Korean Journal of Communication

Volume 1, Issue 1, Spring 2024

Editorial

Beyond Boundaries: Forging New Pathways for Korean Communication Research
by Do Kyun David Kim and Yeonsoo Kim

Research Articles

Dramaturgical Analysis of Smiles in Intercultural Communication Between Korean Students and Native English Speakers — by Do Kyun David Kim

Abstract:  This study analyzes the use of a smile exposed by those who speak English as a second language when they communicate with native English speakers. Based on Erving Goffman’s dramaturgy perspective, this study specifically investigates communication between Korean students at three U.S. universities and native English speakers. Based on interviews with 48 Korean students, this study reveals the underlying structure of their impression management, which articulated the use of smiling in intercultural communication. The discussion includes theoretical analyses of the smiles displayed by second-language users, along with the implications of smiles that can be interpreted differently in different situations. This study will contribute not only to studies dealing with intercultural communication among people with different native languages but also to the theoretical expansion of dramaturgy to the intercultural and international communication context.

Cultivating a D&I Climate in the Workplace and Mitigating Microaggression Against Asian Employees: The Role of Strategic D&I Leadership and Motivating Language — by Yeonsoo Kim

Abstract:  The study addresses the D&I (diversity and inclusion) climate and microaggression challenges in workplaces from the perspective of Asian employees in the United States. Building on strategic leadership literature and motivating language theory, the research posits that strategic D&I leadership and leaders’ motivational language can positively impact the D&I-related perceptions of Asian employees at work. A nationwide survey of Asian employees was conducted. The findings indicated that strategic D&I leadership both directly and indirectly promotes a positive D&I environment, diminishes microaggressions against minority employees, and strengthens organizational trust. Leaders’ motivating language further aids in supporting D&I and diminishing microaggressions. The study’s implications and limitations are further discussed.

Platform Fans: Contradictory Practices of K-Pop Fandom and the Digital Public Sphere — by Samantha James

Abstract:  This article investigates the notion of an idealized digital public sphere by illustrating the contradiction between the supportive and subversive mediated communication practices of international K-pop fans across social media platforms. Fans subvert historic mass media communication practices by using social media to make their voices heard. However, they simultaneously engage in platform-mediated communication practices that uphold the status quo, doing what production companies, popular opinion, and even other fans expect them to do. Despite new communication-mediating platforms allowing fans to self-govern, create fan economies, and influence their own public opinion, the platformization of K-pop fandom has not demonstrated an idealized digital public sphere. The platformization of the K-pop industry is integral to its viability and global success, and by understanding how K-pop fans communicate online and offline, scholars can learn more about other increasingly globalized, hybridized, and platformized organizing practices and the digital public sphere.

Commentary

Academic Convergences in Korean Communication Studies — by Dal Yong Jin

Abstract: In the early 21st century, Korean communication has become one of the most vibrant in the global communication sphere. Due to the recent surge of Korean popular culture and digital technologies, media scholars and global media outlets have attempted to analyze why and how Korea has advanced numerous communication fields in such a short time. This article attempts to develop new perspectives to reflect the ever-changing media ecology. It offers some normative ideas to deal with these new challenges, which may provide some guidance to scholars who study Korean communication.

The KACA Looks Ahead to the Next Century With the Korean Journal of Communication — by Jin-Ae Kang

Abstract:  The Korean American Communication Association (KACA) celebrates the inauguration of the Korean Journal of Communication (KJC). The essay describes the journey undertaken by the KACA leadership to transform the vision of launching this journal into a tangible reality. This essay also reiterates the role the journal plays as a central hub for Korean communication scholarship, for not only the members of the KACA but also a wider audience.

Thank you for submitting your paper to us. The instructions below will help you understand the submission requirements for your paper to move smoothly in our peer review, production, and publication processes. Please take some time to read them carefully and follow these instructions, as doing so will ensure your paper is reviewed without any delay.

Structure

Your paper should be structured in the following order:

1. Title page: The title of your article, abstract (100 ~150 words), and five keywords
2. Main text:
3. References: Follow the 7th edition of the APA Publication Manual
   
4. Figures and Tables with captions in order of presentation in the main text (as appropriate).

Word Limits

Original Research Articles

A typical original research article for this journal should be between 6,000 and 9000 words, including references, figure captions, and endnotes.

Book Reviews

A book review should be at most 2000 words, including references and any necessary components.

Commentaries / Scholarly Opinions

If you have any insight contributing to academic research and analysis, you can submit a paper with approximately 2000 words, including references and any necessary components.

Field Note / Data Analysis

If you want to report a scholarly field note and academically valid data analysis, you can submit it with a clear indication of the purpose of your paper. It would be shorter than an original research paper, with approximately 4000 words, including references and necessary components (e.g., figures and tables).

Style and Format

Please use the 7th edition of APA Publication Manual for all parts of your paper. All papers should be submitted in Word format (.doc or .docx).

It is the author’s responsibility to keep the laws related to copyrights. Therefore, we don’t accept any manuscript that violates copyright laws and has a conflict of interest.

All manuscript submissions should be made through the following link:  KJC Manuscript Submissions

Articles submitted to the Korean Journal of Communication are initially reviewed by the editors, who determine whether the manuscript will be sent to outside reviewers. If chosen for review, the manuscript is then evaluated in a double-blind process by at least two and usually three external reviewers, including members of the journal’s Editorial Board and other experts in relevant fields as selected by the editors. This peer review process ensures that the Korean Journal of Communication publishes only original, accurate, and timely articles that contribute new knowledge, insights, or valuable perspectives to our discipline.

Evaluation

Reviewers play a vital role in ensuring the quality of papers published in the journal.

Questions addressed by reviewers include:

• Is the topic within the scope of the journal?
• Is the topic significant or sufficiently interesting to warrant publication?
• Is the scholarship adequately documented, and is relevant literature reviewed?
• Are the research aims and any methodological choices made by the author clear and justified?
• Is the article well-organized and clearly written?

Reviewers make one of three recommendations: acceptance, acceptance with revision, or rejection. In addition, reviewers are asked to include comments explaining the recommendation to provide authors with timely feedback to improve the article. We aim to create a constructive process that benefits the journal and the authors while respecting the time and efforts of all volunteer reviewers.

Review Timetable

We understand that the timeliness of decisions and publication is a significant concern of authors. The typical manuscript is reviewed by one of the editors and sent to reviewers within two weeks after submission. Reviewers typically have six weeks to prepare their review (a second round of reviews may be solicited if the initial reviewers disagree). Then a couple of weeks are typically required to reconcile reviewer comments (and identify any significant copyediting issues for papers that were accepted or accepted with slight revisions). Thus, an author could hear back in less than two months from submission. However, the realities of the peer-review process sometimes extend our timeline. You will receive a response as expeditiously as possible. If you seek publication for a tenure packet, please allow ample review time and let us know if this is a consideration. Authors receive the reviewers’ comments and are often asked to revise the manuscript in line with the reviewers’ and editors’ suggestions. If the revised article is accepted for publication, the editor determines the journal issue in which it will appear. Authors can help speed the process by ensuring they follow the submission requirements and, if accepted, address the reviewer’s comments and any copy-editing needs promptly.

Statement of Publication Ethics

The editor(s) and the editorial board of the Korean Journal of Communication are committed to the following:

• We will do our best to ensure that our peer-review processes and editorial decisions are fair and unbiased and that manuscripts are judged solely on their merits by individuals with appropriate expertise in the subject area.
  • We have the right to reject a manuscript at any point in the process if, after an unbiased evaluation, it is the opinion of the editor(s) that it does not align with the journal’s mission or editorial policies or would be in conflict with the journal’s legal requirements.
• We will treat submitted manuscripts as confidential documents and will not discuss them or share information with anyone outside the editorial staff, editorial board, potential reviewers, or the publisher.
• We expect transparency from editors and reviewers regarding potential conflicts of interest and will assign manuscripts to individuals who are not likely to have such conflicts.
• We expect authors to help us uphold our ethical standards by
  • submitting only original works;
  • respecting the intellectual property rights of others;
  • adhering to the journal’s policies regarding simultaneous submissions;
  • acknowledging sources;
  • appropriately crediting all authors, other research participants, and funding sources;
  • disclosing any potential conflicts of interest; and
  • notifying the editors and/or publisher of any significant errors discovered after submission or publication.
• We will promptly investigate any credible allegation of unethical or illegal practices related to an article we have published. When warranted, we will issue corrections, retractions, and/or apologies, working with the author(s) as appropriate to find the best resolution.
• Concerns may be reported directly to the editor(s) or publisher by email at koreancommunication@gmail.com

The Korean American Communication Association (KACA) is an organization dedicated to serving the academic and social needs of communication scholars and students in North America and around the world. The KACA encourages and facilitates cooperation among members in conducting research in communication, especially focusing on subjects related to Korea, Korean Americans, and Korean diaspora.

Additional information about KACA, including how to become a member, can be found on their website.