From Koreanness to K-ness by Lee, Seryun;

Short description:

From Koreanness to K-ness: Contemporary Korean Culture and Society aims to conceptualise ‘K-ness’ as a new way of understanding the underlying characteristics that shape the semiotic, cultural, and sociological representations of contemporary Korean culture and society.

Long description:

From Koreanness to K-ness: Contemporary Korean Culture and Society aims to conceptualise ‘K-ness’ as a new way of understanding the underlying characteristics that shape the semiotic, cultural, and sociological representations of contemporary Korean culture and society.

The global popularity of Korean cultural content has sparked extensive interest in various facets of the Korean language, culture, and society. These recent changes present a unique opportunity to reassess and reshape our approach to the theorisation of ‘Koreanness’ as a strong national identity significantly influenced by Confucian values, patriarchy and patriotism. Indeed, a multitude of K-words – including the ever-popular domains of ‘K-pop’, ‘K-drama’ and ‘K-food’ – reflect the diverse but coherent manifestations of the new Koreanness, which often transcends the boundaries of tradition and history.

In this interdisciplinary edited volume, the contributors provide fresh insights into the new Koreanness that has been reshaped by the current international popularity of Korean popular culture, the emergence of new media, and the cross-cultural encounters in the more globalised environment. By exploring themes, topics and theories linked to ongoing discussions and emerging trends, this book illuminates the multidimensional nature of ‘K-ness’.

Table of Contents:

Part 1: Emerging Trends  1. The Rise of the Korean Short Story Cycle Yeonjak Soseol as K-Literature  2. From Korean Identity to K-identity: Interpreting K-ness in Global Hallyu Exhibitions  3. Korean Cultural Identity in Contemporary Performance  4. Reinterpreting and Representing Korean History and Historical Culture in Television Drama  Part 2: Korean Affects  5. The Rise of Intimacy Experts in Korean Popular Culture and the Commercialization of Discourses of Healing and Happiness: Analyzing the “Nation’s Mentor” Dr. Eun-Young Oh and Related Media Cases  6. Is K-ness Korean-ness? BTS’ challenge to Hegemonic Masculinity in Korea  Part 3: Crafting Koreanness: Policies and Cultural Diplomacy  7. Korean Wave and Public Policy: Examining State’s Role in the Transnational Cultural Phenomenon  8. Who is Korean?: (Re)imaging Korean Identity by the Overseas Koreans Foundation  Part 4: The Shaping of New Koreanness from Cross-Cultural Perspectives  9. How Korean is Korean Literature in Spain? Longitudinal Research on Availability and Presentation of Korean Literature in Translation  10. Transculturing the Nine-Tailed Fox: How the SCP Wiki Globalises Korean Folklore  11. From Consumers to Cultural Ambassadors: Exploring Sydney-Based K-Pop Cover Dancers’ Influence on Local Korean Wave Engagement  12. Translingual Trinkets of the Korean Wave: Deconstructing the Transnational Power of the Hybridity in K-Objects  Part 5: The Disruptive Potential of Korean Culture  13. Kim Eui-sung in Hong Kong’s Anti-ELAB Movement: Transnational Celebrity Activism and South Korean Soft Power  14. Transnational K-Pop Fandom and Global Citizenship  15. K-pop Fandom Political Activism: Mobilizing Transnational Fan Communities for Social Change