KOREAN FILM & SOCIETY MASTER STUDY GUIDE PART 1

VOCABULARY flashcards covering the historical timeline from the Taft-Katsura Agreement to the Sewol Ferry Disaster, as well as core analytical concepts used to study Korean film and society.

Taft-Katsura Agreement (1905)

A 1905 agreement where the United States accepted Japan's control over Korea while Japan recognized American influence in the Philippines, often seen as the start of foreign powers deciding Korea's future.

Japanese Colonization (1910–1945)

The period following Japan's official annexation of Korea in 1910, during which Koreans lost political freedom, language rights, and cultural identity, and were forced into labor or military service.

Miracle on the Han River

A period of rapid economic growth that transformed South Korea into an industrial nation, characterized by economic success and technology but also by social inequality and the loss of traditional life.

New Village Movement (Saemaul Movement)

A government campaign to modernize rural Korea, increase productivity, and improve villages, representing modernization, national rebuilding, and economic development.

Gwangju Uprising (May 18, 1980)

A major protest against the military government's declaration of martial law where hundreds of civilians were killed; it became a symbol of democracy and a point of ideological and media manipulation.

1997 Asian Financial Crisis (IMF Crisis)

The collapse of the South Korean economy resulting in an IMF bailout, which signaled the beginning of Neoliberalism, privatization, and increased corporate power.

Sunshine Policy (Late 1990s)

A policy by President Kim Dae-jung to improve relations with North Korea through peaceful cooperation and no military aggression, which shifted the cinematic representation of North Koreans from 'enemy' to human beings.

2002 Yangju Highway Incident

An incident where two middle-school girls were killed by a U.S. military vehicle, leading to large anti-American demonstrations after the soldiers involved were acquitted.

Sewol Ferry Disaster (2014)

A 2014 tragedy where a ferry sank and over 300 people died, becoming a symbol of government failure and poor disaster management in South Korea.

Ideology

A system of beliefs that shapes how people understand politics, history, society, and other people, such as the portrayal of North Koreans as either enemies or human beings.

Representation

The way a film portrays a specific group, such as North Koreans, protesters, or the government, and how those portrayals change across different films.

Discourse

The dominant story society tells about an event, often involving a competition between government narratives and alternative perspectives.

Anti-Communism

One of the strongest ideologies in South Korea after the Korean War, used to justify military rule, violence, and government control.

Neoliberalism

An economic system emphasizing private business, competition, and reduced government regulation, often connected in class to corporate greed and income inequality.

Glocalization

The process of taking a global idea and adapting it to local culture, such as creating a uniquely Korean zombie movie like Train to Busan.

Liminality

The state of being "in between," represented in film by tunnels, stations, windows, and connectors between train cars rather than the train itself.

Sa Dae Ju Ui

Literally "Serving the Great," referring to the idea that Korea historically deferred to stronger powers, specifically connected to United States influence on South Korean policy.

Urban Terror

A concept where the real danger is not just a monster, but the terrifying modernization and the urban environment that created the monster.

Chaebol

Large family-controlled corporations like Samsung, Hyundai, and LG that represent concentrated economic power and corporate influence.

Selective Welfare

A system that helps only certain people, where ordinary people are sacrificed while elites protect themselves, acting as a social critique of inequality.

Confucianism

A traditional belief system emphasizing family, duty, respect, sacrifice, and honor, strongly connected to the film Ode to My Father.