Exploring the social mediatization of action sports communities in South Korea

There has been a growing emphasis on examining action sports in diverse local contexts because of their Olympic inclusion. This study explores the social mediatization of the action sports communities in South Korea, with a specific focus on surfing and skateboarding. Data for this qualitative research included archival materials, media data, and semi-structured interviews with key individuals (n = 18) in the action sports communities. The findings highlight the social media logics of programmability, popularity, and connectivity that influence the social media use of actors in the Korean action sports communities. Additionally, key contextual factors associated with the social mediatization are identified. This research demonstrates the generality and uniqueness of the action sports' social mediatization, which has theoretical and practical implications.