Seoul National University’s Center for Contemporary Korean Studies held an international conference titled “Korea as Symptom” over two days, on August 22 and 23. On the second day of the conference, the K-Narrative Team organized the third session, titled “Narrative Alternatives Imagining the Post-1987 System,” in Room 230, Building 101, at Seoul National University. Chaired by Professor Shin Hyung-chul of Seoul National University, the session featured the following two presentations.

In the first presentation, Dr. Kim Mi-jung of Sungkyunkwan University analyzed the meaning of the square in Korea in her presentation, “The Square Changes Words; Words Change the Square.” According to the presentation, the square has traditionally symbolized revolution and transformation, but its meaning has changed significantly in Korea in recent years. In particular, the square is no longer a space dominated by a single force, but rather a space where complex desires and emotions intersect. The presenter explored the conditions under which Korea’s political squares have taken shape since the 2010s, and analyzed how squares and language influence one another through literary works.

Next, Professor Choi Jin-seok of Seoul National University of Science and Technology presented on “Justice and Community Beyond the Law: Questions and Responses in Korean Literature and Film after 1987.” His presentation examined how Korean literature and film have revealed the contradictions of law and its collusion with power after democratization. Focusing in particular on the film The Man Standing Next and Kim Un-su’s novel The Plotters, he explored the role of alternative narratives that move beyond the framework of law.

This session sought to portray Korean society after democratization through literary works. By focusing on alternative narratives, it examined the political meaning of the square and the representation of law in works of art, offering a perspective on contemporary Korea and an opportunity to imagine a more inclusive political community.