온라인 공간에서 나타나는 ‘구전설화’ 용어의 새로운 향유 연구-커뮤니티 사이트의 팬 활동을 중심으로

Abstract

This paper explores the ways in which the term “gujeonseolhwa” (oral folktale) is used in online spaces to refer to discourse about objects of interest, or even the objects themselves. It also considers the implications of this for our understanding of orality, history, and so on in the digital age. In order to gain a deeper understanding of this phenomenon, I selected “THEQOO,” an internet community site where fan activities have been performed, as a case study. It would seem that since the 2010s, the expression “gujeonseolhwa” has been used in fan community sites in a new way, in addition to traditional folklore or folktales. This expression has a wide range of meanings, including online textized information about a subject such as a celebrity they are interested in, visual information such as photos and videos of the subject, or a situation in which their own experience is absent, or the subject itself in such a situation. It could be said that, unlike traditional folktales, the new “gujeonseolhwa” expression is becoming a symbol that indicates the existence of information that is not at the level desired by the speaker rather than indicating a fictional story or narrative. It would seem that the prevalence of “gujeonseolhwa” indicates that oral textized communication via digital media is being considered a primary means of communication for contemporary digital natives, just as primary orality was originally. It is also evident that there is a desire for such information that are not “gujeonseolhwa” including photos, videos. In examining these users’ orientations, I have observed that the existing structure of “orality and literacy” can be transformed into a structure of “oral-textuality mediated by digital technology and image-record with documentality.” Furthermore, it was discussed that the experience of visual confirmation is important in determining whether a certain information is gujeonseolhwa or not. The degree of visual confirmation may vary from individual to individual and personal and subjective preferences for the subject matter can influence the perception of gujeonseolhwa.