올바른 한ㆍ중 소통문화 형성과 한ㆍ중 언론의 역할

Abstract

Today’s modern society is constantly facing new changes marked by the advancement of globalization, pursuit of pluralism and the accelerated move toward an open, information-oriented lifestyle. The innovative invention of the iphone, which promoted communication between individuals as well as the formation and expansion of online social networking, signals the advent of ‘the age of social networking services.’ A rapid transition into such an age is bound to directly and systematically affect mutual relations among different nations. As changes in the social environment become more layered going to the age of social networking services, it is time to review the relationship between China, the country with the largest number of Internet users, and South Korea, a power player in the realm of information technology. Recently in South Korea, there has been a rapid increase in research on South Korea-China relations, focusing on social networking services and the media of the two countries. In particular, many academic articles have been published about Internet nationalism and its effect on South Korea-China relations, while at the same time, various solutions for overcoming conflicts between the two countries are being suggested. Ever since diplomatic relations were established between South Korea and China, the subject of exchange has diversified as much as its content has expanded into various domains. However, the quality of such relations is like a house built on sand in which the level of mutual understanding between the peoples of both countries is scant compared to the rapid increase of exchange fueled by economic needs over a short span of time. This reality is also commonly identified by South Korean and Chinese scholars through their grasp of the latest research trends in relevant areas and their suggestions arguing for the situation’s improvement. Therefore, in actively discussing the respective roles of South Korea and China in pursuit of peace and development in Northeast Asia amid the need to expand academic exchange in the humanities, the role of the media as well as that of South Korean students studying in China and Chinese students studying in South Korea should also be considered as a means of easing conflicting sentiments between the people of South Korea and China, precluding similar sentiments from arising in the future and promoting the two countries’ friendly relations. In order to prevent a ‘difference’ from turning into cause for a ‘clash’ in the new age of social networking services, policies and specific ways to act upon them should be sought so that the media of both countries as well as South Korean students studying in China and Chinese students studying in South Korea can lead the establishment of a healthy culture of communication between the two countries.