Lee, Seung-Ah

Re-presentation of the past in TV

Dramas: Transnationalism and

Nationalism

• Re-presentation the past from the perspectives of

contemporary

• Cultural ambitions: heritage production (Identity)

• Politics: criticism

• Social desires: nostalgia => escape from current situation

into idealized past

• Market strategies: familiarity

• Historiography: interpretation of history

• Hallyu: Can nationalism/national culture cross the border?

Through our analysis, we will try to understand each as an

example of the larger movement of culture across national

borders from contexts of production to contexts of reception.

• Re-presentation

• Repetition

• Makeovers

• Focusing on how popular culture (TV dramas)

represents (rather than reflects) social reality, we

will analyze the imagination, construction, and

critique of (trans-)national identity and cultural

tradition.

• Aims:

• Adaptation: similarity/difference

• How it represented => plot? Characters? Setting?

• Motivation: why remaking? => production

• Reception => consumers (national/international)

• Analysis => your point of view

Drama Production Process

USA Korea

• Idea (851) =>

pitching => scripts

(130) => Green light

=> pilots =>

production =>

audience testing =>

releasing

• Idea, pitching, scripts

=> green light =>

broadcasting

• Sell drams to second-

round channels such

as cable and Internet

stations, DVD, foreign

countries

• Suppliers:

• Major: KBS, MBC, SBS

• Cable: CJ E&M (17 ch),etc

• Independent production companies (331 in 2000 =>

1514 in 2010)

• Independent companies:

• No full-production studios

• Few contracted writers and directors

• Circulate drama proposals among three broadcasting

companies

• To secure a channel => combining production with broadcasting

companies by “renting out” their personnel (mostly directors) and

equipment => limited room to exercise discretion

• Disadvantages position in terms of profit redistribution => unfair

contract

Environment

• Golden (prime) time: 9 – 11pm

• News, drama, variety shows

• Advertisement

• Popularity

• 1. Drama

• 2. Variety show

• 3. education/information program

• 4. news

• Medium

• DMB (digital multimedia broadcasting)

• Internet-protocol television (IPTV)

• TV

• 4 major departments in the broadcasting

companies

• Drama

• Entertainment (variety, comedy, music)

• Education (documentary, information)

• News

Production Types • Spontaneous Production

• Last-minute live filming => filming on the same day of

the airtime (e.g. Sign (2011) shooting was completed 50

min before the broadcasting) => poor quality ending

• Formulaic Production

• Formulaic narrative elements and narrative patterns

• Interactive Production

• Viewers participation => discursive consumption

• Sponsored Production

• Commercial media production

• Overseas market => to Japan (biggest market)

• casting hallyu stars

• Lowering the (trans)national barrier

Characteristics • Length: 62-63 min (70 min)

• Mini series (16 – 24 episodes), long series (more than

50)

• M&T, W&TH, weekend, daily, morning drama

• No commercial breaks

• Production fee: $200,000 – 250,000/episode

• Director driven drama production

• No pilot system

• One person writer system

• Break-even point viewers’ rating: 10%

• Below 10%: cutback

• 15%: 10% increase

• Over 30%: premium

The Jewel in the Palace (Dae Jang-

geum)

• MBC, 2003-2004, 54 episodes

• Viewer’s Rating: 45.8% (highest 57.1%)

• Hallyu Drama along with Winter Sonata (2002),

exported to more than 40 countries including African

countries

• Spin-off: cartoon about young Jang-geum

• Popularity: Musical version, tourism, Korean food

• Directed by: Yi Byung-hun

• Written by: Kim Young-hyun

• Casting: Jang-geum (Lee Yaoung-ae), Min Jung-ho

(Ji Jin-hee), Choi Geum-young (Hong Rina), Lady

Choi (Kyon Miri), Lady Han (Yang Mi-gyeong), King

Chungjong (Im Ho), Suh Cheon-su (Park Chan-

hwan), Park Myeong-yi (Kim Hye-seon)

• Q. Why did they try to kill Myeong-yi (Jang-

geum’s mother)?

• Q. the outset in the drama

• Q. the fate of Suh Cheonsu (Jang-geum’s father)

• Role/fate of women in the Suragan (royal kitchen)

• Plot: what does this drama try to tell us? How and

why?

History… • Old Chosŏn Around 4th century BCE

• Chinese sources

• Tongi (東夷): Eastern Barbarian

• Society with articulated political structure

• The walled-town state

• Bronze implements

• Political and religious functions in a single personage

• Begin to form a single large confederation => head => King

• Wiman Chosŏn (195 BCE – 108 BCE) • Wiman defected to Old Chosŏn from Han China • Wiman became a king, but kept the political system and the

name of the state • Fell in 108 BCE: Han China invaded

•

• Han commanderies • After Han China defeated Wiman Chosŏn, established 4

commanderies to govern the Old Chosŏn area • 4 commanderies: Lelang, Xuantu, Lintun and Chenfan • Lelang: the core area where Chinese policy carried out in

Korea • Lasted for 400 years (even after Han China’s fall) • Direct contact with the advanced civilization of China • Center of the trade that incorporated the peoples of

Manchuria, northeast of Korea, and tribes in southern peninsular

• Main policy: ‘peace and kinship’ (heqin)

• States around Lelang • Puyŏ in Manchuria, Koguryŏ in northeast • In southern peninsular

• Mahan: west

• Chinhan: east

• Pyŏnhan: south

• Tribal leaders were required to come to the Xuantu or Lelang capital to “pay tribute.”

• Establishment of Koguryŏ (37 BCE? – 668) • Founded by Chumong and his followers from Puyŏ • Single royal house • Centralized government • Strengthening the kingly authority • Religious and political leadership gradually diverged • Agriculture was the principal food source • Strong military force: conquered Puyŏ, Lelang and tribes in

Manchuria and Northeast Korea

Chumong (Jumong)

• MBC (2006, 81 episodes)

• Viwer’s rating: 46%

• Directed by Yi Ju-hwan and kim Keun-hong

• Written by Choi Wan-gyu and Chung Hyung-su

• Castings:

• Characters:

• Chumong (Song Il-guk)

• Haemosu (Huh Jun-ho)

• Yuhwa (Oh, Yeon-su)

• Kŭmwa (Jeon Kwang-ryul)

• Characters: Chumong, Haemosu, Yuhwa and

Kŭmwa in the myth

• Characters: Haemosu, Yuhwa and Kŭmwa in

drama

• How is Han China portrayed in the drama?

• Relationship between Puyŏ and Han China in the

drama

• Relationship between Old Chosŏn and Han China

• Motivation?

• Can nationalism cross the border?