K-Moms:Between Continuity and Change

What is the meaning of motherhood in Korean culture and society? And how have mothersbeen represented in Korean literature? First of all, mothers in Korea represent sacrificeand dedication. Korean mothers are beings that live wholly for their children and family,completely suppressing their own desires. This kind of idea of motherhood originates, at leastpartly, from the tumultuous experience of modern Korean history. Korea was a colony underimperial Japan, achieved independence at the end of World War II, but was torn apart bywar shortly after. Korean mothers had to be bastions of sacrifice and dedication to protecttheir children and families in the turmoil of a postwar society.Literary critic Jung Hongsoo writes of Shin Kyung-sook’s Please Look After Mom, “[This]is a belated but ardent lament for all those mothers who, in the course of Korea’s turbulentrecent history, have had to bury their own existence.” This sentiment is upheld by numerousKorean readers.Secondly, Korean mothers are depicted as protecting their families at all costs, excludingany consideration for society as a whole. Mothers in this sense are generals marshaling theirfamilies to victory. All resources are used as they direct their children’s education as if theywere running a military operation. Mothers are in charge of the family’s finances as well,including investing in real estate. Social responsibility is not the top priority in this process.A Korean expression that refers to this zeal is that mothers rule with “the swish of askirt.” This is particularly relevant to the effort that goes into the education of their children,a fervor that has achieved legendary status. The final aim of this uphill battle is to send theirchildren to elite universities. Many Korean mothers compete furiously against each othertowards this goal as if they were the ones studying for university, not their children.Literary critic Jung Yeo-ul notes that in recent years, the representations of mothers inKorean pop culture appear to be trapped between love and obsession. Much of what is donein the name of love for their children, the critic says, is actually born out of obsession. Thisdilemma between love and obsession is represented in Korean children’s books as well.Children’s book critic Kim Ji-eun says that there has been a noticeable change inthe role of mothers in children’s books from the mid-2000s onwards. Once a symbol ofsacrifice, mothers in children’s books have begun to seek their own identity. Mothers inrecent children’s books are depicted in conflict over what extent they should meddle in theirchildren’s affairs even as they do so.Poet Shim Bo-seon argues that Korean mothers have lived a life more accuratelydescribed as consultants to their children. Based on his relationship with his mother, thepoet suggests that it is time for Korean mothers to build a new kind of relationship withtheir children. The authors of this special issue all agree that the idea of Korean motherhoodis changing from the rigid standards once upheld by Korean society. How will K-Momsadapt to this change? This question is tantamount to asking how Korean society and culturewill change in the years to come. It is also a question of the ways motherhood is evolving inKorean literature. 

by Pyo Jeonghun