Navigating the Third Space: Consumption, Ownership, and Social Interaction through South Korean Media

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between the growing online social environment and the negotiation of transcultural media accessed in the digital space. Taking the cultural phenomenon Hallyu (also referred to as The Korean Wave), this research focuses on the micro level, quotidian experiences of the fans / consumers of Korean media and cultural products and how these experiences inform upon their understanding of themselves and the globalizing social environment. Utilizing in-depth interviews with Korean and non-Korean audiences of Korean media, the study revolves around a dual perspective to understand not only the negotiations of cultural media but also how this may differ depending on both the audience in question and the interactions that occur between these different audience demographics. This study suggests that the interconnected nature of digital space offers its own distinct social environment by which media is actively negotiated and values as both a consumer and a person are realized and consolidated, thus serving as an additive, constructive transcultural experience upon an individual’s socio-cultural landscape. As there were signs of conflict and dissonance between audience groups and the larger audience population with Korea’s culture industry itself, more research needs to be done on a more diverse group of respondents to formulate a more holistic image of the social dynamics present in the digital space as well as the role transcultural media has in context of our increasingly interconnected and expanding social world.