IMPACT OF DIVERSIFYING MEDIA CONTENT ON COUNTRY'S ECONOMIC POTENTIAL: CASE STUDY OF SOUTH KOREA AUTHORSHIP INTRODUCTION
Alina Vitalievna Fadeeva The relevance of this study is determined by
Saint-Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia. the fact that the products of media production
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4219-888X in the Republic of Korea are rapidly gaining E-mail: [email protected] popularity all over the world. This Daria Anatolevna Puiu phenomenon should be considered within the
Saint-Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia. framework of the "soft power" concept, as a special semiotic system influencing the ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1915-9647 E-mail: elis-1989@yandex.ru formation of the consumer culture of a modern Pavel Yurievich Gurushkin person. In particular, such a musical trend as K- pop is the most in-demand and dynamically Saint-Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia. developing segment of the modern ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6980-0573 entertainment industry. The central place in E-mail: [email protected] this process is held by the mass media as the
Sergey Borisovich Nikonov main instrument of promotion. It should be
Saint-Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia. noted that with the development of IT technologies, the popularity of Korean media ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8340-1541 E-mail: [email protected] products is only increasing. The largest conglomerates, cosmetic industries and Iuliia Valerievna Puiu production centers use the latest technologies Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, St. Petersburg, (social networks and mobile applications), Russia. modernizing their approach to shaping the ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7216-8924 E-mail: [email protected] image of South Korean brands in the area. Received in: Approved in: 2021-05-10 2021-06-10 Moreover, the relevance is determined by the DOI: https://doi.org/10.24115/S2446-622020217Extra-D1085p.187-199 interest in analyzing the formation and development of the "Hallyu" phenomenon, in the context of the rapid integration of mass culture into people's everyday life considering how this phenomenon affects the characteristics of a modern person's media consumption. That is why there is a need to study the features of the media model and ways to promote South Korean cultural products on the international market. The object of the study is the modern South Korean market as a unique environment to produce the final convergent result (export cultural product) of the Korean wave. The subject of the study is the course and development of integrating a national cultural brand into international communication processes in the case study of the South Korean model and the work of the Korea Creative Content Agency. The scientific novelty is associated with the growth of research interest in the problems of forming a positive online image of the political system. The practical significance of the study lies in the possibility of using the results in the practice of intercultural communication.
METHODS The theoretical and methodological framework of the study was formed by works on economics and convergent journalism as well as scientific studies by Western researchers on the main trends in the development of the South Korean media market. Aspects of Korean popular culture are analyzed in the works of Sungeun Shim. In particular, the researcher is one of the authors of the classic monograph on the phenomenon of Korean pop (K-pop) (SHIM, 2008). In the book The Birth of Korean Cool, Euny Hong (2014) describes the development of the South Korean entertainment industry and identifies the reasons for its popularity not only in Asia but also in Western Europe and the United States. Having studied the works of other researchers (SPRY, 2015; JANG, WON, 2012; KIM, 2013) who mainly analyze the key trends and the development process of the media market in South Korea in their scientific works, we can conclude that the research into the economic model of promoting the products of media consumption in the context of mass culture in the Republic of Korea has not only scientific novelty but also practical value.
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• 188 Impact of diversifying media content on country's economic potential: case study of South Korea
In the Russian academic community, this problem has been studied relatively little. Special mention should be made of the monographs by E.V. Kruglov (2005) and A.N. Lankov (2000) dedicated to the history (stages of development) of traditional South Korean media. N.V. Tkacheva (2003) focuses on the study of information strategies in East Asian countries. Studies of the modern Korean cultural media product are not fully represented in Russian science. Most of the works are devoted to the external effects of the "Korean wave" – ethnocultural branding, tourism development and economic recovery. Significantly fewer researchers turn to the internal aspect of this cultural phenomenon, its direct contact with the audience (LAZAREVA, 2018). In view of this, it is important to study the processes of Korean cultural export not only from the perspective of the global economic and political effects but also the impact on personality-forming factors in the process of communication. This approach reveals new perspectives in understanding the specific features of the Korean media product and its popularity in Russia. The main methodological framework for this study included observation, content analysis, document analysis as well as work with analytical data. We chose the method of qualitative data analysis as the key tool of the methodological framework since this method would allow one to determine the presence or absence of something in the research field. The empirical material consists of the media texts by the Russian media, the data was obtained from Internet platforms, social networks of fan communities of Korean dramas and bands. A random sample is determined by the nature of the study when the subject is still little studied, and one must obtain primary information and systematize the data obtained. We considered the object of the research within the framework of an interdisciplinary approach. The material of the study consists of the media texts by the Russian and foreign media, the data was obtained from open Internet platforms, social networks of fan communities of Korean dramas and bands. A random sample is determined by the nature of the study when the subject is still little studied, and one must obtain primary information and systematize the data obtained.
RESULTS Soft power as a special resource that forms each country's image includes historical heritage and pop culture, political values as well as the state's national idea and a global project. Therefore, it is the state that is the central link in the implementation of the country's cultural export projects. The special value of national interests in foreign policy was noted by H. Morgenthau (2005, p. 11), the founder of political realism, whose works form the theoretical basis for international relations as an academic discipline. Continuing the ideas of the scholar who asserts that "the state of the political system directly depends on the interactions of the great powers that do what they can, and the other states do what the great powers allow them", we can note the special role of mechanisms manipulation of public attention in political processes. At the same time, considering the theory of the five bases of power by B. Raven and J. French, where the following categories are distinguished: reward, coercive, legitimate, referent and expert, one can assume that "soft power is a kind of referent of power, which is based on attractiveness, and determines the influence in relation to other powers" (MIKHALEV, 2014, p. 63). This, in turn, proves that "soft power" is a complex definition that determines the state's self-identification in the political arena, since the legitimacy of power is based on an individual's feeling of unity with society. The term "soft power" was first formulated and introduced into the academic community by Joseph Nye, a Harvard University professor, in 1990. The American political scientist presented the world with the potential to influence mass consciousness in a different light. During the analysis carried out in the framework of the study, various approaches to understanding the concept of "soft power" were considered, which made it possible to identify the most informative aspects of each approach in the process of their reconsideration. To sum up, there are several key features and substantive aspects of the analyzed academic works, namely: • "cultural diplomacy" is a form of public diplomacy focused on popularizing the national culture of a particular country among the masses to create a positive image of the state for economic and political gain; • "public diplomacy" is an instrument of "soft power" reflecting the activities of subjects
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Alina V. Fadeeva; Daria A. Puiu; Pavel Y. Gurushkin; Sergey B. Nikonov; Iuliia V. Puiu • 189
of foreign policy communication, capable of supporting the system of intercultural dialogue and ways of organizing the dialogue with the foreign public; • "soft power" is a form of foreign policy communication strategy that presupposes the ability to achieve the desired results based on trust-based interaction between the participants in the political process, as opposed to "hard power" which implies coercion.
Currently, the concept of "noopolitics" is being introduced into academic circulation. Noopolitics is an information strategy concept for manipulating international processes through the media by forming the public's positive or negative attitude to the foreign and domestic policies of a state or a block of states to create a positive/negative image of ideas and promoted moral values (Noopolitic) (NIKONOV, 2013; RONFELDT, ARQUILLA, 2020). The fundamental distinctive feature of "public diplomacy" is the absence of such a component as disinformation, and the work of public diplomacy mechanisms is based on the correct interpretation of events beneficial to the state. If one talks about the connection between "public diplomacy" and "soft power", then in this case these two concepts cannot be identical since public diplomacy is only one of the tools of "soft power". The mechanism described above may not accurately reflect all the working principles of modern geopolitics and international relations. However, the theory presented above will allow one to understand the reasons for the changes in the foreign policy image of the Republic of Korea. Over a relatively short period, the national image of the Republic of Korea has undergone dramatic changes using government rebranding tools like The Korean Wave or "Hallyu". A term now widely used to refer to the popularity of Korean entertainment and culture around the world, "Hallyu" first appeared in the mid-1990s after Korea established diplomatic relations with China in 1992. Television dramas and pop music became very popular in Chinese- speaking countries (the People's Republic of China, Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, etc.). When one of the first successful television dramas "What Is Love?" was shown on CCTV in 1997, the audience was 4.2%, that is, more than 150 million Chinese viewers. The success of "What Is Love?" and then "Winter Sonata" in China and Japan were instrumental in popularizing Korean television series in Asia and beyond. Shortly thereafter, Korean pop music, especially in the pop-dance genre, began to gain popularity among Chinese teenagers after this music was approved for broadcasting on the radio program "Seoul Music Room" in Beijing. A defining moment for the growing interest in Korean culture in China was a concert by the Korean group H.O.T. at the Beijing Workers' Gymnasium in February 2000. It was then that the term "Hallyu" was coined. Three years later, the Korean Wave hit Japan when the KBS television series "Winter Sonata" aired on NHK. These two events marked the beginning of the successful development of Korean pop culture as a media export product (FADEEVA, 2020). South Korea managed to create "an attractive image of the country at all levels of perception, from partners in interstate relations and international organizations to an ordinary consumer of both material products of the export-oriented South Korean economy and consumers of the country's cultural product" (LAZAREVA, 2018, p. 43). This fact is confirmed by the success of "Jewel in the Palace", an MBC-produced drama, an epic series about an orphaned girl who became the king's first female doctor. After receiving great acclaim from Korean viewers, the TV series was exported to 87 countries, including to Central Asia, North America, Europe and the Middle East – from Japan and Egypt to Mexico and Poland, earning about 13 billion KRW. The historical aesthetics of the series with a naturalistic depiction of the life of the royal court and traditional way of living conquered audiences around the world. The unexpected result has been the rise in popularity of "Jewel in the Palace" in Islamic states such as Iran where the series had an average viewer rating of 57% and the highest of 90%. This drama is believed to have fueled the expansion of cultural exports and the promotion of Korean food, fashion and medical industry outside the country. Nearly ten years later, in 2013, dramas such as "My Love from the Star", "That Winter, the Wind Blows" also became worldwide hits, thereby renewing the global viewers' interest in the genre of Korean television series.
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• 190 Impact of diversifying media content on country's economic potential: case study of South Korea
The external effects of "Hallyu" led to an increase in demand largely influenced by the synergetic nature of the Republic of Korea's media production where the artist organically merges into various media channels. The K-pop industry members are universal units in this system. Popular idols are increasingly joining dramas, advertising campaigns and fashion shows, significantly influencing the promotion of content in the market. At the same time, the price for distributing Korean dramas in certain regions also increases. For example, a year after the release, the SBS drama "My Love from the Star" was sold in China for $40,000 per episode. One episode lasts from 60 to 80 minutes which on average exceeds the broadcast time of similar European content by 15 minutes of airtime, since episodes of Western series last for 45 minutes. This is also a reason for the demand for this content among broadcasters in Asia as the ratings of the channels increase significantly when new South Korean products are broadcast. In 2016, "The Lonely and Great God", "Moonlight Drawn by Clouds" and "Descendants of the Sun" became hits and solidified the interest of foreign audiences. The drama "Descendants of the Sun" which depicts a romantic plot between a doctor and a secret service agent has been sold to 27 countries, including the United Kingdom, France and the United States. Moreover, the rights to broadcast this series were acquired by the Russian media company ivi which has recently been actively adding Korean multi-part films and animation to the online cinema. The decisive moment in the production of South Korean television format films came after Netflix realized the scale and prospects of this industry in Korea. Currently, Netflix is the world's leading internet broadcasting company in over 190 countries. The platform is adapted for any mobile device as well as for a personal computer or game console (e.g. Xbox360 or XboxOne), which provides uninterrupted access to online content. Netflix entered the Korean market in January 2016, streaming both foreign and Korean content. The company has also invested in original TV series and feature films by teaming up with local producers, directors and actors. Several Netflix features, such as its video-on-demand feature – the delivery of video content on the order of a specific user – have become a tool for the rapid spread of the culture of South Korean series outside the country. Therefore, the reach has increased dramatically which confirms the statement of a Netflix representative, "One feature of OTT services (the technology that delivers media content in real time through provider networks) is that the content "Made in Korea" can be viewed by the whole world" (YEON-SOO, 2020). Along with the previously mentioned facts, the American streaming giant struck deals with several major players in the Korean entertainment industry. In November 2019, CJ ENM and its subsidiary Studio Dragon signed a three-year agreement with Netflix to co-produce and distribute content. At the same time, the JTBC Content Hub, renowned for its high-quality TV series, including "Sky Castle" and "Itaewon Class," also signed a similar three-year agreement. Following the trends and success of OTT, renowned directors and stars wish to pursue exclusive deals with Netflix. Cinema is developing similarly in Korea. Since 2000, the status of Korean films has begun to change. The international film communities began to show increasing interest in Korean films and directors. Korean directors who have caught the attention of Western critics include Im Kwon-taek ("Strokes of Fire", 2002), Lee Chang-dong ("Poetry", 2007), Park Chang-wook ("Thirst", 2009), Hong Sang-soo ("The Taste of Money", 2012), Kim Jee-woon ("Illang: The Wolf Brigade", 2018) and Bong Joon-ho. At the same time, such famous films as "Ode to My Father" (2014), "Assassination" (2015), "Veteran" (2015), "Train to Busan" (2016), "A Taxi Driver" (2017) and "Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days" (2017) gained worldwide acclaim and reached 10 million viewers – a true success for South Korean cinema. Meanwhile, "Train to Busan" has been sold to more than 160 countries, including to North and South America, Europe and other regions. The profit from the sale of the post-apocalyptic film amounted to more than $ 52 million, once again proving the demand for K-movie in the global market. A special contribution to the development of Korean cinema is partly made by international film festivals held in the Republic of Korea. Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF) and Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BiFan) are all international events and allow many filmmakers to present their films and receive an expert panel review. Nevertheless, the film industry in Korea continues to develop, expanding its horizons. An equally important role in the distribution of content is played by the user activity system on
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Alina V. Fadeeva; Daria A. Puiu; Pavel Y. Gurushkin; Sergey B. Nikonov; Iuliia V. Puiu • 191 social networks, namely, fan associations for amateur translation and creation of subtitles (fansub) for dramas and video content. If we analyze the situation in Russia, then there are the most popular fansub groups that compete. For example, Mania, Cardinals, KhramDoram and others. A similar situation is observed in the development of groups dedicated to fandub (amateur dubbing of TV series), such as Softbox, Greentea, Clubfate, etc. Mostly, such associations are located on social networking platforms such as VK. Group admins post translated content in the public domain, create their own podcasts, run contests, and in most cases sell promotional items or K-pop goods, thereby forming a fan base in countries where there are no official distribution channels for the South Korean media product. However, movies and TV series cannot claim to be the driving force behind the Korean Wave. As of 2020, the music industry is at the center of the Hallyu phenomenon and is actively driving the development of other segments of the entertainment industry. The rise of K-pop was predetermined by the penetration of Western music into East Asia. This musical genre came to Korea during the Japanese occupation, and the emergence of this musical field became a key prerequisite for the development of South Korean show business. However, the niche of high-quality popular music had long remained without attention and special interest, primarily from performers. Soon, this gap was filled with K-pop – simple romantic lyrics using English vocabulary. In one of his many interviews, Lee Soo-man, music mogul and founder of the SM Entertainment Producing System, stated, "'Street' styles of music are popular in South Korea. J-pop is built on rock, and we built K-pop on rap and hip hop". Perhaps this is what helped South Korean pop bands become prominent in the international market. After gaining popularity in East Asia, the end product of K-pop entered the Japanese music market at the turn of the 21st century and evolved from a music genre to a subculture among teens and young people in East and Southeast Asia. Currently, the spread of K-pop to other regions of the world through the Korean Wave is evident in Latin America, Northeast India, North Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Russia. K-pop's emergence on the global stage is best summed up through Psy's viral track "Gangnam Style" which took the world by storm immediately after the release in late 2012. The song proclaimed the existence of K-pop loudly, taking first place on the UK Singles Chart and second place on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. The worldwide success of "Gangnam Style" was preceded by attempts of idol bands such as BigBang, Girls' Generation or 2PM to gain a foothold overseas. K-pop has gone through a generational shift in recent years, from second- generation idols like Girls' Generation and BigBang to third-generation idols like BTS and Blackpink who actively use social and mass media to promote themselves. It can be noted that the development of social media has made South Korean pop culture more accessible to audiences around the world. With the emergence of social networks, the change in media consumption processes has had a special impact not only on journalism but also on advertising. If for a long time the media remained an efficient show business tool in many countries, now branded content (original materials and products that mention a certain brand to build efficient, emotionally positive communication with the audience) dominates in social networks and the blogosphere. Moreover, the popularity of animation and video games among young audiences has made them in-demand components of modern media exports. Considered independently, the South Korean animation sector used to be extremely weak. However, since 2014, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea has been developing strategies to promote the animated film industry. As a result, government programs were introduced to support animation artists. The Ministry established the Great Contents Korea Fund, a subordinate non-profit organization dedicated to maintaining a favorable environment for professionals in the production of cultural content, including the creation of animation, characters and comics. Measures have been taken by the state to resolve issues related to copyright. The Ministry of Culture has established communication between the Korea Copyright Commission, cartoon companies and artists-copyright holders which greatly helps to resolve conflicts of copyright infringement out of court. This largely helped to provide protection for beginner artists. Currently, the specific feature of the industry is that most of the content is published on the Internet. One can note a significant increase in the number of web platforms for hosting original comics and short animations. Many of these platforms exist in
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• 192 Impact of diversifying media content on country's economic potential: case study of South Korea multiple languages to attract foreign audiences and provide translation services. What is the value of the animation sector in South Korea's creative economy? The animation sector is also part of the convergent media environment. Related products such as mobile games, full-length animation projects and characters are created based on comics and web animations. The latter, which is little used in Russia, is called the character industry – a branch of the creative industry responsible for the development, promotion and licensing of fictional characters that can be used as an advertising tool or be an independent brand. In Russian practice, the concept of an advertising character is most often used, which means exclusively a marketing tool that contributes to the formation of a positive image of the product. However, this category is somewhat broader than is commonly understood in everyday practice. Characters developed in great detail can tell the consumer interesting stories about products and brands, which reduces communication distance and stimulates consumer emotions. Currently, the South Korean distribution market is experiencing a sharp increase in demand for developing high-quality designs and the subsequent production of characters. This is due to the fact that attractive images of animated characters can quickly create a fandom (a group of fans) around themselves, as in the case of K-pop, who are subsequently the main buyer of branded content, thereby forming a consumer pool. Interestingly, it is the animation that has significant synergetic potential for widespread use, regardless of the industry-specific features. Considering the licensing of characters as part of the South Korean media market, one can note an influx of investment in the sector of mobile games and applications based on computer animation. Products such as Kakao Friends and Line Friends, which are largely focused on generating additional income, are the most successful examples of combining these types of content. Kakao Corp was founded by Kim Bum-soo, the former CEO of NHN Corporation, in 2010. Currently, the CEO of the company is Rim Ji-hoon. In 2013, the company generated approximately $200 million in revenue from games, mobile applications, digital content, and marketing channels for celebrities and brands. According to a 2013 report by AppAnnie, it is the third-largest publisher by monthly revenue on Google Play. Now KakaoTalk, the messenger developed by the company, is the most requested Android and iOS Play app in South Korea. In addition to the popular messenger, the company offers applications such as Kakao Talk, Kakao Music, Kakao Story, Kakao Group, Kakao Album, Kakao Place, Kakao Page, Kakao Agit and Kakao Style, etc. Kakao Friends are licensed animated characters based on the November 2012 KakaoTalk stickers. Most of these emojis are meant for purchase, similar to stickers in the VK application. The price usually ranges between $ 2-3, but sometimes the company runs promotions and provides users with free Kakao Friends sticker packs. After the success, the company formed a team and opened a subsidiary. The characters have been developed as independent brands. The primary audience was children and representatives of the Kidult culture (a term denoting adult people who have retained their childhood and youth hobbies which are usually not characteristic of adults). Considering the features of the audience and the environment for brand development, each character received anthropomorphic features as well as a detailed personality. In July 2014, Kakao Corp signed a partnership agreement with Samlip Food to launch four Shanni Kakao Friends types of bread. A year later, the characters of Kakao became the face of the LG H&H toothpaste brand. "The character industry is seeing robust growth thanks to increasing exports and domestic consumption," said a KOCCA spokesman (YOON, 2021). The Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) estimated that character sales in Korea amounted to $11.9 billion in 2019, up 8.2 percent from the year before. Industry experts associate the success of the Korean characters with an engaging storyline. "The story component is extremely important. Characterization has become richer and deeper," said Ha Jae-keun, a cultural critic. "The fact that each character has a distinctive personality has made them more appealing to the global market" (YEON-SOO, 2019). The growing popularity of branded products has led to close collaboration between companies. In just less than a year, Kakao Corp has teamed up with beauty brand The Face Shop, global beverage bottle maker Thermos and technology accessory brand Logitech. Kakao Friends currently has 25 official stores nationwide, while the competitor Line has 21 character stores in Korea and over 120
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Alina V. Fadeeva; Daria A. Puiu; Pavel Y. Gurushkin; Sergey B. Nikonov; Iuliia V. Puiu • 193 stores in 11 countries. The Line Friends project was launched in 2015 by Line Corporation, a subsidiary of the South Korean internet search giant Naver Corporation. Like Kakao Friends, these characters are based on stickers from various Naver Corporation apps and the messaging app Line. The characters are now used in a variety of products, animation, games, cafes, hotels and theme parks. Line Friends is actively collaborating with foreign partners and such popular brands as the Danish audio brand Bang & Olufsen, the German brand LAMY and the Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi. Moreover, building on the popularity of K-pop superstars, the company launched a series of characters called BT21 invented by members of the band BTS. Lee Eun Hee, professor of consumer studies at Inha University, said the modern marketing system "is evolving into a form of communication, sympathy, and conscious, not functional consumption" (KIM, 2020). The uniqueness of the brand allows one to retain the audience's interest in this brand for a long time. The competition for character discovery in the distribution industry is expected to continue as this option for the personification of goods and services solves a number of problems, such as increasing brand reliability through characters and reducing the distance between the manufacturer and the final consumer. Characters can actively cope with a multi-channel era and diversified consumption needs. This is why character development is considered to be a type of media content with investment potential. The explosive development of VR, AR and mobile platforms such as YouTube, social media and games are pushing key media players to develop attractive characters to promote mainstream products. Until the mid-1990s, the character industry was dominated by Western cartoon characters such as Disney although there were some popular Korean cartoons including Dooly the Little Dinosaur. Ten years later, in the early 2000s, Japanese animation including Jjanggu the Unhelpable, Digimon and Dragon Ball gained widespread popularity, creating a surge in competition in the market. The increased variability of the characters together with their stories became a powerful economic factor that stimulated the development of the industry. Primarily, the influence through animated characters affects children's audiences so it is not surprising that the characters of famous animated series became successful brands, based on which toys, stationery, children's items and clothing were produced along with varied media content. Now one can observe an increase in investments in projects related to the production of content for a children's audience. With the development of the creative economy in the country, South Korea has gradually approached the leading positions in the field of computer graphics and 3D effects. Compared to the niche of Japanese animation and distinctive Chinese animation, Koreans have firmly occupied the segment of video content for children from preschool to 10 years old. Exports of children's animated series began in 2003 when Pororo the Little Penguin appeared on the screens and government and investors saw the potential in local studios. Following the domestic success, Pororo has been translated into 30 languages and is currently broadcast in over 100 countries. Another success was the "Baby Shark" by Pinkfong Studios. A version of the song from a South Korean animation team took over the internet and went viral. Catchy lyrics, simple motive and funny dance moves made the song popular among children and adults in Southeast Asia, and then all over the world. However, Pinkfong representatives believe their success came from popular Korean bands such as Red Velvet, Girls' Generation and Black Pink. These K-pop groups have started to cover the "little shark" song. Thus, in August 2017, the Baby Shark Challenge began to gain popularity on the Internet where people filmed themselves performing dance moves from "Baby Shark", and the #babysharkchallenge trended on Twitter. Since then, the song and music video ratings have skyrocketed around the world, gaining over a billion views on YouTube. If we take a closer look at the situation on the Russian market, then until 2013-2014, American and European animated series were predominant. A step towards cooperation with Korean animation companies was the emergence of "Pororo the Little Penguin" and "Robocar Poli". These cartoons quickly won over the Russian audience which determined the prospects and opportunities for Korean animation brands in the new market. "Robocar Poli" is an animated
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• 194 Impact of diversifying media content on country's economic potential: case study of South Korea series for children aged 4-6 years created by the Korean company Roi Visual in 2011. Today, the series about robotic cars and their friends is broadcast in 142 countries in 34 languages. In Russia, the number of views for episodes of the series on YouTube exceeded 1.6 billion. Thus, the company gradually began to expand its sphere of influence. Roi Visual has transferred the rights to show the animated series "Robocar Poli" in children's state medical institutions in Bashkiria. In the future, the company plans to connect other regions of the country to the pilot project. This will significantly expand the consumer audience. With the growing demand for products, the company began to strengthen its position in the Russian market, since the main source of income for cartoon producers remains the sale of licensed content and branded goods. Furthermore, according to the press service of the European office of Roi Visual, in October 2019, the animated series "Robocar Poli" became part of the onboard entertainment system for S7 Airlines with plans to conclude contracts for broadcasting the series with other airlines. Moreover, the work of CLS Media, a major distributor of media content for children, has become an example of efficient cooperation in the distribution of Korean animation in Russia. The first South Korean project for CLS Media was the SAMGAnimation studio's Vroomiz animated series, which is broadcast on Karusel TV and is available on the ivi video hosting platform. At the same time, video games and comics have become very popular content among teenagers and young people. Free online comics or webtoons as they are called in Korea are gaining popularity in the market. The audience of South Korean comics as of September 2019 is about 15 million readers per day (TANTIMEDH, 2019).
DISCUSSION Unlike Japanese manga, which is more focused on physical print sales and only then is promoted online through applications, the Korean webcomic format is only about online promotion. That is why all the content created in this industry is optimized for personal computers or smartphones. Addressing this fact, webtoons are a continuous full-color page that the user typically scrolls vertically on their gadget. This is what allowed webtoons to compete with Japanese content. At the same time, webtoons created in Korea differ significantly from webcomics in the United States and Europe. The above are intended for publishing digital comics on the Internet but a webtoon is a new format based on characteristics of modern media. That is why a webtoon is considered a unique Korean content type, the most important feature of which is touch scrolling when reading. "Since Japanese manga are originally meant to be read in print formats, they're not necessarily optimized for smartphones," said Baku Hirai, head of Line Digital Frontier. "For example, some of them are hard to read because the size of their letters is too small" (OSAKI, 2019). Egami, the director of the Japanese subsidiary of Ylab, agreed with this belief. The businessman stated that "As long as smartphones remain the most popular device to enjoy manga online, I think webtoons, with their vertical scrolling, will continue to offer the most stress-free manga-reading experience for the simple reason that smartphones, too, are vertically long and your finger is very much used to swiping up from the bottom" (OSAKI, 2019). For a long time in the Republic of Korea, the publication of comics was in severe decline and was not economically valuable for the state. One can assume that this was the result of the state's boycott of comics. In the early 1990s, the Korean comic book market came under intense government pressure as this culture of reading was recognized as a sign of antisocial behavior that could lead to youth molestation. It is believed that the development of this "pro- Japanese" tradition was influenced by the change in the political regime in the country at that time. Later, in the early 2000s, people began to scan published comics and share them illegally through file-sharing sites. The image quality of the scanned copies was poor but the comics were free. This again severely damaged the comic book industry in South Korea. The prospect of turning the trend came with the development of the Internet. The number of readers has grown significantly due to the development of IT technologies but for a long time, the authors did not have a clear idea of how many of these readers would be willing to pay for content. Modern technology, as well as mobile devices, gave South Korean comics a chance for a second life, but at the same time, the Internet threatened the economic potential of the industry and the position of artists in this system. The growing amount of content continues to confirm
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Alina V. Fadeeva; Daria A. Puiu; Pavel Y. Gurushkin; Sergey B. Nikonov; Iuliia V. Puiu • 195 consumer reluctance to spend money on comics, and artists are struggling to find a reliable model to monetize their content online. Thus, in 2014, the country began to form a strategy of state support for artists which was mentioned earlier. Around the same time, South Korean IT companies began to strive to support the industry by investing in mobile apps and online comic reading platforms. In addition to popular applications and services for reading webtoons (Toomics, Mr. Blue, Lezhin), South Korean media giants have also shown their interest in the webcomic industry. For example, Naver's Webtoon currently publishes 2,600 exclusive titles. In 2018, the company had sales of approximately $59.8 million. Besides, Naver offers its licensed content on the Line Webtoon website supporting official English and Chinese translations for non-Korean comic book fans. Another major player in the market is Daum Webtoon, one of the oldest webtoon platforms in Korea. The platform came to prominence with the romantic comic "Kangfull's" which hit 3.2 million views in 2004. Currently, Daum's unique user base reaches 7 million monthly (JUNG, 2020). Daum Webtoon, a subsidiary of Kakao Corporation, has signed an agreement to produce series based on webcomics with Mega Monster and KBS. The first comic to be adapted for the TV version, "Dead Man's Letter", is a popular mystery comic series with very high ratings. For companies such as Naver and Daum, publishing comics is just one of the many tools to attract traffic thereby increasing the cost of advertising (JANG, SONG, 2017). However, the structure of this phenomenon is significantly more complex. In addition to direct revenues from the sale of content, the modern comics industry can be seen as the basis for related media products. The number of comic book plots adapted into dramas and video games grows every year. An illustrative example was the series "Itewon class" which became popular in 2020. The TV series based on the eponymous webtoon became the first media product of the Showbox film distribution company. The series aired on the private channel JTBC in Korea from 31 Jan. to 21 Mar. 2020 and is also featured on Netflix. The series became so successful that the sales ratings of branded products increased several times after the film adaptation. What was the success factor? First, the mutual permeability of the creative economy spheres, which has already been noted earlier. The fact is that in addition to the popular cast of South Korean actors joining the crew, high- quality soundtracks have been recorded. The main songs were sung by K-pop idols from such bands as BTS which has drawn even more public attention. Moreover, the distribution of content through the Netflix platform allowed one to increase the audience and make the series recognizable outside the country. As a result, there was an increase in the number of mentions of the drama "Itewon class" in the media as well as a significant increase in the demand for related goods and services such as clothing, shoes, accessories, stationery, hairdressing services, etc. – everything that was used as native advertising during the broadcast of the series. Having spread their influence in the overseas market, Korean webtoons, along with other manifestations of the Korean Wave, are conquering the media market. Currently, webtoon profits are estimated at $368 million. This proves that webtoons are part of South Korea's transnational consumption of cultural content, stimulating the country's expansion of media exports. Therefore, South Korean web companies have become global providers of animated content almost on par with Japan and the United States. Considering the South Korean achievements in the field of creating computer graphics combined with the growing demand for mobile applications and video games, it should be noted that this segment of the creative industry is also a form of manifestation of media content. One should note that in 2020, massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG) should be considered as a special type of cultural communication that erases geographical barriers between users. In many ways, this factor determined the success of the MMORPG in the modern market. South Korea was the first country to successfully monetize online gaming by making 2D graphics more attractive to the consumer. With the release of Nexon's "The Kingdom of the Winds" in 1996, the gaming industry began to flourish in the country. The next highlight was the appearance of NCsoft's Lineage in September 1998. The game received a great response from the audience not only in Asian countries. Unexpectedly for developers in the mid-2000s, the game became popular among Russian MMORPG fans.
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• 196 Impact of diversifying media content on country's economic potential: case study of South Korea
The success of Lineage in Russia was caused by a style of building the plot which was different from the Western manner and the game's audiovisual characteristics. Although the main developer of Lineage Richard Allen Garriott is British, the influence of Korean mentality and culture is noticeable at the heart of the gameplay. In April 2003, Korean users were presented with Maple Story developed by Nexon Corporation and Wizet. The online game, adapted for Windows and iOS platforms, has become popular in North America and Europe. With the increasing integration of the Internet and mobile applications into everyday life as well as the growing influence of the gaming culture on the teenage audience, it can be concluded that this direction may become a priority for South Korea in the next few years, which will initiate a new round of development for "Hallyu". Films, TV series, animation, video games, comics and even consumer goods are becoming components of South Korea's cultural exports based on the convergent nature of media. During the analysis of Korean media products in demand on the international market, one managed to identify the features of the impact that certain content categories had on the audience. The most sought-after segment of the Korean Wave in recent years has been the music industry. K-pop as a distinct style of music is in high demand among young people. At the same time, the audience segment between the ages of 30 and 45 is more interested in Korean-made household goods and cosmetics. Furthermore, television series that have won acclaim among Western audiences through Netflix are especially popular. Thus, South Korea is capable of producing a wide range of goods and services based on the export of a multicomponent cultural product. One can argue that the success of South Korean media content is largely based on the inextricable connection of each of its manifestations, which inevitably leads to an increase in demand for related products. The convergent nature of media allows one to create a multi-channel content diversification system that can meet the numerous demands of today's audience. Therefore, Korean pop culture cannot be viewed outside of this context as it is a Hallyu product created on the global web and has signs of psychological impact on the audience. It can be noted that the process of content production is inextricably linked with the formation of human resources represented by actors, models, music performers and bands. Content diversification has boosted consumer demand. Subsequently, the profits of other industries also increased, for example, light and food industries. This is due to the integration of native advertising into the produced video content. With each viewing of a new film or drama, devoted fans and lovers of Korean pop culture begin to pay more and more attention to the items that the film characters in their everyday life. Whether there is a new smartphone, clothes, or a pack of ramen (Korean instant noodles), a person wants to recreate the atmosphere that was shown to them on the screen. In this case, the artist has become not just a media personality, the artist embodies fashion trends in their image and successfully advertises them to the public. This is the value of the talent potential of production companies and talent agencies. The main trend in the active cultural export from South Korea is the use of modern technologies, which marked a new stage in the development of the "Hallyu" phenomenon. The Internet has become an important tool for "Hallyu", allowing media content to promptly spread across a multi-user network. This process has been amplified by the emergence of social networks. Mass media and social networks have become indispensable not only in the formation of the artist's image but in their promotion in the market. The accounts of South Korean show business stars are focused on becoming closer to and establishing interaction with the target audience. By posting photos and streaming regularly online, artists share moments from their daily lives with their fans. Reducing this social distance allows one to increase the level of trust both in the performer and in the products that the artist advertises. The study noted a high level of integration of the K-pop industry into the segment of the production of mobile applications and games, which will soon expand the sphere of influence of South Korean media moguls. Nowadays people are more than interested in paying for emotions and uniqueness of content. South Korea has been unparalleled in making the most of this trend. Even in a pandemic, the entertainment industry in this country continues to function well. Agencies and their artists have concentrated on using the online format – live broadcasts, joint matches with fans in multiplayer online games, streaming and online concerts – all this attracts a multimillion audience, and most importantly, continues to make a profit. In late May, it was revealed that NCT 127 (a South Korean pop band) had earned 4 billion won ($
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Alina V. Fadeeva; Daria A. Puiu; Pavel Y. Gurushkin; Sergey B. Nikonov; Iuliia V. Puiu • 197
3.26 million) from their online concert Beyond Live. In total, the band sold 104,000 online tickets as well as limited edition items for Beyond Live. Meanwhile, on the Russian show business market, a conflict is unfolding between I.I. Prigozhin and S.V. Shnurov, who raised a question in the media about the demand for Russian pop stars.
CONCLUSION This study was conducted to identify the impact features of the modern media model for promoting a mass media product in the Republic of Korea. That is why, to achieve this goal, one had to identify the main stakeholders that stimulated the distribution of the Korean media product in the international market. Furthermore, to confirm the assumption about the "Hallyu" influence on the political and economic system of South Korea, it was important to determine the degree of interest of state structures in the development of the phenomenon under study. As a result of the set tasks, one had to reflect the current state of academic discourse on research issues. Nevertheless, this topic does not have wide coverage in Russian academic works, which predetermined the use of Western literature and a lot of empirical material. This fact also confirms the scientific novelty and relevance of the chosen topic. Moreover, the study of issues related to the promotion and search for new ways to monetize media content has also become an integral part of this research. Realizing the inextricable link between these elements, we can conclude that the entertainment industry in South Korea is built in such a way as to maximize the export of national culture to stimulate the country's economy. First of all, "Hallyu" is a centralized system. This is not just a phenomenon but also an established mechanism. Consequently, the processes included in cultural exports as part of the Korean Wave were considered within the framework of an interdisciplinary approach, which made it possible to analyze the structural features in more detail. It was found that the Korean Wave was based on the cooperation of government departments (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea and its divisions), large national corporations (LG, Lotte, CJ Group, Hyundai, Samsung, etc.) and production companies (SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment, JYP Entertainment, BigHit Entertainment and others), ensuring the stable development of the country's creative economy sector. However, the "Hallyu" phenomenon is not an irrational miracle but a natural outcome of the entertainment industry's work. The collection of different manifestations of content constitutes the converged media product that has driven the economic recovery of the Republic of Korea. The uniqueness of the South Korean media space is expressed in the efficient popularization and subsequent monetization of specific entertainment content (K-pop, K-dramas, cinema, animation, comics, character, mobile applications, games, concerts, etc.) by means of export. The convergent nature of media allows one to create a multi-channel content diversification system that can meet the numerous demands of today's audience. Consequently, Korean pop culture cannot be viewed outside of this context as it is a Hallyu product created on the global web and has signs of psychological impact on the audience. The variety of the offered multipurpose product allows one to focus the audience's interest not on a separate type of K- brand but on a variety of related products and services. This is becoming the main advantage of the K-pop industry. We believe that the goal of the study has been achieved: Korean pop culture as an export media product has special prospects in the international market due to a well-developed system of content production and promotion. The entertainment industry and the media content market have opened up new opportunities for economic growth as an alternative source of profit. We must note the need to continue research within the framework of this topic to successfully use the practical experience of South Korea and adapt the experience to Russian realities.
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Impact of diversifying media content on country's economic potential: case study of South Korea Impacto da diversificação do conteúdo da mídia sobre o potencial econômico do país: estudo de caso da Coreia do Sul Impacto de la diversificación del contenido de los medios de comunicación en el potencial económico del país: estudio de caso de Corea del Sur
Resumo Abstract Resumen A popularidade da cultura pop The popularity of Korean pop La popularidad de la cultura pop coreana no mundo pode ser culture in the world can be coreana en el mundo puede considerada um fenômeno considered an exceptional considerarse un fenómeno excepcional de 2020. Deve-se notar phenomenon of 2020. One should excepcional de 2020. Cabe señalar que os processos que refletem a note that processes reflecting the que los procesos que reflejan la interação efetiva das estruturas effective interaction of state interacción efectiva de las estatais com as esferas da indústria structures with the spheres of the estructuras estatales con las esferas criativa na economia moderna têm creative industry in the modern de la industria creativa en la um potencial científico especial no economy have a special scientific economía moderna tienen un momento. Essas esferas criativas da potential at the moment. These potencial científico especial en este indústria incluem arte, cinema, creative industry spheres include momento. Estas esferas de la animação, música, desenvolvimento art, cinema, animation, music, industria creativa incluyen arte, de jogos e produtos de software. O game development and software cine, animación, música, desarrollo caso mais bem sucedido nesta área products. The most successful case de juegos y productos de software. é o sistema desenvolvido de in this area is the developed system El caso más exitoso en esta área es exportação de mídia cultural na of cultural media export in South el sistema desarrollado de Coreia do Sul. A pesquisa sobre as Korea. Research into the economic exportación de medios culturales oportunidades econômicas das opportunities of creative industries en Corea del Sur. La investigación indústrias criativas como um novo as a new stage in modern society is sobre las oportunidades estágio na sociedade moderna está becoming a practically significant económicas de las industrias se tornando uma forma praticamente way to solve the problems of creativas como una nueva etapa en significativa de resolver os increasing the country's economic la sociedad moderna se está problemas de aumento do poder power in the Digital Age. The convirtiendo en una forma econômico do país na Era Digital. A experience of South Korea is still prácticamente significativa de experiência da Coreia do Sul ainda é insufficiently covered in Russian resolver los problemas de insuficientemente coberta pela research. The practical significance aumentar el poder económico del pesquisa russa. A importância of research in this field is associated país en la Era Digital. La prática da pesquisa nesse campo with the study of the use of cultural experiencia de Corea del Sur está associada ao estudo do uso de products as a tool for economic todavía no está suficientemente produtos culturais como ferramenta growth. cubierta en la investigación rusa. La de crescimento econômico. importancia práctica de la investigación en este campo está asociada con el estudio del uso de productos culturales como herramienta para el crecimiento económico. Palavras-chave: Poder moderador. Keywords: Soft power. Korean Palabras-clave: Poder blando. Ola Onda coreana. Diplomacia cultural. wave. Cultural diplomacy. Image. coreana. Diplomacia cultural. Imagem. Imagen.
Laplage em Revista (International), vol.7, n. Extra D, 2021, p.187-199 ISSN: 2446-6220