The Candlelight Movement, Democracy, and Communication in Korea (Routledge Advances in Korean Studies)

Description

This book examines key features, problems, and implications of the 2016–2017 Candlelight Movement, a historical cornerstone for democracy and social movements in South Korea. The Candlelight Movement brought profound social changes with important lessons and questions for scholars, practitioners, activists, and the public. To examine the full complexity of the movement, this edited volume utilises wide-ranging methodological and theoretical approaches, which include case study approaches, ethnography, survey, feminist film criticism, critical discourse analysis, and rhetorical criticism. Chapters place ‘communication’ at the centre of their analyses, calling attention to the mediated and mediatised, the performative and other discursive practices of the 2016–2017 Candlelight Movement. In doing so, the book discusses not only the usual players and factors – nor the institutions that exert their influence through democratic politics and the public sphere – but also the counter-public embracing new and social media, collective singing, the body, and performance, as their choice of political media. As such, this volume offers important insights into how communication plays a critical role in forming, moving, and transforming new social movements. The Candlelight Movement, Democracy, and Communication in Korea will appeal to students and scholars of communication and media studies, political science, sociology, and Korean studies. Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents List of figures and tables List of Contributor biographies Acknowledgments Introduction References Part I: Media and media space Chapter 1: A crisis of press freedom: Investigative journalism and the downfall of the President Political interference and partisan press News media during political protests State interference in public service broadcasting Press freedom under fire RQ1: Mainstream news media’s bipartisan crusade to report political corruption RQ2: Mainstream broadcast news media before and during the candlelight protests Triumph of investigative journalism Conclusion References Chapter 2: One small action for the larger movement Why diaspora members go to online: Digital diaspora Domestic issues, overseas protests with digital diaspora Research questions and methods The 2014 Sewol ferry social movement The 2016–2017 candlelight rallies in the Korean diaspora Conclusion References Chapter 3: Social media use on protest sites during the 2016–2017 candlelight vigils in Seoul Social media and urban protests Social media use as a protest participation experience Methods Procedure and participants Measures Results Discussion References Part II: Culture and performance Chapter 4: “With the brightest light we have”: K-pop fandom in candlelight movement and diversification of Korean protest culture 1 An angry public, a peaceful festival Korean protest culture in the 1970s and 80s Interlude: K-pop and its fans featured in Korean papers’ political section Democratic fandoms’ union: K-pop fans as protesters in candlelight movement DFU’s sonic and visual ritual toward diversification of Korean protest culture Epilogue Notes References Chapter 5: Channeling anger into hope Understanding the relationship between anger and hope Anger, coping potential, and hope in the context of collective events 2016–17 Korean candlelight movement Social injustice as basis for anger Collective coping potential as fuel for hope Conclusion Note References Chapter 6: Dancing for hope: The shamanic ritual and performative Koreanness at the candlelight protests Performing trauma: Korean shamanic performance kut and salpuri A performance of ritual— The Son of the Moon The miracle of touch— Dance of Peace Revisiting history through dance Dance bans then and now: Dancing for hope References Part III: Counterpublics and representation Chapter 7: Contested neoliberal vulnerability: Laboring, feminine, and queer subjects in the streets of the impeachment protest Neoliberal time from below Visual inversion: Cleaning Radical commoning: Femi-zones Solidarity right now Conclusion Notes References Chapter 8: The conservative news media outlets: Blowing out candles for economic democracy The news media outlets galvanizing the candlelight protests Candlelight protests calling for economic democratization Method Results Stage 1: Storylines Stage 2: Lexical items Stage 3: Implied values The media outlets blowing out candles for economic democracy Notes References Chapter 9: From flags to candles: Visual hailing and articulation of nation Critical rhetoric and visual-ideological hailing of subjects Candles and flags: Diachronic snapshots “The flag incident:” How it started Candles and flags: Synchronic snapshots References Appendix: An analysis of contemporary Korean society through the Candlelight Movement: A historical perspective to the social phenomena and changes Opening: General relations between the government and the civil society The 2008 candlelight protest and the historical significances The Candlelight Civic Movement in Korea, 2016–2017 Evolutions of the 2016–2017 Candlelight Civic Movement 2016 2017 Discussions: The Candlelight Movement should be continued Suggestions for future civic engagement/movement Conclusion: Lessons from the Candlelight Movement in Korea Note Index