Cultural politics in Korea's contemporary films under neoliberal globalization

Abstract

The Korean film business has witnessed a swift and steady growth in the production of, and audiences for, domestic films over the past several years. This article attempts to clarify the cause of these changes and goes on to discuss the Korean film industry with a special focus on state cultural policy. The article then explicates the impact of the changing cultural policy on the film business by examining the influx of domestic capital into the film industry. It also analyzes the impact of neoliberal cultural policies on the transnationalization of the Korea film industry. Finally, it discusses whether changing cultural policies have maintained or developed cultural identity, such as Korean traditions and nationalism, in domestic films.