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BYU Asian Studies Student Journal

Keywords

memory distortion, historical perception, Korean drama representation

Abstract

Memory is a funny thing. We look back on the past experiences in our lives and some appear crystal clear to us, others murky. The truth is, every memory is warped by time and shifting perspective, and it is rare that our memories are truly and entirely accurate to the actual events that occurred. The same can be said with history and peoples—–the collective memory of a group works much in the same way as the memory of the individual. Past events and experiences are somewhat warped through current ideas, emotions, and experiences. This is not wrong per se, it is merely something to keep in mind with both our own memories and the memories of a nation.

By studying how we remember something—what we choose to emphasize, forget, or even change—we can better understand our current thoughts and opinions and how they have changed over time. Thus the goal in this project is to understand how Korean attitudes towards and ideas about women have changed over the century by analyzing how women are portrayed in Korean popular media—historical K-Dramas. I have chosen to analyze1 a K-Drama released in late 2022, and her efforts to protect and aid her five sons. I argue that Under the Queen’s Umbrella serves to push forward modern ideas about women even in a historical drama by capitalizing upon the universal role of mother.

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