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The Aspects of Idealized Female-Nation Building in North Korean Plays

  • The Journal of Korean drama and theatre
  • 2005, (21), pp.285-316
  • Publisher : The Learned Society Of Korean Drama And Theatre
  • Research Area : Arts and Kinesiology > Other Arts and Kinesiology

이상우 1

1고려대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

In North Korea, the aspects of national gender policy directly influence female-nation building in writing plays. North Korea tried to increase the efficiency of female's working powers in 1940-50s, because there were some important incidents such as the establishment of a country, the Korean war, the rehabilitation after the Korean war. Thus, North Korean plays had to represent idealized female-nation character as a fighter who works for the ideology and economic production of the State in 1940-50s. It were not almost described the female image in the private sphere in plays during the same time such as a play Adjoining Two Houses (나란히 선 두 집). However, North Korea especially demanded to create female-nation character as a wise mother and a good wife in dramas after 1960s, because Kim Il Sung and North Koran politicians expected to create the maternal female-nation image of a wise mother and a good wife who contribute to stabilize Kim Il Sung's dictatorship system after Kim Il Sung won struggle to obtain political power in late 1950s. Thus, North Korean playwrights created many maternal female characters who bring up children and help her husband to make a faithful male-nation in their plays as like Our Mother (우리의 어머니), the Great Conversion (위대한 전환), and Women of Namgang town (남강마을 녀성들). In conclusion, North Korea requested a superwoman who is a fighter of production, a wise mother, and a good wife.

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