A Multi-method Approach to Activities of 'Photaku': Photo-taking Fans in the Korean Entertainment Industry

摘要

In the Korean entertainment industry, there exists 'photaku' - a particular group of fans who take photos and videos of their favorite celebrities and distribute them online. To find out structures of their activities, we used a multi-method approach using in-depth interviews, offline observation, and social media analysis. Our findings demonstrate that photaku engage in four types of unique activities: one main activity to distribute photos and videos and three types of secondary activities: strengthening their competitiveness, supporting celebrities and monetization.