COVID-19 and Cultural Life Through Big Data... 'Dongsup' Mentions Up 2600%

Source: Provided by the Public Communication Office, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), significant changes in the daily lives of our people have been observed, centered around the 'home.' Outdoor activities 'outside the home' have shrunk to areas near the home, while cultural activities 'inside the home' have expanded along with non-face-to-face services.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's Public Communication Office announced on the 13th that a big data analysis of about 14 million social network service (SNS) posts related to the daily lives of the public over approximately one year before and after the COVID-19 outbreak (July 2019 to August 2020) revealed these findings.

COVID-19, Comfort and Rest Found in 'Eating,' 'Watching,' and 'Going Around'

Emotional words related to daily life during COVID-19 showed a high proportion of negative emotions such as 'depression' and 'irritation,' but positive emotions like 'comfort' and 'rest' also appeared. The Ministry explained, "Associated words with positive emotions focused on eating (food, cooking, etc.), watching (movies, YouTube, etc.), and going around (walking, driving, etc.), which can be interpreted as eating habits, cultural activities, and outdoor activities providing comfort and rest to the public during the COVID-19 era."

The mentions of watching and going around decreased by 7.2% and 9%, respectively, compared to before COVID-19 (July 1, 2019?January 19, 2020) versus after COVID-19 (January 20, 2020?August 14, 2020). Instead, mentions related to 'watching at home' increased by 23.4%, and mentions related to 'going around near home' increased by 23.2%.

Source: Provided by the Public Communication Office, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

Cultural Activities at Home Including Concerts and Classical Music
OTT and Game Mentions Surge

When comparing before and after COVID-19, the field with the highest increase rate in mentions related to '(watching cultural content)' was concerts. Drama, reading, webtoons, classical music, and games followed. Specifically, the music field (concerts, piano, classical music, singing, etc.) showed a high increase rate in mentions.

Key associated words for concerts included 'communication' and 'YouTube.' For classical music, core associated words were 'free' and 'video,' positively noting that people could enjoy performances by masters without burden.

The main associated words for dramas were 'staying home' and 'Netflix,' sharing experiences of rewatching and binge-watching through online video services (OTT). Reading's core associated words included 'child,' 'mother,' 'reading club,' 'Bookstagram,' 'e-book,' and 'audiobook.'

The top associated word for games was 'Dongsup (Animal Crossing),' with mentions surging by 2611% compared to before COVID-19. Unlike other games that raise tension through competition, many opinions noted that its slow and simple setting heals tired minds.

Source: Provided by the Public Communication Office, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

Walking Near Home and Neighborhood... Outdoor Activities Shrink
Travel to Quiet and Safe Places

During COVID-19, associated words with 'going around near home or neighborhood' included walking, park, convenience store, and dog, mainly showing scenes of walking in nearby parks with pets. Comparing before and after COVID-19, electric scooters showed the highest increase rate in mentions, followed by walking and jogging. Mentions of libraries and movie theaters decreased by 11% and 17%, respectively.

Travel trends also changed. Among associated words with 'going around,' mentions of 'car camping' increased by 223% compared to before COVID-19. Mentions of hiking, camping, and glamping also increased by 55%, 37%, and 36%, respectively, indicating a preference for quiet travel destinations. On the other hand, mentions of group activities or crowded places such as mountaineering clubs and cable cars decreased by 11% each. Mentions of 'suburban drives' using private cars increased by 99% compared to before COVID-19, while mentions of 'trains,' used by groups, decreased by 10%.

Cho Hyun-rae, head of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's Public Communication Office, said, "As shown by the high interest in real-time communication with performing artists and the use of technologies such as virtual reality (VR), non-face-to-face cultural content utilizing information technology (IT) has become an important means of enjoying daily life during the COVID-19 era. It is time to invest in and support the experimentation of various non-face-to-face contents." He added, "Since daily life based on 'near home' is taking root even in outdoor activities, it is necessary to strengthen administration and policies closely connected to local communities."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.