Digital Korean studies: recent advances and new frontiers

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to reflect on the past and prospects of digital Korean studies. Design/methodology/approach: Discussion includes the remarkably early adoption of computing in the Korean humanities, the astounding pace in which Korean heritage materials have been digitized, and the challenges of balancing artisanal and laboratory approaches to digital research. Findings: The main takeaway is to reconsider the widespread tendency in the digital humanities to privilege frequentist analysis and macro-level perspectives. Practical implications: Cha hopes to discover the future of digital Korean studies in semantic networks, graph databases and anthropological inquiries. Originality/value: Cha reconsiders existing tendencies in the digital humanities and looks to the future of digital Korean studies.