Despite the popularity of the TOEIC in the Korean society for over 30 years, few studies have investigated the understanding and usage of TOEIC scores in the Korean context. This research gap needs to be filled to provide test users with useful information in the Korean context. Using an argument-based approach to validation, this study investigates the meanings and uses of the TOEIC scores in the Korean context, based on analyses of records publicly available at the YBM website (i.e., TOEIC administrator in Korea). One hundred ninety-four documents published between 2012 and 2017 were collected from the website and the data were analyzed by combining the content and the context analyses. Findings reveal that contextual factors affect the understanding and usage of scores by different TOEIC stakeholders. The document data reveal unintended meanings and uses of the scores.

1. INTRODUCTION
2. VALIDATION FRAMEWORK
3. METHOD
4. FINDINGS
    4.1 .Contextual Factors
    4.2. Localized Meanings of TOEIC Scores
    4.3. Localized Uses of TOEIC  Scores (Utilization Inference)
    4.4. Localized Consequences of TOEIC Uses (Ramification Inference)
5. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS
    5.1. Contextual Factors
    5.2. Meanings of TOEIC Scores (Domain Description to Extrapolation Inferences)
    5.3. Uses of TOEIC Scores (Utilization Inference) Affected by Contextuaal Factors
    5. 4. Consequences of TOEIC (Ramification Inference)
REFERENCES

• Gwan-Hyeok Im(Researcher, Wonju University Innovation Support Project Team, Yonsei University)