Mapping online social networks of Korean politicians

Korean politicians, particularly National Assembly members, have embraced the internet as a major means of communication for managing election campaigns and maintaining relationships with (potential) supporters during non-election periods. An increasing number of National Assembly members have become aware of the considerable influence that the internet has on their constituents, and thus, this study determines whether there are significant differences in online networks of National Assembly members and examines the relationship among National Assembly members and that between those members and their constituents to determine whether Twitter is used as a tool for communication as well as deliberation. The data were drawn from homepages, blogs, and Twitter pages of the members of the 18th National Assembly in April 2010. The results indicate that National Assembly members tended to have a more equal relationship in the Twitter network than in the homepage or blog network. More importantly, the members were linked mainly to fellow politicians in the same party, and thus, they used Twitter to communicate more with fellow politicians than with their constituents.     

Food policy in cyberspace: A webometric analysis of national food clusters in South Korea

This study analyzes the Triple Helix (TH) structure of an online national food cluster. Although the university–industry–government (UIG) approach provides useful insights into innovation and its diffusion, few studies have examined how such systems are organized and operate in cyberspace. Foodpolis is an export-oriented national food cluster targeting markets in Northeast Asia, including China and Japan. Foodpolis encompasses national food industry complexes and government-led agricultural and food R&D institutes whose goal is to advance food-processing technologies. This study employs the webometric analysis method to reveal the communication pattern of interactions between participating actors. The study evaluates web mentions and hyperlink networks to investigate links to and from the website of Foodpolis (Foodpolis.kr) by using the NodeXL software package. The results for links to and from Foodpolis do not indicate sufficient interactions between UIG websites and Twitter accounts. Instead, the website and Twitter account of Foodpolis were linked to its own online café, websites of individuals, and government websites. The results suggest that UIG actors should employ online communication channels in a more proactive manner for diffusing innovative initiatives such as Foodpolis.