This study aims to explore the linguistic and cultural characteristics of Busan’s old downtown. To achieve this, the linguistic landscapes of three major traditional markets—Gukje Market, Bupyeong Kkangtong Market, and Jagalchi Market—were collected and analyzed as representative commercial spaces of this area. The key findings are as follows: First, Hangeul was the most frequently used script type across all three markets and appeared in the largest font size, reflecting a general preference for Hangeul and the Korean language regardless of business type. Second, store names consisting of four to five syllables were the most common. Third, Gukje Market displayed varied linguistic landscapes across its streets, with the street adjacent to Gwangbok-dong exhibiting the most linguistic diversity. Fourth, the temporary stall signs in Bupyeong Kkangtong Market’s night market exhibited the greatest linguistic variety, showcasing a broad range of languages. Fifth, in Jagalchi Market, where the proportion of foreign tourists is relatively high, signs were predominantly in Hangeul, but menus were provided in multiple languages to accommodate linguistic diversity among visitors. Finally, the use of regional dialects and various regional names in store signage reflected Busan’s local identity and migration-driven history.

The concept of the linguistic landscape provides a framework for analyzing language use in public spaces, offering insights into the linguistic dynamics and identities of a region's inhabitants. This study examines the linguistic landscape of Incheon Chinatown to understand the complex identities of the longstanding overseas Chinese community in Korea. Initially, the study collected and analyzed linguistic data from Incheon Chinatown. It explored how regional names and language types contribute to identity understanding. The findings reveal that Korean, Chinese, and English are predominantly used, each serving different functions and symbolic meanings. Korean is mainly used for informational purposes, while Chinese represents cultural identity and connectivity. The research also investigates language use nuances, such as differences between simplified and traditional Chinese and local signage names. This analysis highlights the diversity and complexity of identities within Korea's old overseas Chinese community. The study is significant as it connects linguistic landscape and identity, contributing to broader discussions on identity in various linguistic environments. It also informs future language policy development, enhancing our understanding of multicultural interactions and identity formations.

The purpose of this study is to examine the typography of the language used on signboards with a focus on the typographical norms and to make policy recommendations that consider exactly which factors are evaluated when approaching this 'signboard language' as a target of language policy. most of the studies related to signboard language have classified signboard language as an object of purification based on the actual condition survey of signboard language using quantitative research. This study takes a different approach to try and examine which factors should be considered before classifying signboard language as an object of purification in the normative aspect. To this end, this study investigated the actual condition of signboard language markings on the Hangeul Sign Street in Insa-dong and interviewed a business owner who had experience signboard posting. Through the interview with the business owner, the producer of the signboard language, this study was able to find clues about the value of sign language-related transcription norms to the business owner and the direction of the language policy on the signboard language. In an interview with the sign language owner I tried to find clues about the value of the signboard language and the direction of the language policy toward the signboard language and looked at various factors to consider.

The following study analyzes the linguistic landscape of governmental public signs with focus on whether language rights are being fulfilled, in Garibong-Dong, Seoul, which has a high proportion of people with Chinese citizenship in Korea, most of whom are Korean-Chinese, utilizing “Language Rights of Linguistic Minorities: A Practical Guide for Implementation” (Izsák-Ndiaye, 2013) published by the UN OHCHR (Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights) as a framework to see whether language rights are being fulfilled by governmental public signs. The study includes interviews with two workers of Korea Support Center for Foreign Workers about whether language rights of Garibong-dong's residents could be affected by the linguistic landscape and what efforts could the governments make for residents.

Shim, Jae Hyung. 2017. “The Relationship between a Linguistic Landscape and a Floating Population: The Case of the Greater Anyang Region”. The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea 25(1). 85~117. The purpose of this paper is to look at a relationship between urban planning in Korean cities and linguistic landscapes. The study attempts to see the effect of urban development on the rate of English use in the public sphere, and how different sizes of a floating population affect such differences. In doing so, the Greater Anyang Region, located south of Seoul, was selected as the site for the current study. This area is comprised of three cities (Anyang, Gunpo, Uiwang) with a number of business districts including the old downtown and new centers of each city, creating a clear difference in landscape between each area. The study observed the linguistic landscape around subway stations in this region. By observing the rate of English use on commercial signs in these commercial districts, it was found that there is a parallel line between the size of a floating population and the percentage of English in the public sphere. In addition, different rates of English use in different areas reflect a decline of old downtowns, while showing the higher economic status of newer commercial districts. Such phenomena provide an instance of a close relationship between the use of English and a floating population, since the busier business districts appear to have more use of English.

Park Eun-hee & Yang Jin-suk. 2015. “A Sociolinguistic Analysis of a Commercial District in Seoul: A Linguistic Landscape Approach”. The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea 23(2). 37~63. This paper investigates current sociolinguistic status of English and Korean by analyzing public signs at a shopping-centered district in Seoul, Korea. It is grounded on the idea that looking into a linguistic landscape (LL) of shopping districts in Seoul can address differential social values and meanings upon which the languages hinge in contemporary Korean society. For this study, a total of 140 public signs were analyzed according to language choice, linguistic features of English signs, and the relationship between language choice and commercial domain. The results indicate that 1) English signs outnumbered those of Korean, Chinese, and French, 2) English signs were mainly produced through juxtaposition, meaning that English (or Anglicized) words were displayed in parallel, and 3) while youth-populated domains such as coffee shops and cosmetic stores mobilized English to index a sense of modernity, language choice diverged in the food industry diverged depending on the types of food. This study shows how public signs on the street can be a useful analytical tool to investigate contemporary language ideologies in the society. (174)

YANG, Chul-Joon. 2014. Shifting Agency in Shaping Linguistic Landscape: Evidence from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea 22(2), 45-64. This paper addresses the question of agency in shaping linguistic landscape and its manifold social and political implications in changing language ideology, attitudes and situations in post-Ujamaa Tanzania. Based on empirical data collected in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, this paper attempts to explain shifting agency in shaping linguistic landscape in the context of globalization as well as the spread of English in Tanzania. Agency in shaping linguistic landscape is inseparably interconnected with various social actors'motivations and reflects social changes at large. The domain of human agency behind linguistic landscape (public uses of written language) can be characterized as an epiphenomenon which involves a historical dimension and perspective. The study of linguistic landscape with special reference to agency offers a useful tool for examining various social actors who vie for public space. Agency in linguistic landscape needs to be seen in the wider context of social processes and existing power structures. (150)