[Commlist] cfp: TikTok Cultures in Korea

The TikTok Cultures Research Network is calling for submissions for our 
10th event ‘TikTok Cultures in Korea’.

We are pleased to be partnering with 
the_<https://www.korearesearchcentre.org/>__Korea Research & Engagement 
Centre of Western Australia <https://www.korearesearchcentre.org/>_ to 
co-host this one-day online symposium, which will be held via Zoom on 09 
September 2024.
Alongside a creator keynote, an industry fireside chat, and shortlisted 
symposium submissions, the event will also feature an HDR showcase and 
undergraduate dialogue opportunities for students of Korean Studies in 
WA and beyond.
In recognition of this partnership with the KRC, abstracts are now also 
welcome from undergraduates and the deadline has been extended to 12 
August 2024.

In recent years the digital platform of TikTok has emerged as a 
transformative global phenomenon, reshaping digital media landscapes and 
cultural dynamics worldwide. This is particularly evident in South Korea 
(hereafter Korea). Renowned for its strong digital infrastructure and 
advanced technology, Korea has demonstrated a dynamic intersection of 
TikTok and its cultural landscape. Initially, TikTok was colloquially 
referred to as a ‘Chinese short video app’ (Piao, 2021) and faced 
resistance from Korean society and the government. This complicated its 
entry into a Korean market that proudly favored domestic goods and 
services. Despite these initial tensions, TikTok has since introduced a 
new vernacular in pop culture to stimulate the country’s digital economy 
(Abidin & Lee, 2023), drive technological innovations (Lee, 2023), and 
foster youth engagement (Cho, 2022; Shafie, 2021).

Specifically, in tandem with the country’s developed digital 
infrastructure, TikTok has seamlessly integrated into Korea’s digital 
ecosystem and expanded its influence, as seen in the sectors like music 
streaming services (Park et al., 2023) and e-commerce (Lee 2023; Piao 
2021). Beyond Korea's borders, TikTok has facilitated the cultural 
export of Korean products globally, including the proliferation of K-pop 
and the broader Hallyu phenomenon through TikTok memes and K-pop TikTok 
dance challenges (Abidin & Lee, 2023; Oh, 2022). Influencers and their 
followers also occupy TikTok as a space for cultural exchange and 
hybridity, engaging with international trends while highlighting unique 
elements of Korean heritage. This includes showcasing culinary 
traditions, providing language tutorials, offering geopolitical 
insights, and featuring travel content that celebrates Korea's rich 
cultural tapestry (Vazquez-Calvo, 2023).

Moreover, TikTok resonates deeply with Korean-related youth, reflecting 
and shaping national, cultural, social, and economic dynamics in line 
with Korea's vibrant digital landscape (Baek, 2023). Beyond 
entertainment and trends, TikTok fosters involvement in and 
dissemination of news, social movements, and political discourse 
relevant to Korea (Coscarelli, 2020). It provides a digital arena for 
civic engagement, activism, and discussions on social issues, serving as 
a catalyst for shaping public opinion and mobilizing communities around 
social and political causes (Cho, 2022; Shafie, 2021). Nonetheless, on 
TikTok pressing issues are also witnessed, such as the commodification 
and fetishization of Korean cultures and the emergence of sensitive 
topics and growing tensions between Koreans and non-Koreans, exemplified 
by movements like #cancelKorea, which demands attention (Madarang, 2020).

Against this backdrop, this one-day online symposium aims to investigate 
the dynamic intersection of TikTok and Korea, examining the profound 
implications of TikTok in relation to the country’s unique positionality 
in today’s mediascape. It seeks to explore the multifaceted role of 
TikTok in Korea, as well as Korean cultures on TikTok, offering a 
platform for scholars to examine the platform’s diverse impacts on 
nation, culture, society, and economy. We are particularly interested in 
original case studies, frameworks, and approaches developed by junior, 
under-represented, and under-privileged scholars, as well as decolonial 
perspectives that prioritize research from and by the 
margins/marginalized in the Asia Pacific and Global South. By 
integrating these dynamics, we aim to contribute nuanced insights and 
foster scholarly dialogue that deepens our understanding of the evolving 
mediascape driven by TikTok within Korean contexts.

We invite submissions of original research, theoretical papers, case 
studies, and interdisciplinary perspectives in the fields of social 
science and humanities. Selected papers will be considered for a peer 
reviewed edited collection. As such, we are only able to accept 
original, previously-unpublished abstracts. Suggested topics include but 
are not limited to:

  *
    TikTok and evolving digital media landscape in Korea (e.g.
    platformization, digital economies)
  *
    Hallyu (Korean wave) and TikTok (e.g. practice, economy, culture,
    celebrity)
  *
    Transnational cultural hybridity and exchange on TikTok
  *
    Korean internet vernaculars and genres on TikTok
  *
    Korean politics, activism, and social movements on TikTok
  *
    Geocultural specificities of Korean TikTok and methodological notes
    (e.g. TikTok algorithm, meme templates, etc.)
  *
    Challenges, issues, tensions arising from the above


Submissions comprise a 250-word abstract and 100-word bio and should be 
sent to (TikTokCultures /at/ gmail.com) by 1700hrs (GMT+8) 12 August 2024. 
Notifications will be sent on 16 August 2024.

For enquiries please contact (TikTokCultures /at/ gmail.com). For more 
information visit TikTokCultures.com.

Key Dates:

  *
    12 August 2024: Abstracts and biographies due
  *
    16 August 2024: Notifications of acceptance
  *
    09 September 2024: TikTok Cultures in Korea Symposium


We look forward to receiving your submissions.

Prof Crystal Abidin, Janey Umback, Faye Mercier, Dr Jin Lee
TikTok Cultures Research Network (est. 2020), housed at Curtin University .

Supported by School of Media, Creative Arts, and Social Inquiry at 
Curtin University, in partnership with the Korea Research & Engagement 
Centre of Western Australia.

References
Abidin, C., & Lee, J. (2023). K-pop TikTok: TikTok's expansion into 
South Korea, TikTok Stage, and platformed glocalization. /Media 
International Australia/, /188/(1), 86-111.
Baek, B-y. (2023). K-dramas, beauty, food to maintain popularity on 
TikTok in 2024. /The Korea Times/. 7 December. 
https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/tech/2024/07/129_364666.html
Cho, M. (2022). Anonymous, QAnon, Tik-tok teens, K-pop fans. 
/NECSUS_European Journal of Media Studies/, /11/(1), 169-193.
Coscarelli, J. (2020). Why Obsessive K-Pop Fans Are Turning Toward 
Political Activism. /The New York Times/. 25 June. 
_https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA627547667&sid=googleScholar&v=2.1&it=r&linkaccess=abs&issn=22699740&p=AONE&sw=w&userGroupName=anon%7Eb7e1ee20&aty=open-web-entry 
<https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA627547667&sid=googleScholar&v=2.1&it=r&linkaccess=abs&issn=22699740&p=AONE&sw=w&userGroupName=anon%7Eb7e1ee20&aty=open-web-entry>_. 

Lee, J., & Abidin, C. (2022). Oegugin Influencers and pop nationalism 
through government campaigns: Regulating foreign�\nationals in the South 
Korean YouTube ecology. /Policy & Internet/, /14/(3), 541-557.
Lee, Y. J. (2023). Language learning affordances of Instagram and 
TikTok. /Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching/, /17/(2), 408-423.
Lee, Y. K. (2023). Marketing Position Analysis of Short-Form Video 
Platform Through Sns Big Data Analysis: Focus on Tiktok, Shorts, and 
Reels in Republic of Korea. /Shorts, and Reels in Republic of Korea/.
Madarang <https://interaksyon.philstar.com/author/catalinamadarang/>, C. 
R. (2020). A deep dive into #CancelKorea trend and why it could be 
problematic. /Interaksyon/. 10 September. 
https://interaksyon.philstar.com/trends-spotlights/2020/09/10/176665/a-deep-dive-into-cancelkorea-trend-and-why-it-could-be-problematic/
Oh, C. (2022). /K-pop dance: fandoming yourself on social media/. Routledge.
Park, S., Jo, H., & Kim, T. (2023). Platformization in local cultural 
production: Korean platform companies and the K-pop industry. 
/International Journal of Communication/, /17/, 22.
Piao, Y. (2021, October). Study on the spread of Chinese short video in 
South Korea against the background of cross-cultural communication. In 
/2nd International Conference on Language, Communication and Culture 
Studies (ICLCCS 2021)/ (pp. 325-330). Atlantis Press.
Shafie, T. (2021). Beyond Slacktivism: The cases of K-pop fans and 
Tiktok teens. /International journal of social science research/, 
/9/(2), 147.
Vazquez-Calvo, B., Duarte-Marti, S., & Zhang, L. T. (2023). Commenting 
on learning Korean on TikTok and YouTube. /Interactive Learning 
Environments/, 1-18.


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