[Call for Papers] TikTok Cultures in Korea The TikTok Cultures Research Network is calling for submissions for our 10th event ‘TikTok Cultures in Korea’, to be held online via Zoom on 09 September 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@gmail.com<mailto:TikTokCultures@gmail.com> by 1700hrs (GMT+8) 5 August 2024. Notifications will be sent on 12 August 2024. For enquiries please contact TikTokCultures@gmail.com<mailto:TikTokCultures@gmail.com>. For more information visit TikTokCultures.com<http://TikTokCultures.com>. Key Dates: * 05 August 2024: Abstracts and biographies due * 12 August 2024: Notifications of acceptance * 09 September 2023: 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 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|A627547667&sid=googleScholar&v=2.1&it=r&linkaccess=abs&issn=22699740&p=AONE&sw=w&userGroupName=anon~b7e1ee20&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-... 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.