The stigmatized ‘hot place’: Place brand assemblages and the matter of inclusion surrounding Daerim-dong, Seoul

Keywords: Place brand, Assemblage, Inclusion, Ethnic Enclave
Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract
Day: Monday
Session Start / End Time: 2/28/2022 09:40 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/28/2022 11:00 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 68

Abstract

This study analyzes the formation and change of the place brand of Daerim-dong. Daerim-dong is a (Korean) Chinese enclave located in Seoul, which is typically consumed among Koreans based on two brand identities, i.e., criminogenic city and the little China in Korea. With a particular focus on heterogeneity and fluidity of assemblage, the research questions are structured into what (heterogeneous combination of material and expressive/discursive dimensions), how (fluidity caused by incessant de-/re-/territorializaiton) and who (heterogeneous human and non-human agents) in order to explain the mechanisms of coexistence of the two brand identities. Through a series of virtual ethnographies on Daerim-dong across multiple online platforms and documents, I explore the de-/territorialization of the stigma on Daerim-dong, as well as the reterritorialization of its consumeristic images. I then argue that the place brand of Daerim-dong is constituted of a heterogeneous mixture of material and expressive components, as well as positivity and negativity toward otherness (what), in the repetitive de-/re-/territorialization processes that run the spectrum of exclusion and inclusion (how), and by human and non-human prosumers with various platforms, motivations, and aggressiveness (who). This study implies that research on place brands needs to take a ‘looser’ view that enables more accurate and useful understanding of its multiple, mixed, and dynamic characteristics. On a more practical side, the mismatch between the deterritorialization of the stigma and the reterritorialization of consumeristic images shows that an unbiased understanding of multiple identities of joseonjok can be a genuine move toward including them in Korean society.