramatic Imagination and Stuart Hall's theory of "encoding/decoding", this paper investigated Chinese female audiences' motives of watching Korean fantasy TV dramas Hotel Druena through the form of focus group interviews to interpret reasons for the popularity of Korean fantasy TV dramas and Chinese women's overall cognition of Korean TV dramas from the perspective of female audiences. Thinking that South Korea's fantasy dramas are good at women's pursuit and desire for emotional elements, women who watch this type of south Korean TV dramas are temporarily relieving pressure of real life, thus satisfying the needs of female gaze and consumption.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.63 no.6
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• pp.14-28
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• 2013

This study aims to identify the elements of black culture and use it to analyze the formative characteristics of casual fashion items as well as the symbolic meanings presented in the graphic designs of the items. First of all, in order to distinguish the identity of black culture, this study made a division into racial, social, and artistic aspects based on cultural specificities of Stuart Hall, a culture theorist. This was for a theoretical review and based on this review, a theoretical framework was developed to analyze the characteristics of American casual fashion design of black people. The case study selected 1719 fashion images of 137 male brands and 33 female brands from websites of companies manufacturing casual wear of black people in America. The following is a summary of the study results. The conceptual characteristics based on specificities of black culture can be categorized into ten attributes: playfulness in order to digest human grief and emotion positively, satire of the mainstream society, spontaneity through emotional expression from the heart, abstractness of various emotions elating suffering, humor trying to express negative aspects as the meaning of light and innocent laughter, dependence with passive attitudes toward discrimination and master-slave relationships in history, resistance against discrimination and disadvantages, African orientation and primitiveness pursuing natural conditions, aggressiveness against violence and unfair treatment, and confidence and defiance against social deprivation and corruption. Based on the results of an analysis through formative classification system founded on racial, social, and artistic aspects of black people, specificities of black culture are of formative characteristics of their casual fashion design. These elements are presented on graphic t-shirts through strong colors, loose silhouette, and details with many pockets. These characteristics were reflected in symbolic meanings presented in the graphic.