This thesis examines the development of South Korea's multiculturalism discourse, specifically with regards to multicultural families. To establish how the multicultural discourse developed in a...Show moreThis thesis examines the development of South Korea's multiculturalism discourse, specifically with regards to multicultural families. To establish how the multicultural discourse developed in a local context in the 2010s, a reality TV program, Global Family's Life in Korea, will be analyzed. The thesis will answer the question of how the reality genre, particularly the case of Global Family's Life in Korea, is significant in how the Korean multiculturalism discourse is currently developing.Show less
This thesis is concerned with the narrative on peaceful Korean reunification and the efforts of the North Korean regime to shape this narrative through online pro-North Korea websites. The thesis...Show moreThis thesis is concerned with the narrative on peaceful Korean reunification and the efforts of the North Korean regime to shape this narrative through online pro-North Korea websites. The thesis consists of an original case study research of pro-North Korea online newspaper Minjok T’ongshin and how it uses the concept of the Korean minjok to shape the narrative on peaceful Korean reunification. The thesis should conclude with a controversial answer to the following research question: what role does the concept of the Korean minjok play in the shaping of the South Korean narrative on peaceful Korean reunification by Minjok T’ongshin during the Kim Jong Un regime, and can it achieve the peaceful reunification that is envisioned?Show less
The division between North and South Korea has interested scholars over the years, especially because the differences between North and South have become more apparent over the years. Emma Campbell...Show moreThe division between North and South Korea has interested scholars over the years, especially because the differences between North and South have become more apparent over the years. Emma Campbell argues that ethnic nationalism, in which North and South Koreans are considered as brothers and sisters, is challenged by globalization. However, Shin argues that globalization only intensifies ethnic nationalism because of the threat from the outsider to the imagined community. This thesis shows how ethnic nationalism is challenged in South Korea, exemplified by the analysis of Operation Chromite, a Korean War film. This analysis shows that the film distinguishes a sharp ‘us’, the southern fighters, versus ‘them’, the northern fighters. While the southern fighters are depicted as heroes, the northern fighters are characterized as evil. From this analysis, it can be concluded that ethnic nationalism is challenged in South Korea by South Korean-ness because the North is demonized in contrast to the South. However, further studying of this subject is necessary in order to see if this film is part of a trend towards South Korean-ness instead of ethnic nationalism, or that the film can be considered as an outlier.Show less
The Zainichi community in Japan faced numerous difficulties in Japan due to their Korean ethnicity. However, the experience of Zainichi women is distinct from Zainichi men because of their...Show moreThe Zainichi community in Japan faced numerous difficulties in Japan due to their Korean ethnicity. However, the experience of Zainichi women is distinct from Zainichi men because of their subordinate position in a patriarchal social structure in their community as well as within Japan. The patriarchal structure in the Zainichi community is the main cause of the predicaments of Zainichi women, such as domestic violence and restrained self-determination. Further, melodrama is an appropriate genre to portray and create awareness on the predicaments of Zainichi women, as its element of tragedy focuses on human suffering to evoke pathos, an emotion of sadness, which is melodrama’s aim. By representing the social problems of Zainichi women, melodrama connects the domestic issues of Zainichi women with the larger social structure of patriarchy and sexism in the Zainichi community. However, melodrama film recreates situations where women are suffering and portrayed as victims, which contributes to their negative stereotypes. Moreover, melodrama’s constant focus on human suffering to emphasize the represented social problems reinforces the cause of the problems rather than criticize it. This thesis therefore aims to analyze the representation of women in film and the political role of melodrama in the representation of the predicaments Zainichi women in the Zainichi film Blood and Bones (2004). Furthermore, this thesis argues that melodrama’s element of tragedy in melodrama fails to criticize the subordinate position of women in the Zainichi community.Show less
Lookism has started to become manifested throughout the South Korean society which has led to the obsession of Koreans with the achievement of beauty, even to such extremes that cosmetic surgery is...Show moreLookism has started to become manifested throughout the South Korean society which has led to the obsession of Koreans with the achievement of beauty, even to such extremes that cosmetic surgery is no longer a taboo and often even promoted to the people. Especially in the music industry the pressures to have to fit the Korean ideal beauty standard is extremely high. Korean idols are expected to have attractive appearances, as they are not only seen as role models for their fans; it will increase the success they will have in their musical career and will thus lead to a more promising future. Despite many people believing that this beauty obsession is just part of Korean culture, the critiques against the idea of lookism are rising. With comedy film being a means through which social and cultural critiques are often expressed, this thesis aims to analyze lookism in the context of South Korea and its music industry by arguing how the Korean film comedy 200 Pounds of Beauty uses its comedy genre to criticize lookism in South Korea.Show less
Major debates surrounding contemporary popular culture is centered on the idea that female representation in popular media is reduced to stereotypical portrayals of gender roles. This is also known...Show moreMajor debates surrounding contemporary popular culture is centered on the idea that female representation in popular media is reduced to stereotypical portrayals of gender roles. This is also known as the male gaze, which illustrates the world from a male perspective.Subsequently, the notion of women as spectators and audience is neglected. The South Korean music industry is no stranger to this. As most K-pop girl groups are targeted at a male audience, studies concerning Korean girl group representation primarily focuses on the influence of the male gaze. This thesis purposes to analyze K-pop girl group music videos from a female gaze, which represents female artists from a female point of view. Subsequently, the female gaze provides a sense of empowerment as women are not objectified, instead, the woman is represented as an active player. As Girls’ Generation has a huge international female following, this thesis aims to explore how the female gaze plays a role in representing female empowerment in Girls’ Generation’s music videos.Show less
Taking the discourse of fan cuồng K-pop (K-pop fanatical fans) as departure point, this thesis draws on narratives collected in the online research to provide insights to the particular experiences...Show moreTaking the discourse of fan cuồng K-pop (K-pop fanatical fans) as departure point, this thesis draws on narratives collected in the online research to provide insights to the particular experiences of Vietnamese K-pop fans constituted by their interpretative formations and culturally constructed subjectivities as a result of actively consuming, internalizing and negotiating the K-pop/idol culture that they inhabit.Show less
This thesis aims to analyse the depiction of LGBT characters in contemporary South Korean Cinema through a technical analysis of the 2006 movie "King and the Clown" and the 2012 movie "Two Weddings...Show moreThis thesis aims to analyse the depiction of LGBT characters in contemporary South Korean Cinema through a technical analysis of the 2006 movie "King and the Clown" and the 2012 movie "Two Weddings and a Funeral" in combination with theories regarding (South Korea's) LGBT community forming and media representation.Show less
In the last decade, K-pop has become one of South-Korea’s most important business cards, turning its idols into the icons of the newly emerging pop culture. This new focus on K-pop has brought...Show moreIn the last decade, K-pop has become one of South-Korea’s most important business cards, turning its idols into the icons of the newly emerging pop culture. This new focus on K-pop has brought about an increase in the commercialization of female sexuality.This sexuality is often justified through the notion of girl power. This thesis will add to the discussion on the nature and rationality of female sexuality in K-pop. Hereby I will suggest that not the often used term sexualization, but ‘sexual exploitation’ is more appropriate. The sexual exploitation of female K-pop idols will be uncovered by answering the following questions: How are female K-pop idols sexually exploited? Can this exploitation be justified by the concept of girl power? The findings in this thesis will lay bare the manner of sexual exploitation. Hereby I will argue that there is no room for girl power in the K-pop industry. Instead, the sexual exploitation of female idols is a result of K-pop being a male preponderant industry which creates interdependency and oppression.Show less
This thesis explores gender roles in contemporary South Korean society through their representation in television melodrama. The thesis argues that the opinions held by the society are not apparent...Show moreThis thesis explores gender roles in contemporary South Korean society through their representation in television melodrama. The thesis argues that the opinions held by the society are not apparent in the conservative societal practices. This is explored through survey data collected by Statistics Korea. It also argues that popular media such as television melodrama should represent rather the held opinions than the held practices in order to further the adoption of less conservative practices. The study of Wang’s Family shows that this is not the case. Concentrating on the gendered division of labor, the textual analysis of Wang’s Family shows that it represents the practices not the opinions. This shows that there is still work to be done in closing the gap between opinions and practices in the society regarding the gendered division of labor. Wang’s Family also represents other forms of gender roles that still persist in the society.Show less
Instead of focusing on how the Korean cinema represents the migrant worker minority group, this paper will examine the factors that might have played a role in influencing this representation. Two...Show moreInstead of focusing on how the Korean cinema represents the migrant worker minority group, this paper will examine the factors that might have played a role in influencing this representation. Two films have been chosen for analysis in this paper, based on their shared theme of South Korean societal issues regarding its Southeast Asian migrant workers yet difference in their representation of this minority group and variety in potential influencing factors: He’s on Duty, a movie about a native Korean man posing as a Bhutanese migrant in order to get a job at a chair manufacturing site, is produced and marketed as a mainstream comedy movie. Bandhobi, on the other hand, is an independent romance movie about the relationship between a Bangladeshi worker and a native Korean girl. The film branch and film genre, thus, are the factors that will be analyzed in both movies. This paper strives to identify the influence of both movies’ differences regarding film branch and film genre on its representation of the Southeast Asian migrant workers in order to answer this paper’s research question: How does the film categorization of He’s on Duty and Bandhobi influence their representation of Southeast Asian migrant workers?Show less
