This book emerged out of a collaborative research project entitled “Global Applications of the Korean Development Models in the Information and Communication Industry.” From September 2015 to August 2020, scholars with expertise in industrial and regional sociology, media and cultural studies, and science and technology policy participated in the project. The goal was to explore cases related to the information and communications technology (ICT) industry in South Korea, analyze factors that have contributed to its successful and/or unsuccessful experiences, and carry out comparisons with those of other nations.

This book introduces five topics relevant to ICT innovation in Korean society. While chapters 1, 2, and 3 focus on South Korea’s ICT and media industries, chapters 4 and 5 extend our view by offering relevant topics in the context of the globalized media environment and culture.

In chapter 1, Joon-Shik Park takes a close look at the role of the ICT industry in relation to South Korea’s economic and social development. He suggests that innovation in this industry has enabled the country to climb up the ladder of success, and discusses in detail the necessary conditions for further advancement. As examples of innovative ecosystems, industrial areas in Korea such as Teheran Valley and the Pangyo ICT cluster as well as the companies Naver, Daum, and Kakao are introduced for their contribution to the new industrial ecosystem.

In chapter 2, Kyung-Hee Kim and Juhyun Hong provide an analysis of the diffusion process of content that enables users to exchange information and share experiences through interactions via social media. With the goal of identifying the different roles played by the Korean government, media users, industry professionals, and communication technologies, they interviewed 12 experts who spent most of their career in the ICT industry. In this chapter, they provide an explanation of the positive roles (i.e., media users, industry professionals, communication technologies) and negative roles (i.e., the government) played by each involved actor.

In chapter 3, Sun Ho Jeong examines the progress of digital news innovation in South Korea and provides an outlook. Although emerging technologies have brought about positive changes to Korean society, they have also led to disruptive experiences for the journalism industry in particular. Approaching the subject matter from the perspectives of the industry and academia, she provides a brief introduction of the history and characteristics of digital news in South Korea, followed by challenges and opportunities experienced by news organizations in the 2010s, and a discussion on journalism innovation for the 2020s. The chapter concludes with final remarks for future directions.

In chapter 4, Shin Dong Kim presents a discussion on the factors contributing to the worldwide success of Korean media and pop culture. Kim’s close inspection of the domestic factors (i.e., expansion of the television market, accumulation of program production technologies and skills, and a new generation of creators and consumers of media), and global factors (i.e., geopolitics of East Asian countries in relation to the development of cultural industries) that are identified as contributors to the Korean Wave furthers our understanding of the historical context of the phenomenon. The chapter also provides an opportunity to think about its implications for Korean people.

Chapter 5 examines communities of foreign brides in South Korea, where social media is utilized for empowerment of migrant minorities. For this study, Dominique Nduhura, Shin Dong Kim, and Nadine Mumporeze conducted interviews and focus group discussions with 40 foreign brides from Vietnam, the Philippines, and Cambodia who are currently residing in South Korea. Findings suggest that their experiences with social media are largely favorable (i.e., connectedness, cathartic role, mutual education, advocacy, business platform, body celebration, political participation, access to services, etc.), while some mishaps from such use persist.