Abstract
After a decade of conservative politics, President Moon Jae In ran on the platform of peaceful cooperation with North Korea as the son of two North Korean refugees, placing soft power at the forefront of his political reign. This time period gave rise to one of the most popular Korean dramas of all time; “Crash Landing on You”. The popularity of this drama can show a warming towards the idea of seeing North Koreans as ‘just like us’. This study analyzes the significance of the image of North Korea in “Crash Landing on You” then puts it in conversation with earlier dramas to discuss the evolution of the image of North Korea in South Korean popular culture. It then addresses the significance of using dramas as a medium of analysis as a family-friendly form of entertainment by examining images of North Korea through films that came out around the same time. Finally, the tone will change to look at South Korean popular culture’s attempts to display unification of the Korean peninsula. Through data collected around public opinion, the author examines how and why unification themed media has historically been unpopular in popular culture. Through this study, the author hopes to further understand how and why policial images are displayed in popular culture and the impact that political ongoings can affect the ways certain messages are received.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Popular culture, Kdrama, North Korea, Korean Peninsula, Unification, Inter-Korean Relations
