EcoS Guest Lecture with Prof. Sung Kyung Kim

Many have observed the representation of North Koreans in South Korean popular culture. Given ideological confrontation between the two Koreas following division, the portrayal of North Koreans in South Korean media remained largely antagonistic and simplistic until the late 1990s. Since then, South Korean films and dramas have strategically depicted North Korean characters with sympathetic & nationalistic sentiments to attract South Korean audiences. However, in the era of global media platforms, South Korean popular culture targeting global audiences has begun to portray North Koreans as symbols of marginalized social groups. Additionally, these media strategically use the division issue & North Korean characters as elements of "Koreanness" to distinguish their narratives. While the global popularity of K-culture opens opportunities to represent local culture in international markets, the use of North Korean characters still often serves as a device to provide a sense of locality within a globalized K-pop culture.

Sung Kyung Kim is an Associate Professor at the University of North Korean Studies. She previously taught at Sungkonghoe University, Kyung Hee University, and the National University of Singapore. She has also served on advisory boards for governmental and non-governmental organizations. Her research interests include the division system, sociology of emotion and affect, North Korean migrants, and cultural studies.

Date: January 15 (Wednesday), 2025, 16:45–18:15 (CET; UTC+1)
Venue: Sinology Conference Room (adjacent to the EcoS Office, 2F-O1-27A), Hof 2, Entrance 2.3, AAKH Campus, Spitalgasse 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria