KJCKorea
Journal Central

This study analyzes the relationship between heterosexual romance and nation/gender as represented in the webtoon Whale Star (Goraebyeol), in order to examine the characteristics and limitations of heterosexual romance narratives set in colonial Seoul (Gyeongseong). In doing so, it considers whether the conventional patterns of heterosexual romance often depicted in films and dramas set in Gyeongseong are also reproduced in webtoons. Furthermore, by situating Whale Star within the intertextual network of other works set in Gyeongseong, this paper seeks to broaden the horizon of interpretation regarding the webtoon’s portrayal of romance. Chapter 2 reviews the significance of the concept of “colonial romance” as a masterplot of heterosexual romance in colonial Seoul and discusses how Whale Star may be examined within this framework. Chapters 3 and 4 analyze the spatial transitions and narrative development of romance in the webtoon, focusing on how it reworks the “colonial romance.” Chapter 5 critically examines the motif of “The Little Mermaid,” arguing that Whale Star’s heterosexual romance reinforces the coupling of women and the nation based on a binary gender perception. At the same time, however, while the webtoon reiterates the typical gender dynamics of “colonial romance,” it also interrogates why women devoted themselves to Chosŏn, highlighting the impossibility of portraying “woman as Chosŏn” as a seamless, homogeneous entity. The webtoon’s strength lies in its nuanced depiction of the female subject’s transformation through love—something rarely observed in conventional “colonial romance.” Yet, insofar as the mermaid motif frames heterosexual romance as the female protagonist’s noble sacrifice for the greater cause of the nation, the webtoon ultimately reaffirms the enduring association between women and Chosŏn in heterosexual romances set in Gyeongseong.

This study aimed to analyze the characteristics of the representation of colonial Korea in recent idol fanfiction and, through this, outline the popular perception of legitimate national membership in contemporary South Korea. The analysis revealed the following characteristics: First, dedication to the independence movement is portrayed as unquestionably justified and valuable, and this is combined with romantic homosexuality, which can be considered an absolute genre convention of fanfiction. Most fanfictions narrate the participation in the independence movement of two protagonists, who belong to the same idol group and are in a loving relationship. Second, a new national subject emerges: the queer independence activist. Until now, queerness has been erased from the national imagination. However, in recent fanfiction, the queerness of queer characters tends to be explicitly stated, and this queerness does not undermine their legitimacy as national subjects. These fanfictions demand the inclusion of queer patriotic subjects in future historical narratives. Third, nevertheless, the union of romantic love is formed based on the belief in the congruence of ethnic nation and state. To gain membership rights within this nation, an individual must be an ethnically Korean person who is untainted by collaboration with Japanese imperialism and cisgender. Fourth, while this perception of the nation-state remains dominant, the expanding global reach of K-pop and the increasing diversity of its members' nationalities have necessitated that fans reimagine relationships between people from various countries, including Japan, and Koreans. Consequently, Japanese characters different from the stereotypically portrayed evil and cruel Japanese in media are appearing in fanfiction. This reflects the imagination required of members in Korea that has long been a multicultural society and is also a reason to continue paying attention to the historical imagination of K-pop fans. This study is significant for examining one aspect of the popular imagination of the colonial period by analyzing the content of fanfiction itself. Through this research, it is hoped that awareness will be raised regarding fanfiction as a form of popular narrative, a domain that reflects and generates public desire, and the importance of exploring its meaning.

This paper examines lesbian romances depicted in three films set in colonial Kyungsung—The Silenced, The Handmaiden, and Phantom—and explores how these relationships imagine alternative forms of the nation. While many works that reconstruct colonial Kyungsung often merge the historical background of colonial Korea with heterosexual romance, women therein have typically been objectified, serving as passive figures who either await rescue or function as catalysts for men’s return to the nation. Such “colonial romance” articulate imperial struggle and patriotic duty but lack visions of new nation. By contrast, the three films discussed here foreground relationships between women outside heterosexual structures. The Silenced is read through queer-horror and SF imaginations, where the final fantasy scene envisions a promiscuous caring community of human and nonhuman others as a potential form of new nation. The Handmaiden presents the return to a lesbian nation through the symmetrical imagery of women’s bodies, particularly in the enclosed ship cabin sex scene that erases class, ethnicity, and individuality. The Phantom, while echoing the “colonial romance” structure by portraying lesbian independence fighters, reveals a movement toward the post-queernation sustained through solidarity between queer and non-queer subjects suggesting a direction aligned with intersectional feminism. In doing so, this study underscores the significance of lesbian romances in reimagining both decolonial possibilities and alternative nations, thereby expanding the scope of queer film studies.