SSCI Journal Publication on Anti-Hallyu and Digital Public Diplomacy

Provides Practical Insights into Conflicts Surrounding Hallyu and Korea’s Diplomatic Strategy

Recognized for Research Excellence with Two Q1 SSCI Journal Publications

[March 17, 2025]

<From left: Professor PARK Han-woo, Researcher PARK Jang-hyo>

PARK Jang-hyo, a researcher at Yeungnam University’s Cyber-Emotion Research Institute (Ph.D. coursework completed in East Asian Culture Studies, 41), has gained significant attention for his research on conflicts surrounding Hallyu (the Korean Wave) and global challenges in Korea’s public diplomacy. His recent achievements include consecutive publications in prestigious SSCI (Social Sciences Citation Index) journals.

In February 2025, PARK published a paper titled “An Innovative Study on the Role of Public Diplomacy in Investigating Anti-Hallyu on YouTube” in Asia Pacific Viewpoint (2023 IF 1.8), an SSCI-listed journal published by WILEY. In this study, he analyzed 4,748 videos with the keyword “Anti-Hallyu (反韓流)” and 4,769 videos with “Hate-Hallyu (嫌韓流)” on YouTube, examining their network dissemination structures. His findings empirically demonstrated that local media outlets spreading negative narratives about Korea serve as key hubs for amplifying such sentiments. Notably, he identified that negative news content about Korea, particularly in Taiwan and Japan, played a pivotal role in expanding anti-Korea narratives.

 PARK emphasized that these findings offer critical insights for formulating Korea’s public diplomacy strategy, particularly in addressing global cultural conflicts and hate discourse. He further pointed out that a nation’s image on digital platforms can be either reinforced or undermined by algorithms, highlighting the need for Korea to move beyond merely expanding Hallyu and instead implement a systematic “Digital Public Diplomacy Strategy” to counter anti-Korean sentiment.

 Previously, in September 2024, PARK had published another SSCI-listed paper in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (2023 IF 3.7), a journal under NATURE Publishing Group. This study, titled “A New Methodological Exploration for Evaluating Korea’s Digital Diplomacy on U.S. Government Web Domains”, analyzed archived data from U.S. government websites based on the keyword “Dokdo”. The research revealed that Japanese content and narratives overwhelmingly dominated U.S. government web platforms, while official Korean-related content was notably scarce. The study further highlighted a digital imbalance in public diplomacy, showing that the U.S. Embassy in Japan actively maintained official channels, whereas Korea’s diplomatic presence remained relatively weak.  This case underscores Korea’s lack of digital discourse strategy in territorial and historical disputes with Japan.

 Both of PARK’s recently published papers belong to Q1-tier SSCI journals, placing them among the top 25% of international academic journals, underscoring the high academic value of his research. PARK’s academic journey began with a journalism major at Renmin University of China, followed by a master’s degree at YU, where he also earned a dual degree at Kansai University in Japan. Having completed his Ph.D. coursework, he was selected for the 2023 Humanities and Social Sciences Doctoral Research Fellowship by the Korea Research Foundation. He has also presented research at major international conferences, including the 5th Asian Conference on Business and Economic Studies (ACBES 2023) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and a global seminar at Chongqing University in China. Additionally, he won first place in the Korea-China Youth Joint Research Competition, co-hosted by the Korea Foundation for International Exchange (KF) and Sungkyun Institute of China Studies, and co-authored the e-book “Big Data Analysis of Hallyu for Humanities Researchers”.

Expressing his gratitude, Park stated, “This achievement was made possible thanks to my advisor, Professor Park Han-woo, and my colleagues at the Cyber-Emotion Research Institute. I will continue my research to contribute meaningful academic findings in the fields of Korean public diplomacy and Hallyu studies.”