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The Internet has increasingly become a popular source of health information by connecting individuals with health content, experts, and support. More and more, individuals turn to social media and Internet sites to share health information and experiences. Although online health information seeking occurs worldwide, limited empirical studies exist examining cross-cultural differences in perceptions about user-generated, experience-based information compared to expertise-based information sources. To investigate if cultural variations exist in patterns of online health information seeking, specifically in perceptions of online health information sources. It was hypothesized that Koreans and Hongkongers, compared to Americans, would be more likely to trust and use experience-based knowledge shared in social Internet sites, such as social media and online support groups. Conversely, Americans, compared to Koreans and Hongkongers, would value expertise-based knowledge prepared and approved by doctors or professional health providers more. Survey questionnaires were developed in English first and then translated into Korean and Chinese. The back-translation method ensured the standardization of questions. Surveys were administered using a standardized recruitment strategy and data collection methods. A total of 826 participants living in metropolitan areas from the United States (n=301), Korea (n=179), and Hong Kong (n=337) participated in the study. We found significant cultural differences in information processing preferences for online health information. A planned contrast test revealed that Koreans and Hongkongers showed more trust in experience-based health information sources (blogs: t451.50=11.21, P<.001; online support group: t455.71=9.30, P<.001; social networking sites [SNS]: t466.75=11.36, P<.001) and also reported using blogs (t515.31=6.67, P<.001) and SNS (t529.22=4.51, P<.001) more frequently than Americans. Americans showed a stronger preference for using expertise-based information sources (eg, WebMD and CDC) compared to Koreans and Hongkongers (t360.02=3.01, P=.003). Trust in expertise-based information sources was universal, demonstrating no cultural differences (Brown-Forsythe F2,654=1.82, P=.16). Culture also contributed significantly to differences in searching information on behalf of family members (t480.38=5.99, P<.001) as well as to the goals of information searching. This research found significant cultural differences in information processing preferences for online health information. Further discussion is included regarding effective communication strategies in providing quality health information.

Background Cognitive functioning is influenced by demographic factors, and this relationship is further impacted by cultural differences. This study aimed to compare the effects of demographic factors on cognitive function in middle‐aged and older adults in the U.S. and Korea, providing insights into potential cultural influences. Method A total of 1,229 individuals from the Framingham Heart Study (FHS) and 2,781 individuals from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study‐Cardiovascular Disease Association Study‐Cognitive Aging (KoGES‐CAVAS‐CA) were included (Figure 1, Table 1). The most recent neuropsychological tests of dementia‐free participants in each study were grouped into four cognitive domains: Memory, Language, Visuospatial Function (VF), and Attention/Executive Function (A/EF) (Table 2). Standardized domain scores were calculated using within‐sample z‐score standardization, and z‐tests assessed differences in demographic impact on cognitive function between the two populations. Result FHS participants were older, more educated, with a higher proportion of men compared to KoGES‐CAVAS‐CA (Table 1). While Memory and A/EF were stable across ages in FHS, significant decline with increasing age was found in KoGES‐CAVAS‐CA (Memory: z = 12.61, p < 0.001; A/EF: z = 3.81, p < 0.001). Language declined with age in both populations, but the decline was significantly greater in KoGES‐CAVAS‐CA compared to FHS (z = 4.66, p < 0.001). Higher education was associated with better cognitive performance in both populations, but its effect on Language (z = ‐3.19, p = 0.001) and VF (z = ‐8.31, p < 0.001) was stronger in KoGES‐CAVAS‐CA than in FHS. Sex differences were more pronounced in Language in KoGES‐CAVAS‐CA compared to FHS, where women scored lower than men in both populations (z = 6.61, p < 0.001). Conclusion These findings highlight cross‐cultural differences in how demographic factors influence cognitive function. The greater effect of education on Language and VF in KoGES‐CAVAS‐CA likely reflects differences in educational attainment between the two populations, with FHS having more college graduates and KoGES‐CAVAS‐CA participants averaging a middle school education. Additionally, more pronounced Language sex differences in KoGES‐CAVAS‐CA suggest sex‐related cognitive differences may vary across cultural contexts. These results emphasize the need to consider demographic disparities in cognitive research.

Background Cognitive intervention therapy has been proven to be a safe and effective technique for improving cognitive function in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Given the variety of intervention strategies within cognitive intervention therapy programs, the effectiveness and standardization of each program must be validated. The current computerized cognitive rehabilitation programs used in clinical practice are often foreign‐developed products that are difficult to apply directly to Korean elderly due to linguistic and cultural differences. Existing products developed in Korea tend to focus on gamified tasks that generate interest but have been reported to be weak in enhancing memory. Therefore, 'SuperBrain DEX'(developed by Rowan Co., Ltd.), a digital therapeutic device providing evidence‐based therapeutic intervention, has been developed to improve cognitive function in MCI patients. This clinical trial aims to assess the superiority of the cognitive function improvement effect of 'SuperBrain DEX' in patients with MCI compared to control groups and evaluate its safety for use. Method The study targets MCI patients aged 50‐85 who meet the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Through 'SuperBrain DEX', cognitive training will be conducted for a total of 16 weeks, 7 times a week (each session lasting 15‐30 minutes). The program will assess the patient's cognitive training performance in real‐time and provide personalized training by applying individual cognitive function levels and basic information (gender, age, education, Z‐Score of cognitive tests) to artificial intelligence (AI). The control group will receive an educational booklet on lifestyle rules for dementia prevention. Cognitive function improvement will be confirmed through primary (K‐RBANS) and secondary (CDR, K‐MMSE‐2, K‐IADL, PRMQ, GDS‐15, QOL‐AD, ADAS‐Cog 14 tests) efficacy evaluations before and after the program. Result The study is designed for 140 participants across 12 research institutions in Korea, with the first participant registered in January 2024. Currently, 140 participants (100%) are enrolled in the study. Conclusion It is expected that the results will be reported at the time of the conference presentation.

This study investigates user experience (UX) priorities in early childhood education applications by analyzing Korean-language user reviews using Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers topic modeling (BERTopic). Eighteen latent topics were extracted and systematically mapped to the eight software quality characteristics defined by the ISO/IEC 25010 framework. The analysis revealed that compatibility, functional suitability, and usability were the most frequently referenced attributes, reflecting parental concerns related to device performance, educational reliability, and ease of use. Less frequently noted were issues related to maintainability, security, and portability. By aligning user feedback with a standardized quality model, this study offers practical guidance for improving UX in applications designed for young children. The findings suggest that early-stage design should prioritize technical stability and developmental appropriateness to foster engagement and trust. This approach can help create more effective and dependable learning environments that meet the needs of both children and their caregivers. Furthermore, the methodological framework adopted in this study can be applied in other linguistic and cultural settings to examine universal and context-specific UX concerns. Such cross-cultural application has the potential to support the development of inclusive, evidence-based design strategies in the field of educational technology. Plain language summary Better educational applications for young children: Learning from parent experiences This study looks at how the experiences of parents and caregivers using early childhood education apps can be improved. By analyzing user feedback from Korean-language reviews, the researchers found important aspects that affect the quality of these apps. They compared these aspects with international standards set by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) to create guidelines that developers can use to build better apps for young children. The research used a method called BERTopic, a machine learning technique that helps uncover key themes in large sets of written feedback. By applying this tool to Korean-language user reviews, the researchers identified 18 important topics. These topics were then linked to ISO standards, which focus on app qualities like functionality, usability, reliability, efficiency, and security. The results show that features such as how well an app works, how easy it is to use, and how reliable it is are crucial for making the app safe and effective for young learners. This study can help app developers and service providers improve their products by using user feedback to create more reliable, useful, and secure apps. It aims to help build better learning environments for children, making these apps a trusted resource for parents over the long term.

We perform a cross-national market segmentation and analyze differences in the evaluation of made-in-Korea electronic home appliances and cosmetics based on experience of and emotion towards Korean drama and K-pop. We conducted a survey of consumers in five countries among the Association of Southeast Nations member countries, which have widely accepted the Korean Wave. We identify six market segments across nations, from “Korean Wave evangelists” to “cultural vigilances,” according to the target nation’s experiences and emotions regarding the Korean Wave. This study could provide a useful insight into standardizing or localizing marketing programs as appropriate for each market segment’s characteristics.

Background In 2019, the South Korean government started designating rehabilitation medical institutions to facilitate the early return of patients with stroke (PWS) to their communities after discharge. However, a detailed operating model has not yet been suggested. We aimed to develop a hospital-based early supported community reintegration model for PWS that is suitable for South Korea based on knowledge translation in cooperation with clinical experts and PWS. Methods Clinical experts ( n  = 13) and PWS ( n  = 20) collaboratively participated in the process of developing the early supported community reintegration model at a national hospital in South Korea, using the following phases of the knowledge-to-action cycle: (1) identifying knowledge, (2) adapting the knowledge to the local situation, (3) assessing barriers and facilitators to local use of knowledge, and (4) tailoring and developing the program. Barriers and facilitators to local use of knowledge were assessed multidimensionally at the individual, interpersonal, organizational, and community level based on the social-ecological model. Literature reviews, workshops, individual and group interviews, and group meetings using nominal group technique were conducted in each phase of the knowledge-to-action cycle. Results Each phase of the knowledge-to-action cycle for developing the early supported community reintegration model and a newly developed model including the following components were reported: (1) revision of strategies of organizations related to community reintegration support, (2) establishment of a multidepartmental and multidisciplinary community reintegration support system, (3) standardization of patient-centered multidisciplinary goal setting, (4) multidimensional classification of community reintegration support areas, and (5) development of guidelines for a tailored community reintegration support program. Conclusions We designed a hospital-based multidimensional and multidisciplinary early supported community reintegration model that comprehensively included several elements of community rehabilitation in connection with hospitals and communities, taking into account the South Korean situation of lacking community rehabilitation infrastructure. In developing a guideline for a tailored community reintegration support program, we attempted to take into consideration various situations faced by PWS in South Korea, which is in a transitional stage for community rehabilitation. It is expected that this early supported community reintegration model can be referenced in other countries that are in a transitional stage of community rehabilitation.

Using media texts from a Korean newspaper archive, this article describes the process through which the state took up the ideology of linguistic nationalism during the period of Japanese colonisation of Korea (1910–1945). This was particularly aimed at a modernisation project in order for the legacy of the Joseon dynasty, which had ruled Korea for five centuries to the end of the nineteenth century, to transform itself into a ‘modernized’ nation state. The ways in which Hangul, the Korean alphabet, was socially produced as the legitimate national writing system from one vernacular variety under the colonial regime are examined. The article contends that while the production of the national writing system functioned as a means for anti-colonial movements, it also naturalized differential socioeconomic resource distribution among Joseon people according to literacy skills in Joseon’s transformation into the modern Korean nation state. The article discusses the limitations of mobilizing linguistic nationalism as a means of political emancipation.

The first attempt at spelling reform in South Korea took place in the early 1950s as the Korean War (1950–53) drew to a close. The subsequent Han’gŭl Crisis is often interpreted as an example of the authoritarianism of President Syngman Rhee (Yi Sŭngman), yet the event also represents a clash of generations between the supporters of the Unified Orthography of 1933 and the previous spelling standard. During the han’gŭl simplification debates, the legacies of Chu Sigyŏng (1876–1914) and Pak Sŭngbin (1880–1943) reemerged as their followers continued a contentious linguistic debate that stretched back into the colonial period. The event ended as a victory for the Unified Orthography of 1933, but several ambiguous questions remain for further investigation. Ultimately, behind the claims of “scientific rationalism” in the current han’gŭl spelling are the forgotten memories of linguistic activism and the difficulties in uniting divergent linguistic practices in post-Liberation Korean society.

Is there an identity aspect to the map wars of East Asia? As the issue of maps has often been discussed in terms of positive evidence in order to strengthen a particular point in an argument, identity is an unfamiliar topic in map discussions. Nonetheless, this article suggests that the status of the names East Sea and Sea of Japan in the map wars between Korea and Japan could be something more than mere positive evidence. In a sense, maintaining the name Sea of Japan may violate the identity of the Korean people. The history of cartography is not benign. By destroying non-Western identities, Western names on historical Western maps gave meaning to their cosmos that was both comprehensible and controllable. For Koreans, the loss of the name East Sea has a similar nuance.