A
PUBLIC RELATIONS×TECHNOLOGY
AI as a social phenomenon. AI as a research method. Theory as the anchor.
- AI-mediated communication
- LLM-assisted analysis
- Computational text analysis
- Digital publics & large-scale data
KOREA UNIVERSITY · COLLEGE OF MEDIA & COMMUNICATION
GLOBAL BY DESIGN
WE RESEARCH.
WE CONNECT.
WE CREATE IMPACT.
WE CONNECT.
WE CREATE IMPACT.
P-R-X
RESEARCH
COLLECTIVE
Public Relations
at the Intersections.
TECHNOLOGYPUBLIC INSTITUTIONSORGANIZATIONSCULTUREGLOBAL SOCIETY
01 / WHY P-R-X?
WHERE IDEAS
CROSS,
CHANGE FOLLOWS.
Public Relations rarely operates within a single boundary.
It intersects with technology, institutions, organizations, culture, and society. The X in P-R-X marks those crossings — where established theory meets emerging environments, and where new questions become possible.
THE X IS NOT A BUZZWORD.
IT'S OUR RESEARCH LOGIC.
IT'S OUR RESEARCH LOGIC.
02 / RESEARCH
THREE DOMAINS.
ONE COLLECTIVE.
Our work is organized around substantive intersections — not fashionable methods. We place theory at the center and use computational, AI-assisted, comparative, survey, experimental, and other methods when they fit the research question.
B
PUBLIC RELATIONS×PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS
How governments, policy institutions, experts, media, and publics communicate around consequential issues.
- Government & policy communication
- AI governance
- Science communication
- Misinformation & public information
C
PUBLIC RELATIONS×ORGANIZATIONS & CULTURE
Organizations, employees, consumers, fans, and publics in corporate and cultural worlds.
- Entertainment, K-pop & gaming
- Corporate & employee communication
- CSR, sustainability & reputation
- Global cultural communication
03 / SIGNATURE APPROACH
NOT “AI FOR AI'S SAKE.”
THEORY-DRIVEN
COMPUTATIONAL
PUBLIC RELATIONS.
01PUBLIC RELATIONS THEORY
↓
02AI AS PHENOMENON
↓
03AI AS METHOD
↓
04SOCIAL & INSTITUTIONAL APPLICATION
Technology expands what theory can observe and test. It does not replace theory. We choose methods because they fit the question — not because they are new.
04 / GLOBAL BY DESIGN
NOT A TOPIC.
A RESEARCH ARCHITECTURE.
KOREA↔CHINA
KOREA↔RUSSIA
KOREA↔EUROPE
KOREA↔AUSTRALIA
MULTI-COUNTRY↗COMPARATIVE
05 / THE COLLECTIVE
PEOPLE MAKE
THE CROSSINGS.
P-R-X brings together researchers with different disciplinary, methodological, professional, and cultural backgrounds. Those differences are part of our research design.
FACULTY DIRECTOR
Hyelim Lee
Research interests include theory and methodology in Public Relations, digital publics and artificial intelligence, and fandoms and publics. Her work connects theoretically grounded Public Relations scholarship with computational and AI-assisted methods across organizational, technological, and cultural contexts.
Graduate Researchers. Our members pursue individual research identities while collaborating across P-R-X projects in technology, organizations, public institutions, culture, and global communication.
Master's Researcher↗
LI ZHIMIN
Research interests
Master's Researcher↗
YANXI CHEN
Research interests
Doctoral Researcher↗
SOMIN PARK
Research interests
Selected workWhat Emotions and Personalities Determine Acceptance of Generative AI?: Focusing on the CASA Paradigm.Why" Generative AI"? Unveiling the Hidden Influence of Personalities and Motivations.
VIEW RESEARCH ↗
Master's Researcher↗
LI SHUYAO
Research interests
Master's Researcher↗
GHERGHI PIOTR
Research interests
Master's Researcher↗
CHON NATALIA
Research interests
Master's Researcher↗
HYUNBIN KIM
Research interests
Master's Researcher↗
SEONGEUN CHOI
Research interests
06 / HOW WE WORK
LESS STATUS REPORT.
MORE INTELLECTUAL FRICTION.
Research Workshop
Ideas, models, manuscripts, and results get focused critique.
Methods / Development
LLM validation, R/Python, SEM, experiment, survey design, writing.
Project Check
Stage · change · obstacle · next action · owner.
P-R-X Research Day
What we learned. What we produced. What comes next.
07 / OPERATING PRINCIPLES
Theory Before Tools
Methodological Pluralism
Evidence Before Hype
Global by Design
Collaboration with Accountability
Scholarship with Consequence
08 / SELECTED RECENT WORK
RECENT
RESEARCH.
Selected recent work reflecting P-R-X’s theory-driven, computational, and global research agenda.
2026
Lee, H., Seo, S., Park, S., Tam, L., Kim, S., & Jang, Y. (2026). Theory-driven LLM-assisted analysis in crisis communication: A case study of the self-oriented model of digital publics. Public Relations Review, 52(3), 102709.
2025
Seo, S., Yoo, S., Lee, H., Jang, Y., Park, J. H., & Kim, J.-N. (2025). A sentence-level visualization of attention in large language models. Proceedings of NAACL 2025: System Demonstrations, 313–320.
2025
Yoo, S., Seo, S., Yoon, C., Lee, H., Kim, J.-N., Kim, C., Jang, Y., & Fujiwara, T. (2025). OPRA-Vis: Visual analytics system to assist organization-public relationship assessment with large language models. Preprint.
2023
Chon, M. G., Tam, L., Lee, H., & Kim, J.-N. (2023). Situational theory of problem solving (STOPS): A foundational theory of publics and its behavioral nature in problem solving. In Public Relations Theory III: In the Age of Publics (pp. 58–76). Routledge.
✳
09 / JOIN · COLLABORATE
BRING A QUESTION.
BRING A PERSPECTIVE.
For inquiries about graduate study, research collaboration, or public and industry partnerships, please contact the Faculty Director.