Citation

Kim H, Lee CS. Asian Women 2017; 33(3): 87-110.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Research Center for Asian Women, Sookmyung Women's University)

DOI

10.14431/aw.2017.09.33.3.87

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

A nation's memory is a reconstruction of the past. Accordingly, this study explores how South Korean television (TV) dramas Eyes of Dawn (1991) and Snowy Road (2015) helped shape the collective memory of Japanese colonial rule. Both dramas highlighted the experiences of comfort women, Korean women forced to provide sex to Japanese soldiers. This study analyzes the representations, technical factors, and newspaper discourse of the dramas to examine how they influenced collective memories of comfort women. By comparing and contrasting the dramas, this study reveals that while both generated public awareness and controversy, Eyes of Dawn and Snowy Road represented differently oriented colonial memories of comfort women: A patriotic-oriented memory and a humanism-focused memory, respectively. Specifically, in illuminating colonial rule, Eyes of Dawn showed a traditional good and evil dichotomy, while Snowy Road revealed a more complex and diverse context. Given the socio-political contexts of 1991 and 2015, this study suggests that Eyes of Dawn functioned to inform the public about the comfort women, whereas Snowy Road aimed to reflect upon the impact of comfort women in South Korean society. Thus, while acknowledging that collective memory is a construct that can change over time, we contend that the media's role (especially TV drama) is critical in this process. More generally, this study contributes to the study of memory, journalism, history, and popular communication.

Language: en