A Study on the International Cultural Exchange Strategy for Korean Performing Arts: A Grounded Theoretical Approach to the Watching Experience of International Audiences

The purpose of this study is to develop a strategy that Korean performing art organizations can utilize to promote international cultural exchange by analyzing the watching experiences of foreign audiences attending Korean performances. To achieve this, the experiences of eight foreign individuals who have attended Korean performances were examined using grounded theory methodology. Through open coding, nine primary categories and eighteen subcategories were identified. By applying the paradigm model, four key categories emerged: ‘selecting Korean performances through motivation’, ‘selecting Korean performances based on local reputation,’ ‘understanding Korean performances through supplementary services,’ and ‘attending Korean performances by leveraging social, cultural, and informational capital.’ Based on these findings, a practical strategy was proposed for korean performing arts organizations to enhance their efforts in promoting international cultural exchanges.