Participatory Culture and Protests in South Korea

K-pop fan activism in December 2024

Abstract

This study investigates the role of K-pop fans in the political protests in South Korea in December 2024. It aims to understand how fandoms mobilized during the protests, using their own practices as resistance. A qualitative and exploratory approach was employed, based on documentary analysis of newspapers, social media, and fan-produced materials. The analysis followed stages of selection, organization, and categorization, focusing on fan culture, solidarity, and political action, drawing on fan accounts from these sources. Results show that fandoms played a leading role in the protests, using cultural symbols (e.g., lightsticks, songs, choreographies) and fan infrastructure to promote unity and coordinated actions, both physically and digitally. The findings demonstrate that fan activism reflects a participatory culture transcending entertainment, becoming a key tool for sociopolitical mobilization. The study contributes to Library and Information Science by expanding understanding of contemporary informational practices and framing fandoms as complex agents of cultural and political change.