행위자 네트워크 이론을 기반으로 한 케이팝 상품 분석 - 포토카드와 케이팝 팬을 중심으로

The K-pop music industry has had global success on many levels, but notably it has shown increasing physical album sales that appears to counter media trends. The photo card is a unique part of the physical album package sold by K-pop groups and their record labels. The photo card has become an incredibly successful merchandising product within the K-pop music industry, motivating feverish consumption amongst fans. This presents a peculiar phenomenon within the music industry, which continues to struggle to motivate profitable physical album sales. This study attempts to explore the symbolic significance of photo cards within the K-pop product infrastructure and shed light on the motivations of fans in collecting photo cards. To examine this subject, the research applies the Actor Network Theory as a method to examine the material culture of K-pop merchandise, and the particular behaviors that fans exhibit when collecting photo cards.