자생력 기반의 팬덤 생태계 연구 : 국내 BTS 팬덤의 위버스 이용동기를 중심으로

초록

This study aims to explore the self-sustaining power required within the fandom ecosystem by conducting in-depth interviews with 10 BTS fans in Korea who use Hive’s fan platform service, Weverse. Weverse is a company-led platform service that was created to unite various fandom communities with the spread of social media, providing a new fandom ecosystem for fans in Korea and abroad. The platform aims to utilize technological advancements, including exclusive content and merchandise sales, to continuously revitalize fandom culture, and these activities have become a major revenue strategy for Hive companies. However, the internationalization of the BTS fandom and the disruption of activities due to members’ military service has led to cultural conflicts between domestic and international fandoms and corporate-driven content production, which has hindered the motivation of domestic fans to use the platform. In addition, we found that corporate-led operations cause a sense of cultural alienation among fans, which leads to a change in their preferences for the artist's activities. Based on Henry Jenkins’ theory of fandom, this study analyzed the fandom ecosystem of ‘Weavers’ in an ‘ecological way’. The analysis showed that BTS fans in Korea perceive Weverse as a space where they mainly consume content and products provided by companies, which is interpreted as a consumption-oriented space rather than a fan community. The ‘ecological way’ is a concept in which an ecosystem evolves and develops through mutual cooperation and competition based on internal self-sustaining power, and we found that self-sustaining power is also important in the fandom ecosystem, where fans organize themselves and lead cultural activities to increase their value. This is because it changes the way fan platform services are utilized and lays the foundation for the environment to create and develop a sustainable fandom culture.

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