KJCKorea
Journal Central

This study aims to explore the global utilization potential of the Korea Music Data Center (KMDC) and propose strategies to realize this goal. K-pop has already established itself as globally influential cultural content and is expanding into a cultural platform interconnected with various industries. Accordingly, K-pop–related archival records must evolve beyond simple data accumulation into cultural platforms that share emotions and memories. To this end, a comprehensive review of literature was conducted, domestic and international cases were analyzed, and focus group interviews were held with records management professionals, cultural content experts, and domestic and international K-pop fandoms to examine the limitations and development directions of the archive from multiple perspectives. As a result, five strategic directions were identified: enhancing global accessibility through cultural translation, operating a Fandom Studio, constructing a K-pop map, establishing a K-pop digital heritage archive, and transforming the platform into an emotion-based participatory archive. These strategies are aimed at not only technical improvements but also a fundamental paradigm shift toward a fan-centered archive that facilitates cultural exchange. Therefore, this study presents a direction for the KMDC to evolve into a global cultural heritage platform and broadens the discourse on the public value and social role of archival records.

This study investigates the current state of records management in self-management agencies, where systematic public records management is notably inadequate, and proposes targeted measures for improvement. Through in-depth interviews with records managers and comprehensive case studies, the research explores current practices and the perceptions related to records management in these institutions. The findings reveal a range of critical challenges, including the absence of sufficient regulations and structured work plans, a lack of dedicated organizational units for records management, excessive workloads placed on records managers coupled with frequent job rotations, insufficient education and training, difficulties in securing budget, inadequate management during the record creation process, and the absence of integrated records management systems. To address these issues, the study proposes a comprehensive improvement strategy. Key recommendations include conducting systematic inspections and evaluations of current records management practices in self-management agencies, incorporating the evaluation results into broader organizational management assessments, designating a central authority to oversee records management, mandating records management education for heads of public institutions, and fostering collaborative networks to strengthen records management practices. These research findings and recommendations are expected to contribute significantly to the advancement of records management in self-management agencies, highlighting its crucial role in ensuring organizational accountability and efficiency.

Since the International Council on Archives (ICA) announced RiC-CM v0.1 in 2016, nearly a decade has passed, during which related groups have expressed various opinions, and numerous academic studies have been conducted. Hence, this study aims to examine the applicability of RiC by deeply exploring its development process and the responses of relevant groups. To this end, the study reviews the development and the advanced process of RiC, analyzes the differences and improvements between each version, and explores the trends and perspectives among related groups. The results show that RiC-CM has been simplified and improved to better reflect the digital records management environment. At the same time, RiC-O has been refined to achieve greater structural consistency with RiC-CM. Practitioners expressed caution about implementation, citing insufficient representation of digital records management and a lack of specific guidelines. Meanwhile, researchers, though acknowledging limitations in connecting with other standards, evaluated that RiC implementation is advantageous. This study is expected to serve as a valuable foundational resource for researchers and relevant groups preparing for the implementation of RiC in Korea.