East Asian Languages and Societies Commons^™

Modern Youth Or Moral Decadence: Discourses On South Korea’S “Youth Culture” In Magazines Of The Late 1960s And Early 1970s, Thibaut Diverchy

Asia Pacific Perspectives

The cultural phenomenon known as “youth culture” (ch’ŏngnyŏn munhwa) emerged in South Korean society at the turn of the 1970s. It encompasses Western fashion trends, music genres, leisure and nightlife. Labeled as a foreign and decadent trend by the authorities, this so-called counterculture was the target of repeated crackdowns. It is sometimes perceived as a force of protest or resistance, but it had more ambiguous relations to the regime. Popular entertainment magazines such as the Sunday Seoul or the Chugan Kyŏnghyang helped propagate youth culture and provided resources about new trends to young people, but also kept a certain distance …

Asia Pacific Perspectives Vol. 19 No. 1, 2025, University Of San Francisco

Asia Pacific Perspectives

Articles

Think Pieces

Photo Essay

Book Reviews

Selective Remembrance: Constructing Nostalgia At The Park Chung Hee Presidential Museum, Abigail Shaw

Honors Theses

How and why does Park Chung Hee remain so potent in the minds of South Koreans, decades after his rule? Seungsook Moon (2009) describes the phenomenon as Park Chung Hee Syndrome: a cultural condition in which Park’s image circulates between glorification, demonization, and humanization, producing an unresolved and emotionally charged field of memory. Building on this, researchers have examined how a type of “Park Chung Hee nostalgia” operates through selective remembrance of developmental success, moral discipline, and national unity, ultimately creating a positive memory and longing for semblance of his long-ended rule (Park, 2011; Podoler, 2016; Lee, 2022).

Statues and …

From South Korea To South Central: The 1992 Los Angeles Uprising And The "Rooftop Korean", Mina Althea Lamson Jung

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis examines the historical formation of the "rooftop Korean," the racial figure of the armed Korean American shopkeeper that emerged during the 1992 Los Angeles Uprising and has since been mobilized repeatedly in service of anti-Black counterinsurgency. Drawing on the framework of racial capitalism, this thesis argues that the rooftop Korean was not a spontaneous product of the Korean-Black conflict in South Central Los Angeles but the culmination of decades of U.S.-Korea relations, South Korean militarization, and the racial geography of capitalist development on both sides of the Pacific.

Tracing a transnational arc from the Korean War through the …

Writing The Script: Shaping Korean National Identity, Media Imperialism And The Revolution Of K-Dramas, Isai J. Martinez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This thesis explores the role of South Korean television dramas (K-dramas) as cultural artifacts that the Korean creators have created and become agents, which in turn has constructed and projected globally the modern South Korean national identity. Positioned at the crossroads of cultural imperialism, nationalism, resistance and appropriation, K-dramas have become extremely critical to reshaping South Korea’s place in the global media landscape. Through the lens of the Hallyu (The Korean Wave), this study analyzes how K-drama’s navigate an ambiguous cultural space which simultaneously resists Western media dominance while appropriating global forms including platform-based distribution, tailoring original content to …

Untitled, Seung Ho Jeon

Masters Theses

We are, by our very own nature, confined within our own lived experiences. To transcend our inherent loneliness, we seek ways to fulfill a fundamental sense of belonging through symbolic interactions. The external world we navigate is a subjective framework constructed through repetitive, mundane interaction, and as actors, we participate in such monotonous performances as a means to create shared meaning.

Such performance manifests as a collective entity - an intangible force that is not bound by institutionalized systems, emerging organically from grassroots beliefs and practices. Throughout the performance, there are symbols - artifacts, space, and interactions. And these transformative …

For The Time Beings, Tori Hong

Masters Theses

For the Time Beings is a socially engaged installation and artist book exploring the material consequences and future possibilities of sociocultural time theories. Time, in the West, is typically associated with Newtonian linearity, while in the East, time theory relies on Buddhist principles. These epistemologies reinforce hierarchical and patriarchal structures. Centered on Indigenous Asian and Asian American perspectives, For the Time Beings challenges dominant ideologies of existing in time and space.

For nearly a year, I’ve burned handwritten prayers on new and full moons. The ashes of these prayers are incorporated into reverential drawings of chosen ancestors, made with charcoal …

Breaking News And Broken Hopes: Inter-Korean Engagement And The Emotional Consequences Of Media Framing, Sophia Lizanne Trombley

Honors Theses

This thesis analyzes two periods of pro-North Korean engagement regimes in South Korea during the presidencies of Kim Dae-jung (1998-2003), Roh Moo-hyun (2003-2008), and Moon Jae-in (2017-2023). Through analysis of the three aforementioned presidents’ initiatives for engagement with the North, categorization of news headlines from two major South Korean sources, and public opinion polls, I argue that especially high and low emotional reactions among the South Korean public during these periods were exacerbated by news media’s overly dramatized portrayal of inter-Korean interactions, both big and small. This has led to desensitization and emotional exhaustion among the South Korean public, causing …

Marshaling A Triumph: The Park Chung Hee Era, Developmental State Theory, And The Meaning Of Success In South Korea, Kevin Hockmuth

Emancipations: A Journal of Critical Social Analysis

South Korea has long been looked to as a model of developmental success. Undoubtedly, South Korean society has experienced a remarkable expansion of wealth, social well-being, and technological capacity over the last half-century. The central turning point in this momentous transformation coincided with the authoritarian rule of Park Chung Hee (1961-1979). As such, scholars of political economy and development have paid close attention to the various facets of his regime to glean the primary causes underpinning South Korea’s developmental feats. The most significant of these efforts have emerged from works emphasizing the role of the South Korean developmental state. This …

Collapsing Education And Teacher Rights In South Korea: Exploring Korean Teacher, Student, And Parent Relationships, Briyanna Moore

Honors Projects

South Korea has one of the best education systems, as Korean students tend to excel in multiple academic areas in comparison to the national averages of other countries (WENR, 2018). However, due to the high academic and societal pressures placed on Korean students to succeed in school, South Korean teachers have become increasingly overwhelmed with handling parent and student demands. Due to the updated Korean Child Welfare Act (2014), Korean teachers now face claims of child abuse from parents either for reprimanding students who were initially combative in class, or for denying parents’ request for after school extracurricular services for …

Theorizing Cultural Appropriation: Complications Of Globalization And Power In Hybrid K-Pop, David C. Oh

Media Studies - All Scholarship

The purpose of this paper is to theorize cultural appropriation using a critical perspective that centers structural inequity and uneven global power by examining the case of South Korean media. This paper argues that cultural appropriation is a particular form of intercultural borrowing that relies on structural inequities of power, whereby a more powerful culture takes from a less powerful culture in such a way that it causes structural and representational harm to the borrowed culture. To clarify cultural appropriation as a particular form of cultural borrowing, I provide a typology of different forms of cultural borrowing before positing six …

Challenges Facing The Reunification Of Korea, Patricia Cazeau

Helm's School of Government Conference - 2021-2024

After the Second World War, the once-unified northern and southern halves of the nation of Korea had been under immense external pressure from the American-Soviet Cold War. As a result, the northern side had sided with the Russian communists, while the southern side had leaned into the United States’ style of democracy over time. Despite multiple proposed ideas for unification, the increasing tensions between Russia and the United States discouraged reunification, despite the Cold War’s eventual end. Thus, various social, religious, economic, and military crises multiplied within each country’s borders. This paper will assess the challenges surrounding the reunification of …

Conscription In South Korea, Jennifer Rhee

Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)

South Korea has had a mandatory military service requirement for male South Korean citizens from the ages 18-28 since the 1950's- the government's response to accelerate the establishment of a stronger defense force during post cold-war times. The disposition of conscription has been changed multiple times since it's implementation and continues to be reexamined as South Korea progresses, but it still faces scrutiny and controversies as forced labor conventions are challenged and many young men will try to find exemptions from the obligation to serve their country for several years. This presentation will observe the history, reasoning, and future of …

Suicide And South Korean Youth: How A World Class Education System Affects Its Adolescents, Grace Hendricks

Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE)

This presentation takes a look at the suicide rates among South Korean youth ages 15 to 19, comparing the numbers to those of the same age range in the United States. We will look at the raw numbers, go over similarities and differences, and end with contributing factors for both groups. Particular focus will be on how South Korea is considered to have the best education system in the world and the impact that fact has on the young people going through it.

Why Renegotiation?: Renewal Of The South Korea-Chile Bilateral Free Trade Agreement, Montserrat Bugueno

International Studies (MA) Theses

This thesis project explores the motivations behind the bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) renegotiation between Chile and South Korea. Existing studies have examined the reasons and outcomes of creating the initial Chile-South Korea FTA, but they have not focused on renegotiations between the two countries. A few investigations on renegotiations have focused on diversifying their exports and expanding their markets in each other's regions. However, most research lacks further exploration of both countries' market security concerns. By analyzing official government documents and conducting three semi-structured interviews with government officials and experts in the field, I argue that the current protectionist …

The Professional Struggles Of Contemporary Korean Women: Origins And Consequences Of The Glass Ceiling, Liat Miller

Master's Projects and Capstones

The status of women globally, though improved in recent decades, remains an unresolved issue. The labor market, in which women must contend with the glass ceiling phenomenon, is an indicative microcosmos of a larger issue—the persistence of discriminatory attitudes toward women. The case is even more profound in East Asian contexts, such as South Korea. The existing literature is limited and focuses on either specific aspects of the glass ceiling or particular industries in Korea. This paper explores the origins and interconnected causes of the glass ceiling in Korea, which include Confucian philosophy and values. Moreover, by analyzing testimonials of …

The Treatment Of South Korean Women Has Changed Since Japan’S Military Comfort System Because Of Stronger Laws And More Diverse Support Groups, Arianna Daria Fiorentini

Senior Theses

During the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), the Japanese government condoned the forced recruitment and transportation of approximately 200,000 Korean women to be sex slaves for the Japanese Army. Korean “comfort women” suffered greatly under the system and the issue was not known to the public until the early 1990s, when Korean feminist leaders helped 200 Korean “comfort women” survivors come forward and share their experiences. Historians and feminist scholars addressing the “comfort issue” have thoroughly described the comfort system, the conditions Korean “comfort women” faced, and how gender, patriarchy, colonialism, and class come into play in the system’s existence and …

Through The Lens Of Koreans: The Influence Of Media On Perceptions Of Feminism, Neha Cariappa

Master's Projects and Capstones

Regardless of country and culture, the media has the power to influence the opinions and perceptions of its viewers. This project evaluates specific Korean movies—and the reactions of South Koreans to gender representations in films that are considered “feminist”—along with the variety show genre, which also tends to reinforce gender stereotypes and imbalances. With these media representations as a framework, this research explores the impact of the internet in forwarding feminist views along with unearthing the reactions of Koreans. Given the anonymity of the internet and social media, these platforms allow for honest expression and counterpoints to sexist views and …

Pyeongchang V Pyongyang: The Endless Game Of Inter-Korean Sports, Jack Anderson

Master's Projects and Capstones

Since their division, North and South Korea have fluctuated between a peaceful and chaotic relationship. This project explores the role of athletics within inter-Korean relations, using a multidimensional conceptual framework. In particular, this research examines the significant role sports play within each country’s political affairs, how this phenomenon has evolved, and the impact of sports on how South Koreans view their neighbors and the idea of reunification. Through in-depth historical and quantitative analysis, we see that sports can be understood as a political tool that has matured over time. Initially emerging as a means to gauge the status of affiliation …

Victim Silencing, Sexual Violence Culture, Social Healing: Inherited Collective Trauma Of World War Ii South Korean Military “Comfort Women”, Mijin Cho

VCU Phi Kappa Phi Award Winners

The unresolved reconciliation process for WWII South Korean military “comfort women” presents a case of nationally inherited collective trauma, in which South Koreans far removed in time and space from the historical tragedy feel its implications and obligations for reparations and social healing. In examining the South Korean comfort women redress movement and systemic concealment of WWII military sexual slavery, this study investigates a pattern of victim silencing, characterized by institutional patriarchy and ineffective government involvement, from 1945 to 2019. Following the South Korean government’s formal rejection of the 2015 agreement with Japan regarding a final and irreversible conclusion to …

Politics, Protest And Patience: Gendered Rights And Human Security In India And South Korea, Anika Backelin-Harrison

Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies Honors Papers

National security measures are often framed from a masculinist, hegemonic viewpoint, determining that the wellbeing of a state and its citizens is dependent on protection by a patriarchal government. This paper argues that the health and strength of a country and its citizens are better promoted through a focus on human security, defined by the United Nations as the right of all people to live in freedom and dignity, free from poverty and despair. Moreover, a gendered approach to human security is necessary to advance economic development, personal security and freedom from violence. Nonetheless, women all over the world are …

A Study On The Determinants Of Childbirth In Primary Local Government Districts In South Korean ‘Do’ Metro Provinces, Seungmin Kim

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Korea is experiencing a very serious low fertility rate. As of 2017, Korea has a fertility rate of 1.05, which is the lowest among the G20 countries. The low fertility rate can lead to pension burden problems and economic recession problems. In particular, the Primary Local Government Districts ((PLGDs) in "Do" Metro provinces in Korea may have a problem of a decrease in the agricultural population, and the reduction of organizational and administrative functions due to the reduction of fiscal income. To solve the low fertility rate, we need to identify factors that affect childbirth, and to engage in policy …

The Dmz Responds, Seo-Young J. Chu

Publications and Research

Seo-Young Chu’s “The DMZ Responds” appeared in Telos 184 (Fall 2018), a special issue on Korea edited by Haerin Shin.

The Impact Of Entrepreneurs' Characteristics On The Performance Of Venture Businesses, Janghoon Lee

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

In South Korea, venture businesses play a key role in commercializing new technology and revitalizing the economy. The Korean government implements various policies and supporting programs directly. Evaluating the possibility of future growth and selecting good venture business is very important for the effectiveness and efficiency of government programs supporting venture businesses.

There have been many studies aimed at finding the factors affecting the success of venture businesses, and entrepreneurs‟ characteristics are known as the major factor. In this study, the impact of entrepreneurs‟ characteristics on the performance of venture businesses is analyzed by using the survey data of 2,049 …

Determinants Of Personal Information Protection Activities In South Korea, Pilku Kang

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how people’s awareness and ways to obtain relevant materials of personal information have influenced individual’s information privacy protection activities. This study uses the data of a 2016 survey on information security published by Korea Information and Security Agency.

The dependent variables of this study are preventive measures for the security of a Personal Computer (PC) and preventive measures against personal information breach. I classify independent variables into four types. They are internet users’ perception about information privacy, such as awareness of the importance of protecting one’s personal information, and awareness of information …

A Study On The Impact Of Demographic Change On Housing Price In South Korea, Jungman Moon

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

In recent years, the demographic structure of South Korea as been changing. Although the total population is still growing, the population growth rate is shrinking due to the rapid decline in the birth rate and the aging population. On the other hand, the growth rate of the total number of households is decreasing, but the rate of one-person or two-person households is steadily increasing. Data by region from 2003 to 2016 are used to analyze how these changes in the size and composition of population and households affect housing prices. Since the patterns of changes in the housing price and …

The Impact Of Socioeconomic Factors On Voter Turnout In The Republic Of Korea: Empirical Research For The Results Of 18Th And 19Th Presidential Elections, Hee Yup Yoon

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

This study examines the relationship between socioeconomic factors and voter turnout in South Korea. In particular, the determinants of the turnout in the 2012 and 2017 presidential elections in the Republic of Korea are analyzed by using the aggregated data in terms of municipal-level divisions. The findings partially support previous studies. The education level and the percentage of primary industry workers in the district have a significantly positive impact on turnout. Holding the other variables constant, as the proportion of the population over higher education in the district increases, voter turnout grows. Likewise, as the ratio of primary industry workers …

Life And Seoul Of The Party: South Korea’S Brief Occupation Under Communist North Korea, Catherine Rose Graham

All Master's Theses

This thesis analyzes the North Korean occupation of Seoul through the oral histories of the men and women who experienced the event. At the beginning of the Korean War, North Korean forces successfully captured and held the South Korean capital for three months. Despite the occupation’s interesting premise, it has received little attention from Korean War scholars. Interviews with the people who lived through the Korean War though, demonstrate that from their point of view, the occupation was a particularly significant part of their war experience.

The Effect Of The Housing Support Policy For The Disabled And Factors Affecting Policy Satisfaction In South Korea, Hee Bum Lee

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The Korean government has recently recognized the importance of residential environment for the disabled, and has begun to establish various housing support policies as a social safety net. In this context, the Korean government has enacted the Housing Support Act for the Underprivileged (HSAU) which includes the disabled in 2012. The goal of this legislative action is to strengthen the Housing Support Policy for the Disabled (HSPD) and establish a legal basis for HSPD (NLIC, 2017). The purpose of this study is to analyze whether the introduction of HSAU has a positive effect on the policy satisfaction for the disabled. …

Effective Traffic Noise Policy Of Urban Development Projects In South Korea, Jaechang Jo

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

In 1980, South Korean government built a large scale apartment complex in the Seoul metropolitan area because of consecutive urbanization and rapid industrialization. However, in late 1980, as the housing market surged rapidly, the government constructed several huge new towns. These new towns and urban development projects contributed to stabilizing the housing market, but residents in new towns began to suffer from traffic noise and this became social problems.

Traffic noise is caused by tire friction and also influenced by various factors such as vehicle volume and traffic speed. There are two primary measures to mitigate the traffic noise; reducing …