K-콘텐츠의 글로벌 문화 매개 연구 : KPop Demon Hunters 의 호랑이·까치 캐릭터를 중심으로

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

As K-content circulates through global streaming platforms, social media, and fan communities, it increasingly functions not only as entertainment but also as a cultural interface through which local symbols become globally legible. This thesis examines K-content as a mediator of global culture by focusing on the tiger and magpie characters in KPop Demon Hunters, viewing them as contemporary reworkings of the well-known Korean folkloric motif kkachi horangi (까치호랑이). Rather than treating “Korean tradition” and “global pop culture” as opposing domains, this study asks how character design, narrative roles, and multimodal storytelling translate Korean cultural memory into transnational meanings—and how that translation, in turn, reshapes the original symbols.
The study is guided by three research questions: (1) How are the tiger and magpie semiotically constructed across visual design, dialogue, and plot functions in KPop Demon Hunters? (2) What kinds of cultural meanings are preserved, simplified, or transformed when the folkloric motif is adapted into a global genre framework that blends K-pop aesthetics with supernatural action? (3) How do these mediated meanings contribute to “global culture,” understood here as a shared, remixable repertoire of symbols and narratives circulating across audiences and platforms?
Methodologically, the thesis employs multimodal discourse analysis and cultural semiotics. First, it conducts close readings of selected scenes and character moments, analyzing iconography (costume, color, gesture, facial expression), linguistic choices (register, humor, honorific implications when applicable), and narrative positioning (ally/antagonist, guide/trickster, comic relief/moral anchor). Second, it traces intertextual links to Korean folk painting and oral storytelling conventions, especially the moral satire and social commentary historically associated with the magpie–tiger pairing. Third, it considers the work’s transcultural accessibility, examining how genre conventions (monster-hunting teams, demon lore, pop-idol performance sequences) provide interpretive scaffolding that helps non-Korean audiences read the characters without requiring prior cultural knowledge.
The analysis suggests that the tiger and magpie operate as a double-layered mediation device. On one layer, they serve as immediately recognizable genre characters—power versus wit, authority versus commentary—thereby aligning with global narrative expectations. On another layer, their configuration evokes Korean cultural themes such as satire of hierarchy, communal humor, and symbolic negotiation between fear and play. Importantly, the motif does not travel intact: satire may be repackaged as “quirky charm,” and moral allegory may be reframed as individual growth or team solidarity. These shifts reveal mediation as a creative process of glocalization, where Korean cultural resources are selectively intensified (visual motifs, iconic pairings) while other elements are streamlined for global circulation.
This thesis contributes to KFL and Korean Studies by demonstrating how character-based analysis can illuminate cultural transmission beyond language alone, highlighting the role of recognizable symbols in building cultural literacy for international audiences. It also offers practical implications for K-content production and localization, suggesting that strategically layered folklore references can deepen global engagement while maintaining culturally specific resonance.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• 1. 서론 1
• 1.1. 연구 배경 및 목적 1
• 1.2. 선행 연구 검토 6
• 1.3. 연구 범위 및 방법 12
• 2. 이론적 배경 16
• 2.1. 글로벌 문화 매개 16
• 2.2. 서사학적 캐릭터 분석틀 20
• 2.3. 한국 민화와 작호도 23
• 2.4. K-콘텐츠와 OTT 애니메이션 27
• 3.〈KPop Demon Hunters〉호랑이·까치 캐릭터 분석 32
• 3.1.〈KPop Demon Hunters〉작품 개관 32
• 3.2. 호랑이·까치 캐릭터 분석 37
• 3.2.1. 서사 분석 37
• 3.2.2. 시각 분석 53
• 3.2.3. 작호도 모티프 62
• 4. 글로벌 문화 매개 64
• 4.1. 서사적 문화 매개 64
• 4.2. 시각적 문화 매개 71
• 4.3. 작호도 모티프의 현대적 변용과 글로벌 OTT 맥락 74
• 4.4. 글로벌 수용 현황 77
• 5. 결론 81
• 참고 문헌 85
• ABSTRACT 101