The Others within “us”: Multiculturalism and Ethnic Minorities in South Korean Cinema

Mina Shin, Visiting Assistant Professor of Film Studies and Korean Studies, Michigan State University

Since the late 1980s, South Korea has become a prime destination for migrant workers and marriage migrants, mostly coming from developing Asian countries. It is fascinating to observe the growing cultural diversity in Korea despite the fact that Korean society is still struggling with race due to its dominant ideology of a “one-blooded ethnic nation.” This presentation examines the representation of South Asian migrant workers in three South Korean films – Bandhobi (Shin Dong-il, 2009), Where is Ronny (Shim Sang-gook, 2009), and Banga? Banga! (Uk Sang-hyo, 2010) – against the larger contexts of political, economic, and social transformation in South Korea. It explores how growing ethnic diversity and demographic changes in South Korea have impacted the transformation of modern Korean identity and cinematic imagination of Korean nationhood, citizenship, kinship, and racial and ethnic identities.
Mina Shin earned her Ph.D. in Critical Studies from the University of Southern California. She is currently working on a book project that examines the politics of multiculturalism and the representation of ethnic otherness in South Korean cinema, including the images of South and Southeast Asian migrant workers and marriage migrants, as well as Korean diaspora, such as Chosunjok (Korean Chinese), Zainichi Koreans (Korean Japanese), and North Korean refugees.