• Journal of Popular Narrative
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.9-40
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• 2019

This study presents an investigation into South Korean films in the 1990s in the aspects of genre change and emotional reorganization. The 1990s witnessed a change of genres and a paradigm shift in the history of Korean films according to the revolutionary changes of the film industry structure and media environment. Believing that these changes had something to do with emotional changes driven by global capitalization symbolized by democratization in 1987 and the foreign currency crisis in 1998, the investigator analyzed the phenomena in film texts and examined the opportunities and context behind them. Unlike previous researches, this study made an approach to the history of Korean films in the 1990s with three points: first, this study focused on why the romantic comedy genre emerged in the 1990s and what stages its formation underwent since there had been no profound discussions about them; secondly, this study analyzed the biggest hits during the transitional period from 1987~1999 to figure out the mainstream genres and emotions during that period since these hits would provide texts to show the genre domain and public taste in a symbolic way; and finally, this study grew out of the separate investigation approach between melodramas and romantic comedies and looked into an emotional structure to encompass both genres to make a more broad and dynamic approach to South Korean films in the 1990s. History flows continuously without severance from previous times. When there is attention paid to inflection points and opportunities in the continuum, it can show the dynamics and structures of changes. This research led to the following conclusions: the mainstream genre of South Korean films had been melodramas until the 1980s. The old convention had been kept to offset or suture contradictions and excessive elements deviant from the structural consistency. Here, the structural consistency refers to no compliance to rational regulations or trade. The process of genre reorganization in the 1990s happened while securing some distance from the convention of making the structural consistency a sacrifice. The direction was to reinforce control through reasonable rationalism and logic of capital. It developed into romance, which would start with comedy to keep distance from the objects through laughter, heighten the level of remarks, and expand criticality, symbolize emotions with taste items, and build through the logic of mutual consensus and practical trade. In the 1990s, the South Korean films thus developed in a direction of moving away from the narrative of urgent pathos based on unconditional familism. It was on the same track as the entry of the South Korean society into the upgraded orbits of democracy and capitalism as the twins of modern rationalism since the latter part of the 1980s.

• Journal of Popular Narrative
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.159-190
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• 2019

This paper aims to examine to the political unconsciousness of social movies that have caused social repercussions in the 2010s, and to study the social imagination of Korean films at that time. Korean Movies such as (2013), <1987>(2017) and (2017) reflect the ethos of civil society based on common sense and justice. The epic structure was the same as that of ordinary citizens, who move toward a public space (court, square) after awakening their political correctness. More than anything else, the fact that such films were based on "a historical fact" could have been a strategy to avoid censorship in the era of the blacklist. In these social films, courts and squares have become places for democracy. The conservative government of the time was tired of anti-government resistance and the politics of the square. Thus, films from directors and producers blacklisted were difficult to produce. That's why the court in the movie during this period could become a symbolic proxy for the "legitimate" reenactment of the politics of the square, which was subject to censorship and avoidance by the regime of the time. Meanwhile, the square has gradually become the main venue for political films that advocate "historic true stories." The square of the 1980s, which appeared in the movies, will be connected to the Gwanghwamun candlelight square that audiences experienced in 2017. Furthermore, it was able to reach the concept of an abstract square as an "open space for democracy." At the foundation of these works is a psychological framework that equates the trauma of the failed democratic movement of the 1980s to the trauma of the failed progressive movement of the 2010s. Through this study, we were able to see that social political films in the 2010s were quite successful, emphasizing "political correctness" and constitutional common sense. But they also had limitations as "de-political popular films" that failed to show imagination beyond the censorship of the blacklist era.

• Journal of Popular Narrative
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.165-191
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• 2019

The purpose of this article is to elucidate why the motif of time travel is repeated in the science fiction narrative by examining the functions of this motif in the SF movie series of Star Trek in its narrative and non-narrative aspects. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) aims to attract the audience's interest in the story through the use of plausible time travel in the form of the slingshot effect which causes the spacecraft to fly at very fast speeds around an astronomical object. The movie also touches upon the predestination paradox that arises from a change of history in which it describes a formula of transparent aluminum that did not exist at the time. The film also serves as an evocation of the ideology of ecology by including humpback whales in the central narrative and responding to the real issue of the whale protection movement of the times. Star Track VIII: First Contact (1996) intends to interest the audience in the narrative with the warp drive, a virtual device that enables travel at speeds faster than that of light and a signature visual of Star Trek, at the time of its birth through time travel. The film emphasizes the continuation of peaceful efforts by warning the destruction of humanity that nuclear war can bring. It tackles with the view of pacifism and idealism by stressing the importance of cooperation between countries in the real world by making the audience anticipate the creation of the United Federation of Planets through encounters with the extraterrestrial. Star Trek: The Beginning (2009) improves interest through the idea of time travel to the past, this time using a black hole and the parallel universe created thereby. The parallel universe functions as a reboot, allowing a new story to be created on an alternate timeline while maintaining the original storyline. In addition, this film repeats the themes pacifism and idealism shown in the 1996 film through the confrontation between Spock (and the Starfleet) and Nero, the destruction of the Vulcan and the Romulus, and the cooperation of humans and Vulcans. Eventually, time travel in three Star Trek films has the function of maximizing the audience's interest in the story and allowing it to develop freely as a narrative tool. It also functions as an ideal solution for commenting on current problems in the non-narrative aspect. The significance of this paper is to stress the possibility that the motif of time travel in SF narrative will evolve as it continues to repeat in different forms as mentioned above.

• Journal of Popular Narrative
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.211-266
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• 2019

Films of the 1960s in both Korea and Egypt share many common characteristics. These include the main trend of such films' in addition to some of the political situations. This trend mainly relates to the adaptation of novels into films. In the late 1940s, Andre Bazin wrote his ideas about a similar phenomenon in Europe and the United States. Based on Bazin's thoughts and other examples for films adapted from novels in the 1940-60s, I found that the trend in both Korea and Egypt can be explained as an international phenomenon, in which film developed to a further stage due to a dialectic between content and form after the increase in the development of film techniques. The trend in Korea is believed to have led to the so-called golden era of Korean movies, while in Egypt films adapted from literature were not able to earn high profits, even though in a 1996 list of the best 100 Egyptian films, 23 had been adapted from novels. To explain the reasons behind this phenomenon, I looked into the internal demand from filmmakers themselves to further develop the industry through the articles written at that time. In addition, I explored the different situations and policies that influenced film production in both countries in the 1960s. I found that political situations and policies could have helped in the continuity of such trend, but it is difficult to consider these as the main reason for its creation, in contrast to the internal demand, which I believe is the main reason for the creation of such direction.

• Journal of Popular Narrative
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.55-85
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• 2019

In this article, we examine the real meaning behind the stories in which the N-po Generation (Millennial Generation) is depicted, through the observation of entertainment programs, TV series, and movies. This could be an opportunity to investigate the aspects of emotional customs of our era, which have been described by television media as portraying the complex and multifaceted reality in the most mundane and popular manner while influencing the public. Problems with youth unemployment, the polarization of life, and instability are not only global issues but situations that specifically occur in South Korea. It is thus vital to pay attention to the inner side of the N-po Generation who enjoy Sohwakhaeng (small but certain happiness) by eating alone as the placebo effect of this tough reality. This is an agenda that should be viewed as a problem in the fundamental design of South Korean society. The consciousness of the problem shown in the TV series has been drawing attention. The TV series Because depicts a love narrative that concentrates on emotions in a relationship that started between housemates due to poverty and housing problems, leading to marriage. Thus, the TV series persuasively dramatized 'confluent love' in the N-po Generation. In the movie , Miso can be regarded as a symbol that represents the emergence of a new generation of cultural sensitivity. There is a suggestion in the sequence of that identifies the pursuit of taste with the discovery of identity. The TV series is a growth narrative that deals heavily with youth unemployment, temporary workers, fragmented families, and dating violence. The housemates in find emotional stability through interaction with each other, and courageously approach their individual problems. In the process, images of women, who are empathetic towards others and are willing to jointly solve their problems, are calmly depicted to reveal a story of growth revolving around a ground emotional community. The current problem that South Korean society should contemplate is how to be fully human beyond mere survival, and how to further seek the conditions of human existence. In that sense, what we should pursue is a notion of 'publicness', which can put several generations together. Because of the reality that confliction between generations must be triggered, in order to make a passage of sympathizing, mass media's sensitivity training becomes more important. This may be the duty of mass media.

• Journal of Popular Narrative
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.349-383
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• 2019

This paper examined the meaning and task of romance research with a focus on Reading the Romance(1984) by Janice A. Radway. This book, which analyzes romance texts by examining the situation and meaning of reading romance by women readers integrating between cultural studies and literary studies, is one of the most popular studies on the romance genre. Radway scrutinized the practical significance of reading romance in a community of women readers. Through a study involving questionnaires and in-depth interviews, she found that for women, romance reading is a 'compensatory fiction' that brings happiness and emotional redemption through a sense of liberation achieved by escaping from patriarchal daily life. The romance that women prefer is composed of 4 stages and 13 divisions: 'Encounter → Attest → Recovery → Happy End'. It also maintains a formula that begins with an immature female character's identity crisis and ends with a blissful union that recognizes the intrinsic value of the main character, who has turned into a man who is considerate of the women. Therefore, romance plays the role of pursuit of the 'female utopian fantasy' and at the same time a reconciliation of women to patriarchy. Feminist critics of the day criticized this argument. However, reading romance is a 'feminine reading', and romance is literature about the functional relationship between women's lives and patriarchy. Yet the interpretation could differ depending on the different viewpoints and definitions of the women's utopian fantasy. In recent years, the conditions of female reader's lives, awareness and imagination have been changing rapidly. As a result, the female utopian fantasy has also changed significantly. Nevertheless, women's lives in the real patriarchal system are still contradictory, and their adventurous imagination is spreading in alternative spaces such as the subculture. In this regard, the question is about the definition of romance and the meanings of romance research are still important task.

• Journal of Popular Narrative
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.45-71
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• 2019

Through the expansion of platforms in the media era, this paper notes the phenomenon in which 'high-teen romance drama,' a genre which had been marginalized in the past, began to re-emerge. It analyzes the 'high-teen romance drama,' which is moving from TV to the Web and being produced in various ways, while successfully returning to the TV drama format. This study sums up the latest trends in TV and web-based high-teen romance dramas, and as a case study, this paper examines the characteristics of the 'high-teen romance drama' in relation to the platform's environment through the web drama A-Teen, TV drama 18 Moment. Due to the restriction of ratings, high-teen romance dramas have been one of the largely marginalized genres on television. But in the web space, high-teen romance dramas are no longer non-mainstream. The high-teen romance drama has been solidifying its position through the Web, with absolute support from young viewers. Web dramas are gradually expanding their influence on the genre and subject of TV dramas. The high-teen romance drama is one of the most prominent examples of this trend. The popular interest and success of the high-teen romance web drama has brought the forgotten high-teen romance drama back to TV. The web drama A-Teen is a high-teen romance drama about everyday life and love of high school students, and became one of the most popular and popular web dramas, leading to a Season 2. A-Teen actively utilizes teenage culture and expression, and a strategy that leads to empathy among teenage viewers. In A-Teen, love is recreated in a way that relieves the depth of overconsumption emotions. Instead of dealing in depth with the inner conflict over love, it takes an approach ofpresenting the emotional change of love in real time and forming a consensus with the acceptor. The TV drama 18 Moment is one of the programs that has helped refocus attention to TV-hitting romance dramas. 18 Moment underlines the growth of the characters, with the main characters reaching maturity through love as fresh and innocent teenagers. The TV drama 18 Moment is a high-teen romance drama that has been transformed into a way to apply the web-fadding high-times grammar while retaining the typicality of existing TV hagwons to suit the TV broadcasting environment. As the Internet becomes more ubiquitous, video content is changing based on the newly emerging platforms. Dramas no longer mean just traditional television media. While considering the limitations of TV, this paper analyzed the background of the rebirth of the high-teen romance drama, which had been marginalized, through the web platform. This is meaningful in that it identifies and considers the increasing popularity of this genre of drama.

• Journal of Popular Narrative
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.281-313
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• 2019

This paper was written to investigate the narrative traits of Lee Ae-rim's Comic Books. Lee Ae-rim arrived on the scene with the boom of comic book magazines in the 1990s. Although she started her career as a Comic Book writer, she expanded her own area gradually and has been working actively as an animation director as well. The superficial characteristics of Lee Ae-rim's works can be summed up as sexuality, grotesqueness, and fantasy. In other words, Lee Ae-rim's comic books are mainly characterized by the visualization of sexual, grotesque, and fantastic shapes. Lee Ae-rim has faced challenges with her own overwhelming and compelling images like no one else. For that reason, it is true that people haven't paid careful attention to the hidden stories behind her pictures. This paper considers that looking back on the narratives that Lee Ae-rim has been interested in, from early days to recent days, that is to say, the contexts of stories, is a shortcut to reveal a point of contact between her past, present, and future. Especially, this paper focused on the properties of the circulated and repeated stories, the stories ruled by fate and coincidence, and the stories in which elements of fantasy encounter an attempt of violation. As a result, it was found that the narratives of Lee Ae-rim's comic books demand us to face suppressed desires in a new way, by wrapping up the most fundamental aspects of human being in universality and constancy with specificity and grotesqueness. The reason why Lee Ae-rim has continued the avant-garde and omnidirectional works thus far explains what our society suppresses, inversely. Moreover, the narratives of Lee Ae-rim are significant, by being devoted to the right function of art not only to disclose suppressed desires but to satisfy them. Making an in-depth investigation of the narratives of Lee Ae-rim's comic books in various contexts, this research is intended to establish a diversity of Korean comic books, by adding meaning to the creative values of individual writers.

• Journal of Popular Narrative
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.9-54
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• 2019

Since the birth of melodrama in the early Enlightenment era, it has flowed through various cultures and media. In order to grasp the principle of differentiation of melodrama and the direction of its change, a developmental approach to the formation process of melodrama is necessary. In this regard, this paper examines the formation process of modern melodrama and its aesthetic features around the time of the French Revolution. The modern melodrama was formed in the period between the end of the 18th century and the start of the 19th century. It was born at the intersectional point of the contradictions of the modern imagination and the political paradox of the French Revolution, which demanded an autonomous citizenship but did not recognize a woman as a citizen. The aesthetic of women's sacrifice and tears reproduced in the modern melodrama is a political aspiration to restore a corrupt society by glamorizing a woman as a moral icon. This was an icon to save a society under divide and crisis and a coordination of emotions to conceal sexist violence in the politics of the exclusion of women. The aesthetic of women's sacrifice and tears reproduced in modern melodrama has consistently been considered under negative evaluation such as a play of moral hypocrisy and vulgar drama. However, the academic interest in melodrama in the 1970s has been amplified due to the "Sirk-melo" which is a transition to the new aesthetic of women's sacrifice and tears, encompassing not only women, but also races and classes. In modern society, entering the era of uncertainty, where various social problems, national disasters, and global disasters have become commonplace, 'the aesthetic of women's sacrifice and tears' are shifting from gender differences to various victim narratives. Reviewing new theoretical trends and changes of recent melodrama as well as analyzing specific works are left as follow-up tasks.Since the birth of the melodrama in the early Enlightenment era, it has flowed through various cultures and media. In order to grasp the principle of differentiation of melodrama and the direction of its change, a developmental approach to the formation process of melodrama is basically necessary. In this regard, this paper examines the formation process of modern melodrama and its aesthetic features around the time of the French Revolution.

• Korea Science and Art Forum
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• v.20
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• pp.315-326
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• 2015

This study has started from a curiosity about how the concept and characteristics of mise en abyme, which is one of meta-discourse in the contemporary aesthetics and has affected every aspect of modern philosophy, art, and culture, are expressed in modern architecture. 'Mise en abyme' is a technique mainly used by writers of the nouveau roman after it was introduced first in the work of novelist Andre Gide; this technique of artistic expression has been extended across the whole contemporary art and has become the meta-discourse which essentially makes its appearance in the art after postmodernism. 'Mise en abyme', meaning endless formation of image between two mirrors, got involved with discourse of the various philosophers of the time such as Deleuze and Derrida, and was also expressed in the language of architecture by modern architects who have been influenced by their philosophy. In this context, the technique of mise en abyme which is mostly used in art has a relation to methods of space expression of architects. This research studied the characteristics of mise en abyme which show in the expressional method of the modern architecture based on the relationship between the technique of mise en abyme and the modern method of architectural expression. Moreover, on the basis of this an analysis was carried out on architectural works of Jean Nouvel, who uses de-materialization and singularity as the architectural language. Through the research it was confirmed that the characteristics of expression of mise en abyme in architecture are embodied in material of the surface which forms buildings' exterior, or expressed by using reflection and graphical factors. Through analysis this study allows the chance to see that even though the means and field for expressing mise en abyme are different, the characteristics of the fundamental concept are shared among them, and to think about the meaning in the technique of mise en abyme as one yardstick to understand modern architecture in modern times with no specific mainstream.