Seoyoun CHO

Korean Cinematic Literature, State Violence, and the Cultural Politics of Memory

Seoyoun specializes in visual and dramatic literature in contemporary Korean literature, with a particular focus on militarism, masculinity, and issues of gender and sexuality. Recently, her research has focused on cinematic reenactments of Korea's involvement in the Vietnam War and the politics of memory that followed. This research aims to grasp the aspects of the cultural politics surrounding Korea's participation in the Vietnam War conducted through media recreation, particularly in films; reassess the ideological foundations and desires that made the Korean military's involvement in the war possible; and explore the future direction that politics of memory should take regarding the Vietnam War from a cultural studies perspective. More recently, this research has expanded to explore how new generations interpret, reproduce, and seek to shape the future concerning the memories of state violence experienced by previous generations, examining perspectives such as post-memory.