The Community They Build and Live in: Emergence of Transnational Solidarity of Women through K-Pop Fandom Focused on K-Pop Idol/Singer/Actor Kim Jaejoong Fandom

Abstract

This research is an attempt to examine a global K-pop idol fandom pertaining to its function as a vehicle in the emergence of transnational solidarity and empowerment of women. The fandom of a Korean idol star, singer and actor Kim Jaejoong, shares many common attributes with other communities of audience and/or communities of interest. However, global Kim Jaejoong fandom possesses distinguishing characteristics that make it a community beyond a usual community of audience or interest. It is closer to a real life grassroots community happening in both virtual and real spaces that transforms attitudes, values and behaviors of the members that motivates them to engage in collective action to change the system they are confined to. Serving dual function as an observer and a participant, I adopted qualitative analysis method to examine the characteristics of the fandom from a feminist ethnography/auto-ethnography approach, utilizing the psychological empowerment, sense of community and gift economy frame works to explore the nature and characteristics of this fandom. This fandom consists of women of all color, age and religion. The findings of this study illustrates these mostly single, professional women whose first language is usually neither Korean nor English gather in the name of their star to form, maintain and expand a transnational sisterhood to find meaning in life, encourage and comfort each other, and grow together.