Monday, 7/30, morning session - Suk-Young Kim, UCLA

[Ann Huynh]

It was really interesting to learn about the history of films in North Korea.  Most of the times, when North Korea is mentioned in the media in America it is because of some negative nuclear threat.  What was surprising was that the late second ruler of North Korea, Kim Jong Il, was a huge film buff and went so far as to have two South Koreans lived in North Korea and made films.  The film, “Love, Love, My Love” that Professor Kim featured in her discussion was about a love between a man and a woman and was very whimsical.  However, it was considered to be scandalous at the time.  This film would be useful in showcasing Korean outfits and the interiors of a North Korean home.  I think just letting students know that even though he was a fierce dictator, he had a passion for films will make him more relatable.

[Helen Kang]

Being born and raised to just 9 years old before immigrating to U.S. with my family, I would expect to maybe see my parents watching some of these North Korean films or at least hear them mention about it in their social meetings with their other 1st generation Korean-American friends but I have NO recollection or remembrance of it.  It may have been because our famiy was about work, work, work all the time in our typical Korean immigrant life or maybe the S. Korean government wasn't very keen on showing film works by the North dictators and it was not accessable by the average Korean family let alone a Korean immigrant who has left their motherland.

Whatever the reason was, I had no knowledge that there were such films produced in North Korea, and it leaves me with a feeling of a homework I need to get done, like discovering a random hidden talent that shows a human side to an embarrassing distant "cousin" of sort,  and give a fair amount of time to watching some of the more notable ones.

[Helen Kang]

Wow! That sounds absolutely immersive and what a perfect project for your TV/Video Production and
Digital Photography courses. I know a lot of Korean teachers give their students a K-Pop video making projects but your assignment of writing a treatment, storyboard, shot list to go along with it sounds definitely a few levels above and beyond.

[Juana Evink]

 In the spring semester I will be teaching a unit on Japan and I will incorporate Korea into it. I believe that that the reading by professor Kim, " The Many Faces of K-pop," will be a great hook to get my students' attention. A great deal of my students like k-pop or atleast know about it from their friends. Professor Kim, writes, that k-pop artists and videos are influenced by American Broadway-style musicals. This is obvious in the videos, which is one of the reasons that is so popular with Americans, because they recognized elements taht they like.

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