| Title |
A Comparative Study of User Experiences in the VR Spatialization of Korean Short Fiction - Focusing on Historical and Science Fiction Genres - |
| Authors |
이신현(Lee, Shinhyun) ; 김민회(Kim, Minhoe) ; 곽연우(Kwak, Yeonwoo) ; 고법재(Ko, Beopjae) ; 최경아(Choi, Kyungah) |
| DOI |
https://doi.org/10.14774/JKIID.2026.35.2.119 |
| Keywords |
Immersive Media; Korean Short Literature; Spatialization; User Experience |
| Abstract |
This study investigates how spatialization strategies shape literary immersion in virtual reality (VR). While immersive media have been widely adopted in education, healthcare, and cultural content, research on literary VR has largely attributed immersion to the medium itself, leaving the role of spatial design insufficiently examined. To address this gap, the study explores how spatialization strategies influence user experience when literary texts are translated into virtual environments, with particular attention to genre differences. Two Korean short stories with contrasting genres were examined: Yi Sang’s The Wings (historical fiction) and Kim Cho-yeop’s Spectrum (science fiction). For each work, the primary narrative space was spatialized in VR by translating textual cues?such as spatial structure, objects, lighting, and materiality?into sensory design elements with varying levels of concreteness. Twenty-two participants read both texts and experienced the VR environments using Oculus Quest 2 headsets. User experience was evaluated through post-experience surveys and semi-structured interviews examining immersion, realism, cognitive understanding, and emotional response. The results show that immersion was shaped not by VR technology itself but by spatialization strategies. The historically grounded and concrete spatialization of The Wings enhanced contextual understanding and narrative comprehension, whereas the more abstract spatialization of Spectrum strengthened emotional immersion and lasting affective impressions. These findings suggest that literary immersion in immersive environments should be understood as a design-dependent experience shaped by genre-sensitive spatialization strategies. By reframing immersion as an outcome of spatial design decisions, this study contributes to research on immersive media and literary design and highlights the potential of spatialized literature for experiential design in literary education and cultural content development. |