This thesis explores the fields of gender, sexuality, and military studies to determine how military service and militarism contribute to the exponential growth in incidents of spy cameras and...Show moreThis thesis explores the fields of gender, sexuality, and military studies to determine how military service and militarism contribute to the exponential growth in incidents of spy cameras and revenge porn in South Korea. The focus is placed on the role of the military and mandatory military service in South Korean society and how conscription constitutes masculinity, diffuses ideas, beliefs, and values among young Korean men, and how this can have an influence on their behavior. Factors such as the instilment of military values, domination and control, the militarized culture of sexuality, and gender power structures within the military draft system are of particular importance. This paper shows that military conscription and militarism contribute to an intensification of the frictions between gender and sexuality within Korean society through the systematic promotion of hypermasculinity. In this regard, this thesis argues that Korean women have been continuously portrayed as the weaker and lesser ‘other’ by the military over the course of history, and that this othering has helped affirm masculinity and dominance over the ‘weaker’ other, which in turn legitimizes and contributes to sexual violence. Here, the internet provides a communal space for the extension of sexual violence, and with this the exercise of this dominance over and shaming of the ‘other’ with more ease and anonymity, which contributes to the growing spy camera and revenge porn epidemic in South Korea.Show less
This paper will examine how the North Korean people can participate in the possible process of obtaining justice for the crimes against humanity committed in the DPRK. In particular, it focuses on...Show moreThis paper will examine how the North Korean people can participate in the possible process of obtaining justice for the crimes against humanity committed in the DPRK. In particular, it focuses on how other countries have dealt with this issue in the past and what should be taken into account when talking about the unique case of North Korea. The goal of the study is to include the voice of North Koreans in the debate on victim participation in (transitional) justice.Show less
In this thesis the aim is to work on questions related to soft power in the cultural policies of the Lee government. As previous research on hallyu had been focusing mainly on the reason of its...Show moreIn this thesis the aim is to work on questions related to soft power in the cultural policies of the Lee government. As previous research on hallyu had been focusing mainly on the reason of its spread, presidencies in the early stages of hallyu, the economic aspects of hallyu and research dealing with state power was more focused on South Korea’s engagement in military peace operations and development aid not much could be found on the relation of the Lee government with cultural soft power. Even though this was eminent in his cultural policies throughout the years. Therefore this thesis focuses on the questions of how the Lee administration’s goals and uses of soft power are reflected and pursued in the cultural industry policy. How does the government see the use of cultural policy for economic and image goals and why this is deemed important. These questions were researched in a framework of soft power as coined by Joseph Nye and this framework was used while analysing the cultural White Papers that were published during the five years of Lee’s presidency. In the end the concept of soft power is very applicable to South Korea and its situation. If one were to catch the importance of soft power to South Korea in one word it would be: visibility.Show less
