Exploring Social Injustice and Politics in Korean Horror Genre…Beyond the Scares

The Korean horror genre is not only about jump scares and evil faces, which is the unique selling point of the Korean industry that has now become a global rage. Its significant recognition comes from its adeptness of blending traditional deep social, psychological, and cultural themes, presenting them to the world distinctly compared to Western horror. 

Social injustice and politics in Korean horror genre have emerged as highlighted themes that make this genre stand out from the rest. Their class struggles and political tumult are embedded in the historical experiences that have now become part of their horror genre. 

A long-lasting impact has been made, and that too, with a blast. The fusion has worked so well that I cannot stop having enough of it. Let’s have a look at how they did it.  

Korean horror development with historical and cultural context

Korean history is full of struggles. As per Google Arts and Culture, their political turbulence dates back to the 1900s, which influenced the way filmmakers saw social injustice and the anxieties stemming from it. 

The 1960s was the time when Korean filmmakers started talking about these topics seriously and infused them as major themes in their films. The features of this era were full of concerns about the Korean War and political problems that caused social class differences. 

For example, The Housemaid (1960) is an emotional story that discovers the impact of Western influences and goods in modern Korean society. The deep-rooted sadness and injustice are subtly visible in the cultural and political aspects of the film that have plagued Korean history since then. 

On the other hand, a large part of this post could be dedicated to how military dictatorship, economic disparity, and rapid modernization shaped Korean society. In 1987, South Koreans overthrew the military dictatorship, after which socioeconomic modernization brought democratic change in the late 1980s. 

Coming back to classic movies of that time, like The Housemaid, rapid modernization, therefore, instigated the rise of the middle class and horrors of social injustice, as seen in the Korean horror genre.

Even the demonic ghosts haunting the houses in Korean movies of that time were victims of social anxieties and issues coming from the political and cultural climate of that time. The same holds true for the 1965 Korean movie A Bloodthirsty Killer. 

Clear themes are the class dynamics, family honor, and revenge. The haunting ghost comes back for revenge from the family who deeply buried guilt and shame to save their morality. The clash of modernizing forces with traditional values was evident in the film, validating the fact that the Korean horror genre uses social injustice in the films. 

A contemporary example of urbanization resulting in alienation and hopelessness is The Wailing (2016). Tension heightened as the story progressed with a horror aura imprisoning the protagonist and antagonist physically and psychologically. 

Social class injustice in Korean horror

After analyzing political and cultural aspects of the Korean horror genre from classic times, I now move on to some of the modern-day horror movies that still are a strong illustration of the same discussion.

The best example of social class injustice is the Oscar-winning Parasite (2019). A plethora of articles are found over the internet that suggest how societal fear took over the man living underground in a luxurious house, magnificently showing social hierarchy in itself.

I need not to dissect it anymore then. Another film that depicts poverty, characters facing exploitation on the same grounds, and lack of opportunities is Train to Busan (2016). Okay, let me tell you that Train to Busan combines political themes with the society’s horror in the form of zombies taking over the town.

How? The critique of social inequality, the government’s failure to give protection to its citizens, neoliberalism, corruption, abuse of power, individualism versus collectivism, and the breakdown of social bonds while showing stark differences in how each wealthy and poor classes fight the zombie outbreak is a great film example. 

Hence, a vivid picture of how power imbalance is a potent enough reason to instill fear and desperation along with class-based struggles has always been a part of the Korean horror genre. Let’s revisit the trailer:

Politics in Korean horror

I wanted to keep the focus on the ‘movies’ to shed light on how politics is a prominent part of the Korean horror genre; however, Kingdom (2019-2020 Korean horror series) is the best-ever exemplar of this phenomenon. 

According to Jacobin, the screenwriter of the series, Kim Eun-hee clarified that the use of zombies for socio-political critique was her actual plan. She said, 

“I wanted to write a story that reflects the fears and anxiety of modern times…I wanted to portray people who were mistreated by those in power.”

She elucidated that although zombies are disgusting and terrifying creatures, they still were to be empathized with as they turned into the monsters after facing starvation and poverty. She was of the view that they were the lowest hierarchy of the society who were negatively affected by higher authority’s decisions. 

Sticking to the film category in the Korean horror genre, The Host (2016) by the visionary director of Parasite, Bong Joon-ho, is a notable example of political tension, oppression, and corruption after which the citizens had to suffer, creating social phobias, as per The Korean in Me. The film discusses themes of authoritarianism, government control, environmental degradation, and its incompetence in safeguarding its citizens, crafting a compelling narrative fused with horror. 

How did the symbiosis of social injustice and politics in Korean horror genre work so well? 

• Intersection of Class and Politics: Korean horror brilliantly portrays the intersection of class and politics, addressing both social inequality and political power. 
• Unique Representation: This theme is more prevalent in Korean cinema than in any other global film industry.
• Recent Examples:
• The Squid Game (Netflix series)
• Exhuma (2024)
• Themes of Colonial Trauma: Modern narratives in Korean horror often explore colonial trauma and historical atrocities, transforming them into personal horror and social commentary.
• Impact of Korean Horror: The genre has firmly established itself over time, serving both as entertainment and a profound eye-opener.
• Audience Reflection: Viewers are challenged to think critically about the societal issues that have shaped the experiences of the Korean people.

Concluding with the global impact and relevance of Korean horror

Korean horror has become one of the most influential cinemas at a faster pace than expected. It has been only possible with its resonance not only with Korean but global audiences with the help of themes that became a peerless cinematic voice. 

The blending of supernatural elements with deep social and political themes created a broader appeal beyond cultural boundaries. Awards and commercial success on the global stage are its pieces of evidence that we cannot ignore. Kudos!

What are your thoughts on this? Let us know.