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[HanCinema's Digest] Culture Corner

A 70-year old grandmother becomes a real YouTube star, Korean researchers discover earliest known footage of colonial-era "comfort women", Vice investigates the power of pop music and technology in North Korea, and how much do dramas actually teach us about Korean history?

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"70-year-old YouTube hit redefining beauty in South Korea"

Korean YouTubers have really come into their own in recent years (especially when it comes to travel and food content), and one grandmother is proving that age isn't a barrier to entry: "As I started doing this, I realized life starts at 71 years old", said Park Makrye in a recent interview. In Korea, good looks and youth are arguably overvalued, that's why so many-young and old-are finding Park's "cool, undaunted style and hilarity" so attractive. One 31-year old commented that "She's real. She's not fake... It's refreshing to see the world through the eyes of a grandmother".

...READ ON ABC NEWS

"'Comfort women': Researchers claim first known film"

Seoul National University researchers recently unveiled what they claim is the first footage of Korea's controversial "comfort woman". The 18-second clip was found in US archives and shows around six women lined up and being spoken to by a Chinese soldier. "Until now, the only records of women forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military during World War Two had been photographs and survivor testimonials".

...READ ON BBC

"North Korea's Secret Weapon Is Terrible Synth Pop"

Vice's Jemayel Khawaja investigates how North Korean leader Kim Jong-un "may be losing control of his propaganda machine thanks to simple technology and the power of pop music". The DPRK continues to carefully control/limit all information flow, but the unrelenting rise of technology may be eroding the state's ability to sterilise content and control distribution channels. "The people of the Hermit Kingdom are connected to the outside world like never before-against the will of the regime".

...READ ON VICE

"Learning history through K-dramas"

The best science fiction plays with the best science of the day, and arguably the best Korean period dramas attempt to accurately portray the country's history. Shreya Suresh, writing for The Korea Times, is confident that she's learned a lot from all the dramas she's watched, and to prove it she's mapped the five main periods in Korean history with the appropriate dramas. She concludes, "I think Korean dramas do a pretty good job at educating the viewer on the rich history of the country". What have you learned about Korean history and culture from watching its films and dramas?

...READ ON THE KOREA TIMES

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