Female representations as fighters for life in Korean television series popular in Thailand: A case study of “When the Camellia Blooms”

Abstract

Female representations as fighters for life in Korean television series that are popular in Thailand were examined through a case study of “When the Camellia Blooms,” (WTCB), a 2019 South Korean television series. Samples were four female characters in WTCB who fight for their lives in the familial, work and societal domains while expressing modern feminist theory and Confucianism. Qualitative research was done with content analysis of all 20 episodes of “When the Camellia Blooms,” using textual analysis and purposive sampling. Four female characters in the series were focused on with all selected characters depicting the struggles of women in society through narrative elements.

Results of the study were that South Korean female representation in WTCB remained unchanged due to the Confucian patriarchy, while altered representations of South Korean women resulted from conflictual events and international viewpoints of women’s roles leading to increased equality with men. In addition to constructing representations of South Korean women, female characters struggled with life issues such as work motherhood and single parenting, although visualizations of female representation in the series were merely a partial selection and not all South Korean women were representative images.