Highlighting a National Hero: Yu Kwansun (1902-1920) as a Token of the March 1st Movement of 1919 in Contemporary South Korean Society

This thesis researches how the concepts of tokenism and cultural memory are used to explain and strengthen the narrative of patriotic martyr Yu Kwansun as seemingly the sole important Korean female resistance fighter in contemporary South Korean society. By critically analyzing the various South Korean school textbooks, online news articles, governmental weblogs, literature, memory sites, museum labels, cinematic texts and the presidential speech in 2019, it seems that Yu Kwansun has a more highlighted role in society compared to the other female historical figures who are portrayed in the history canon. The portrayal of Yu Kwansun as a token has the purpose of constructing the image of an inclusive society through history. While the narrative of Yu Kwansun in society might give the appearance of inclusivity, the narratives of other important historical female figures in Korean history are literally left in the background. (Korean) women in general are still viewed as a single...Show moreThis thesis researches how the concepts of tokenism and cultural memory are used to explain and strengthen the narrative of patriotic martyr Yu Kwansun as seemingly the sole important Korean female resistance fighter in contemporary South Korean society. By critically analyzing the various South Korean school textbooks, online news articles, governmental weblogs, literature, memory sites, museum labels, cinematic texts and the presidential speech in 2019, it seems that Yu Kwansun has a more highlighted role in society compared to the other female historical figures who are portrayed in the history canon. The portrayal of Yu Kwansun as a token has the purpose of constructing the image of an inclusive society through history. While the narrative of Yu Kwansun in society might give the appearance of inclusivity, the narratives of other important historical female figures in Korean history are literally left in the background. (Korean) women in general are still viewed as a single entity and their accomplishments are often credited to the group instead of their own efforts. Ultimately, this thesis has shown how historical female figures are portrayed in contemporary society by focusing on the case study of Yu Kwansun.Show less

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Highlighting a National Hero: Yu Kwansun (1902-1920) as a Token of the March 1st Movement of 1919 in Contemporary South Korean Society