Research Trends in Korean Web Novels through Semantic Network Analysis : Focusing on Abstracts of Domestic Academic Journals

This study examines research trends in Korean web novels by analyzing the abstracts of academic papers published in domestic journals and exploring key issues using semantic network analysis. The findings of this study are as follows: First, research on web novels has steadily increased since 2015. Second, such research has deepened through specialized discussions in certain journals and diversified approaches across various academic journals. Third, network analysis of centrality revealed that keywords such as ‘genre’, ‘platform’ and ‘reader’ were frequently addressed. Fourth, word cloud visualization indicated that core interests in web novel research include genre diversity, the interaction between content production and consumption, the importance of platform ecosystems, and reader-centered studies. Fifth, a concordance network analysis identified eight distinct clusters. Based on these findings, the study suggests: (1) the need to expand the diversity of web novel genres, (2) the need to expand the diversity of web novel subjects, (3) the importance of fostering reader-centered research, and (4) active exploration of strategies for utilizing web novels as primary content sources.