Global Fandom Jamboree: Hyo Jin Kim (South Korea)

illustrator/SF writer Park Moon Young.

My name is Hyo Jin Kim, an independent researcher in South Korea. My research interests center around two different topics. One is the science fiction (SF) fandom in South Korea—in particular, the fandom of the feminist SF subgenre. The other is representation in film and television that is subject to cultural bias (such as disability, race, and gender), especially that of Korean and Korean American females. 

Because of my dissertation, I've gained more interest in the SF fandom in South Korea. My dissertation originated from questioning the relationship between Korean science culture and policies and the Korean SF fandom. Since the year 2000, the Korean government has encouraged the growth of science culture through events and activities such as the Korean Science Festival and the Korea Science and Technology Fair (https://kofac.re.kr/eng/contents/whatwedo1-2.do). The primary purpose of science culture is to raise public interest by "building consensus and to share new forms of culture with the public" (https://kofac.re.kr/eng/contents/whatwedo1-2.do). According to the Korean government, "science culture" refers to being educated by the government rather than searching for and learning from the public's grassroots knowledge. From the beginning, the SF fandom was not included by the government, even though the SF fandom itself could be a part of science culture. Korean Doctor Who fans have shown that they learned some scientific information from the show. Fans of the TV show want to know more about it, including any relevant science. These fans learned and understood science by watching and loving Doctor Who. When you love and become a fan of the show, you know everything about it. The noticeable finding is that even information involving physics or other challenging scientific concepts becomes just another piece of information for fans to obtain. These Doctor Who fan activities illustrate the process of science communication and the development of science culture. The government did not recognize the SF fandom as a participant in science communication; however, Korean SF fans have already initiated science communication and culture through their fandom. Therefore, the government should pay more attention to the SF fandom. In collaboration with the grassroots SF fandom, the government could make public-friendly science policies or develop science culture. 

One remarkable discovery in my research is that participants see themselves as Doctor Who fans or Whovians but not SF fans. In South Korea, you are an enthusiast if you want to call yourself an SF fan (Sandvoss, 2005). Specific fans (e.g., Doctor Who's) and sf reading group members indicate themselves as sf fans with additional explanation. For example, one participant said s/he is a fan if you can call the person who likes to read and watch sf genre, but not that general impression of sf fan-an enthusiast. S/he felt s/he is not enough to be called an SF fan because some people still take SF fan as an SF expert. This case is unique compared to the US SF fandom. The definition of a fan may differ. The history of Korean SF might provide an insight into it. In 1907, the first SF was the translation of Jules Verne's Vingt Mille Lieues Sous Les Mers (1818) in Taegukhakbo, a journal for Korean students studying in Japan. In Japan, Korean students had introduced and translated the imported SF to enlighten the public and help the understanding of science. Since then, the SF genre in South Korea has expanded to offer not just entertainment but also another way to understand/learn science. In the 1970s and 1980s, SF writers wrote for kids and teens. (https://www.kbook-eng.or.kr/sub/trend.php?ptype=view&idx=462&page=&code=trend&total_searchkey=%EC%9D%B4%EC%A7%80%EC%9A%A9). The impression of SF among the Korean public is that it is for educating kids, teens, and professionals dealing with complex scientific knowledge. This perception of the genre persists. Therefore, SF fandom in South Korea has to deal with different layers of fan taxonomy. 

The growth of SF and feminist SF subgenre has accompanied South Korea. With the emergence of social issues such as Me Too (2006) and the Gangnam Station murder case (2016), another SF genre has been booming in South Korea: the subgenre of feminist SF. At the same time, the global climate crisis, along with the Covid-19 pandemic, has made people interested in SF. Nowadays, people feel they are living in the SF world. With this trend, SF-film, tv shows, books-is growing dramatically in South Korea. The characteristic of Korean SF indicates Korean sentiments and experiences without borrowing any Western-style worldview. Readers are familiar with Korean names, places, and social issues in Korean SF. Korean SF fans in South Korea no longer rely on translated Western SF works. 

According to Aladin (the Korean internet bookstore), young female readers have read sf frequently in twenty years; female SF readers in their 20s increased from 1.4% (1999–2009) to 12.6% (2010–2019) and those in their 30s from 11.1% to 18.2%. The reboot of feminism might have young female readers paying more attention to Korean feminist SF works. Young female readers are reading female writers' female narratives of feminist SF. Interestingly, in South Korea, most active writers are females, and they are young: 20s to 40s. As they grew up with feminism, it was part of their lives. Feminism is not a political/academic term to learn but a fight daily, a part of everyday life. Lefanu (1988) claimed, "Feminism questions a given order in political terms, while science fiction questions it in imaginative terms" (p. 100). Feminism is a hot social issue within different genders and generations in South Korea. Some critics analyze the popularity of SF from the growth of people/readers who want to change the world. People can find some different world in SF or imagine the answer to the 'what if' question of reality. 

In 2019 and 2022, I was part of two funded projects-gender equality living research project, "feminism discourses on feminist SF book club" (2019) and Covid-19, recorded with art, "Meet without meeting; 500 days' journey of reading feminist SF" (2022). These projects present how SF readers/fans read and reflect feminist SF in their lives. Each project demonstrates two different feminist SF book clubs with feminist SF reading lists. The first project, "feminism discourses on feminist SF book club," has the provided book list from another previous feminist SF book club. A current SF writer, translator, and Korean Science Fiction Association member made the book lists, including well-known feminist SF writers such as Ursula K. Le Guin, Margaret Atwood, Octavia Butler, James Tiptree Jr., Connie Willis, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Ann Leckie, and Joanna Russ. Several Korean SF writers include Bo-young Kim, Duna, Bora Chung, Yun I-hyeong, and Yoon yeokyung. Feminist SF book club members met once a week; they shared and discussed their reflections. Members also discussed various feminist issues, from past to present, and concerns of their everyday lives. This feminist SF book club continued for about two years. After finishing the given book list, members wanted to explore Korean feminist SF and chose to continue meeting each week to discuss recent Korean SF books. 

Another project, Covid 19, recorded with art, "Meet without meeting; 500 days' journey of reading feminist sf" (2022), was organized by sf x f (a feminism and SF project group). This project conducted surveys and focus groups through online meetings. sf x f organized the feminist SF book club and provided book lists focused on Korean feminist SF and feminist theory books. The difference from the first feminist SF book club is that sf x f chose specifically on Korean feminist SF. Once a month, members met online on the messaging platform Kakaotalk. The reflection themes were minorities, identity, human rights, disabilities, gender issues, sexual discrimination, sexual violence, subversive feminism, and eco-feminism. Members shared their reflections on feminist SF and experiences of daily life. Book club members shared their feelings during the meeting, laughed, cried, showed anger, felt sympathy, etc. Most members pointed out that in social situations in South Korea, there are very few places for females to speak up. They mentioned that this feminist SF book club provided an open, safe place for them to share their feelings and experiences. In addition, reading feminist SF made them experience different viewpoints of the world. After participating in the feminist SF book club, each member said they had more broad and diverse perspectives.

The reports from these two feminist SF book clubs show how SF readers/fans react to feminist SF. After finishing the book lists, book club members updated the list with Korean feminist sf. Members wanted to read and follow up with current Korean feminist SF books. Participants said they could read and understand Western feminist SF; however, they didn't get into it and felt emotionally distanced from translated feminist SF. Each book club member was closely and effortlessly engaging with Korean feminist SF. This reflection highlights the characteristics of Korean SF. Lee points out that the main feature of Korean SF is how it is "based on Korean sentiment and experiences separate from the Western-centered world view" (https://www.kbook-eng.or.kr/sub/trend.php?ptype=view&idx=462&page=&code=trend&total_searchkey=%EC%9D%B4%EC%A7%80%EC%9A%A9). This indicates the reaction of Korean readers/fans of SF and their lives and culture. Korean SF is establishing its fandom. Now is the time for in-depth research on the Korean SF fandom, especially in feminist SF, not Western studies. 

Sandvoss, C. (2005). Fans: The mirror of consumption. Malden, MA: Polity.

Lefanu, S. (1988). Feminism and Science Fiction. Bloonington, IN: Indiana University Press. 

Hyo Jin Kim is an independent researcher in South Korea. Research interests are in two different topics. One is the fandom of Science Fiction(SF) in South Korea, especially in the subgenre of feminist SF. The other is the representation of Korean/ Korean American female actors, disabled, race/gender, or any culturally biased issues on film and television. Hyo Jin Kim has been a juror of the Korean SF Award since 2019. The book,  #SF #Feminism #Herstory-Yoda genre critique series 02, and Critical reading of Bladerunner (with nine other co-authors) published in 2021. Hyo Jin Kim is currently working with Textreet(Genre critique group) and sf x f (sf and feminism project group).