Looking for Salvation beyond a Risk-laden Reality: The Religious Nature of Korean Internet Culture

This paper reviews the various phenomena arising from the rapid diffu-sion of the Internet in Korean society since the late 1990s, with the viewthat Korean Internet culture has some aspects that can be seen as reli-gious. Here, I approach the religious nature of Korean Internet culturein two dimensions. Firstly, I regard Koreans enthusiasm for cyberspaceitself as a religious phenomenon. For background on this, I argue thatmodern Koreans experiencing excessive anxiety due to the stress ofcomplex risks seek relief by connecting to cyberspace as an alternativeform of reality.Secondly, I examine what might be regarded as religious phenome-na among the events taking place in Korean cyberspace today. For this,I focus on some notable features of Korean cyberspace. Of special noteis the spread of the myth that one can become a different person andenjoy a better life through online consumption, and the formation of anew consumer culture of impulse shopping. I also examine how themyth of another reality in cyberspace generates inner power throughtwo dimensions of online rituals. I believe that analyzing the religiouscharacter of Korean Internet culture, along three axesits background,myth, and ritualswill enable us to reflect on its present state.

keywords: Korean Internet culture, cyber culture, cyber myth, cyberritual, risk society, jireumsin, consumption myth, cyber pilgrimageYoo Ki Bbeum (Yu, Gi-ppeum) is a researcher at the Korea Institute for Religion andCulture. She obtained her Ph.D. in philoso, Korean Internet culture, cyber culture, cyber myth, cyberritual, risk society, jireumsin, consumption myth, cyber pilgrimageYoo Ki Bbeum (Yu, Gi-ppeum) is a researcher at the Korea Institute for Religion andCulture. She obtained her Ph.D. in philoso

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Vol.47 No.2

Looking for Salvation beyond a Risk-laden Reality: The Religious Nature of Korean Internet Culture

Abstract

참고문헌

Korea Journal