의미연결망 분석을 활용한 외국인 관광자의 북한관광 인식 및 이미지 분석

Abstract

Looking at actual and potential foreign tourists to North Korea, this study explored their perceptions of North Korean tourism and images of North Korean tourist attractions. Given the uniqueness of North Korean tourism and the difficulties in using survey methods, this study conducted a meaning network analysis of YouTube videos that introduced and illustrated actual North Korean tourism experiences. Specifically, by examining viewers’ comments, we analyzed and compared the words related to the perceptions and images of North Korean tourism and tourist attractions and inferred their inherent meanings. From this, we found that the viewers who watched the videos expressed positive interest in North Korean tourism itself and recognized North Korea's political ideological environment as a unique and unusual attribute of the tourist destination. In addition, they expressed high interest in the lives and lifestyles of North Koreans depicted in the videos, and their overall image of North Korean tourism was positive. On the other hand, the comments signaled distrust in North Korean society and doubts about travel safety, contributing to the negative images of North Korean tourism. Through a similar group analysis, it was confirmed that the words in the comments were divided into clusters of those related to curiosity and interest about (1) North Korea, (2) North Korean tourism and North Korean tourist attractions, (3) North Korean residents, and (4) North Korea and international relations. This study is meaningful for making an academic approach to North Korean tourism which has been relatively unrecognized and analyzing North Korean tourism via YouTube videos.