K-Narratives

Comprised of nine research teams, each studying aspects of Korean politics, economy, technology, and culture.
We promote interdisciplinary collaboration and global academic exchange.

K-Narrative Team

The K-narrative Team seeks to better understand contemporary Korea by examining the literary and cultural contents currently being produced within the country. Our research is guided by two central questions: First, is there a meaningful commonality in the content of contemporary Korean-produced works: Is there a masterplot? Secondly, if there is, can we locate it in a national specificity that justifies the qualifier “K”: Is there a K-narrative? To answer these questions, we are inviting a range of scholars and critics from Korea and abroad to analyze the Korean films, literature, and dramas that are currently attracting international attention. The findings of this inquiry will be collected in our forthcoming book, tentatively titled, Narrating Contemporary Korea. We hope this research will not only illuminate the dominant narratives of Korean literature and cultural production but also contribute to a deeper understanding of contemporary Korean society as a whole.