MarxSchmarx
5th February 2014, 07:23
So I just finished watching the Great Queen Seondeok. People talk about the plot, the history, the acting (esp. the main villain), the characters etc... but I think the contemporary political references are overlooked.
A central theme of the series is the idea that today, Shilla (the Korean state-let where the drama takes place), tomorrow, the Korean peninsula. The parallels of Shilla to the DPRK today result in part from a deliberate calculation by the Pyongyang military. Historically Shilla allied uneasily with the Tang to facilitate unification (akin to the DPRK's alliance with China), built a gazillion monuments and instituted new ideological doctrines, and yeah, saw absolute rule by an uneasy alliance between the monarchy and the militaristic nobility as a key to unifying the peninsula.
I find this kind of interesting because historically, there was likely some linguistic differentiation among the people of the Korean peninsula and likely the ancestors of modern Korea constituted diverse non-han groups. Although it is curious that whereas China had several Mongol, Tungusic and even Turkish dynasties in addition to Han dynasties, it never had a Korean dynasty. Anyway, where the issue of internal diversity arises, the plot is one emphatically in favor of total and complete assimilation of the one subject kingdom the protagonist controls on a level bordering on genocide.
I find it interesting that the drama also showcases, however, how "democratic" the Queen was. For instance, she is constantly on the look-out for the welfare of her subjects at the expense of the nobility and institutes transparency and whatnot.
In many respects, I think a drama like this could only work in the backdrop of contemporary Korea. It also deals with the idea of a changing world (a queen FFS) and fealty to an old dream (unification of the Korean peninsula, which is really a post-Shilla creation as a polity).
There are also several levels where it could be criticized for its capitalist bias. The only commoners of any consequence are the adopted, devoted mother and two thieving brothers who later reveal themselve capable advisors and soldiers. Of course as in all dramas there must be an end goal, but it is never clear why the nationalist goal of a united peninsula should be adopted as the cause de jure of the protagonist who starts out as a street urchin, etc....
Anyway I am curious if other revlefters have watched this, and what they think about its politics.
A central theme of the series is the idea that today, Shilla (the Korean state-let where the drama takes place), tomorrow, the Korean peninsula. The parallels of Shilla to the DPRK today result in part from a deliberate calculation by the Pyongyang military. Historically Shilla allied uneasily with the Tang to facilitate unification (akin to the DPRK's alliance with China), built a gazillion monuments and instituted new ideological doctrines, and yeah, saw absolute rule by an uneasy alliance between the monarchy and the militaristic nobility as a key to unifying the peninsula.
I find this kind of interesting because historically, there was likely some linguistic differentiation among the people of the Korean peninsula and likely the ancestors of modern Korea constituted diverse non-han groups. Although it is curious that whereas China had several Mongol, Tungusic and even Turkish dynasties in addition to Han dynasties, it never had a Korean dynasty. Anyway, where the issue of internal diversity arises, the plot is one emphatically in favor of total and complete assimilation of the one subject kingdom the protagonist controls on a level bordering on genocide.
I find it interesting that the drama also showcases, however, how "democratic" the Queen was. For instance, she is constantly on the look-out for the welfare of her subjects at the expense of the nobility and institutes transparency and whatnot.
In many respects, I think a drama like this could only work in the backdrop of contemporary Korea. It also deals with the idea of a changing world (a queen FFS) and fealty to an old dream (unification of the Korean peninsula, which is really a post-Shilla creation as a polity).
There are also several levels where it could be criticized for its capitalist bias. The only commoners of any consequence are the adopted, devoted mother and two thieving brothers who later reveal themselve capable advisors and soldiers. Of course as in all dramas there must be an end goal, but it is never clear why the nationalist goal of a united peninsula should be adopted as the cause de jure of the protagonist who starts out as a street urchin, etc....
Anyway I am curious if other revlefters have watched this, and what they think about its politics.