Buddies and Partners: The Inter-Korean Relationship in Korean Division Films

Abstract

Recent Korean division related box-office films in South Korea have moved away from mourning the loss of the other half and wishing for unification but instead pursuing coexisting with the opposite side with amicable and respectful understanding. This paper aimed to examine the representation of the inter-Korean relationship in recent Korean division films and its possible social implications. In this line, this research was designed to conduct a comparison between earlier films that came out in the late 90s and early 2000s and films that came out from 2010 and onward. As a way to compare the inter-Korean relationship in films, this research first conducted a qualitative comparison of how the relationship between South and North Korean characters are depicted and how it ends. This research used the method of looking at narrative structures of a plot—equilibrium, disequilibrium, and restoration of equilibrium—and the differences in masculinity between the two male leads of each film. Firstly, how the equilibrium was restored in the end and what this equilibrium looks like gave a clear distinction in the inter-Korean relationship depicted in the films examined in this research. Secondly, to examine the dynamic of the inter-Korean relationship more closely, this research examined the masculinity of the male leads because in action-packed films, like the ones that were chosen for this research, masculinity is often equated with narrative authority. It was revealed that in a span of a decade, division related films changed how they use the relationship between South and North protagonists. First, the friendship between the two functioned as a key element that brings back the equilibrium in the plot, and this new equilibrium may not be perfect, but it is not tragic either. Second, it is observed that the two male leads represent a divided Korea together and deliver the possibility of being mutually cooperative and equally invested in the peace of the two Koreas. Based on the findings, this research concludes that in recent Korean division box-office films, friendship and cooperation are the central modes of South and North Korean relationship. This research is meaningful because it adumbrates recent Korean division films' major shift from earlier films by hinging upon friendship and equal partnership to exemplify possible coexistence with North Korea instead of bloodline nationalism and ultimate unification as the only way to peace.