Expressing Displacement: South Korean Women in Contemporary Photographic Art

This piece of writing was previously submitted as an essay for the SOAS course ‘Modern and Contemporary Korean Art’. It has been edited and shortened to fit an article format. 

Written by: Allison Needels

The late 20^th century brought about drastic changes to South Korea that would alter its political, cultural and economic characteristics. In 1987, the shift from authoritarianism to a more structured democracy led in the pursuit of stronger international relations. Additionally, the 1988 Seoul Olympics also allowed for the nation’s diplomatic horizons to normalize and for its economy to globalise, paving the way for the country to be internationally recognized as an industrialized nation by the start of the 21^st century. South Korea was no longer viewed in negative terms due to its relationship with North Korea or Japanese colonisation, but rather as an independent state with a personal agenda for progression. Despite these positive transitions, it was in 1997 that the IMF (International Monetary Fund) crisis occurred, affecting the South Korean economy and its national patriotism. Since this event, many South Koreans have expressed increasing fatigue and hopelessness about their socio-economic status. Although new work opportunities have become available, temporary and underpaid jobs have aligned with one of the world’s longest working hours[1]. With these changes, South Koreans around the globe began to question their national identity.