Representations of Japan in South Korean Cinema of the Park Geun-hye Era

Invaders, Lovers and Demons

Russell Edwards

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2026
• eBook ISBN:
  9781040831120
• Topic: Media & Performing Arts
• Subtopic: Asian Politics

Providing a rare example of a national cinema that has managed to overturn the prevailing global paradigm of Hollywood dominance, South Korean films are nevertheless still haunted by the peninsula's earlier colonial history. Focussing on a series of films produced during the administration of disgraced and then pardoned President Park Geun-hye (2013–2017), this book examines South Korea's relationship with Japan and how this relationship continues to be negotiated through films and politics. Containing detailed discussion of significant and internationally renowned films including The Age of Shadows, The Handmaiden and the domestically popular, The Admiral: Roaring Currents, this informative text is a welcome addition to South Korean Film Studies that will also be valued for its examination of how film cycles operate in non-Hollywood cinema. Offering a perceptive look at an underexplored area, this book will be embraced by professionals and laypersons intrigued by South Korea and Japan's frequently tense relationship.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-Title Page
• Series Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• List of Figures
• List of Tables
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• 1 Scars, Tattoos, Flags and Exorcism: Markers of the Rising Sun Cycle
• 2 Jjokbari and Chinilpa: Caricatured Villains and Evil Collaborators
• 3 The Best of Enemies: Ambivalence and Erasure of Friendly Japanese
• 4 Moving Beyond Exorcism: The Way of Postcolonial Endurance
• Conclusion
• Bibliography
• Filmography
• Index