‘한국인’ 정체성의 구성과 재현: 유튜브 레오티비의 댓글을 중심으로

The construction and representation of ‘Korean’ identity: Focusing on YouTube comments from LEOTV

This study investigated how the identity category of “Korean” is constructed, represented, and ideologically reproduced in digital discourse. Focusing on user comments on the YouTube channel LEOTV, run by a Finnish creator residing in South Korea, the research drew on the concept of imagined communities and a post-essentialist view of identity to analyze how everyday discourse defines symbolic boundaries of inclusion and exclusion. It critically examined how such discursive constructions differ from traditional, essentialist definitions based on ethnicity and bloodline. The findings indicate that “Korean” identity is not a fixed attribute but a fluid construct shaped through linguistic and social practice. By identifying the discursive elements that index “Koreanness,” the study reveals how identity is negotiated rather than inherited. Furthermore, it uncovers the ideological power of discourse in maintaining in-group/out-group boundaries, showing that identity recognition is often governed by implicit norms and expectations that reproduce exclusion under the guise of cultural familiarity. This study highlights how identity in contemporary Korea is continually reshaped through everyday language and symbolic acts in digital spaces.