Korean society has made great strides forward in gender representation in the last decade, yet mainstream media often encourages stereotypes and binary gender roles. However, the genre conventions...Show moreKorean society has made great strides forward in gender representation in the last decade, yet mainstream media often encourages stereotypes and binary gender roles. However, the genre conventions of historical fusion and fantasy combine elements of imagination and otherness that can engage in discussion on gender and represent gender in an alternative, more open, way. It addresses a contemporary issue yet is not bounded by the restrictions of today’s society. To analyze the potential positive representation of the genres, this thesis analyzes the Korean historical fantasy fusion drama Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (hereafter Moon Lovers) (2016). In order to study the alternative representations within mainstream media, this thesis looks at how the series’ representation of gender is in line with gender normativity. The leading research question is: Does Moon Lovers break gender normativity? The study was conducted through film analysis and guided by gender theory. In conclusion, Moon Lovers does not break with gender normativity. However, the potential of the genres to represent gender in an alternative way still require further study.Show less
This thesis compares the gender dynamics of romantic comedies in both North and South Korean cinema. The genre is a relatively recent development in both countries and as is the general tendency,...Show moreThis thesis compares the gender dynamics of romantic comedies in both North and South Korean cinema. The genre is a relatively recent development in both countries and as is the general tendency, also in the Korean case(s) confirms the existing social hierarchies and gender biases. This thesis finds that both North and South Korean cinema uphold patriarchal hegemony, despite the very different socio-political context within which these films are created.Show less
In this thesis, a comparative analysis of the depiction of Kim Il Sung and the depiction of Kim Jong Il in North Korean thematic paintings (chujehwa) is conducted in order to determine how these...Show moreIn this thesis, a comparative analysis of the depiction of Kim Il Sung and the depiction of Kim Jong Il in North Korean thematic paintings (chujehwa) is conducted in order to determine how these paintings reflect the personality cults of the two leaders and whether there are any differences and similarities in the way the two leaders are depicted.Show less
This thesis uses a collection of North Korean printed posters to question the existing understanding of gender politics in North Korea studies. It does so by combining gender theory with a...Show moreThis thesis uses a collection of North Korean printed posters to question the existing understanding of gender politics in North Korea studies. It does so by combining gender theory with a synchronic and diachronic visual analysis of a selection of posters. In doing so, it adds in diversifying an all too often monolithic understanding of North Korea.Show less
This thesis makes an attempt to define North Korean comic books and situate them in the context of North Korean cultural production. Then, using the visual language of comics theory developed by...Show moreThis thesis makes an attempt to define North Korean comic books and situate them in the context of North Korean cultural production. Then, using the visual language of comics theory developed by Neil Cohn, the dialect of visual language used by Ch'oe Hyŏk is analysed and identified by looking at the graphic structure, morphology and narrative grammar. Drawing on Cohn's data, some comparisons are made with the attentional panel categories and filmic shot types of American and Japanese visual language. Based on this, there is an extrapolation as to possible influences on the comics work of Ch'oe Hyŏk.Show less
