Mŏkpang: Pay me and I'll show you how much I can eat for your pleasure

Mŏkpang (loosely translated as “eating broadcasts”) is a compound word made of the verb mokta (eating) and the noun pangsong (broadcasting). The term mŏkpang is used to describe the activities of Broadcasting Jockeys (BJs) who televise themselves while eating online and is generally broadcasted every night, lasting one to three hours. The mŏkpang shows are interesting from many points of view. The food and the diners are both the stars of these shows. BJs usually follow at least one of the three rules: ppalli mokki (eat fast), manhi mokki (eat a lot) and masikke mokki (enjoy eating). The analysis of this recent media has inspired many questions, some of which we addressed in this paper. This paper aims to demonstrate that mŏkpang is far more than what media scholars refer to as simply “porno food” or “gastronomic voyeurism”. Instead, we suggest that the commercial aspects of mŏkpang (for example, causal advertisement of shops where food that will be eaten during the broadcast can be bought) combined with the various eating methods used by the BJs create an imagined community and a space for participants both behind the screen and watching it. This paper also suggests that the “star balloon”, a pay item sold in Afreeca TV, should not be viewed solely from an economic perspective but should also be recognized for its unique cultural aspects.