• Journal of Popular Narrative
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.73-108
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• 2019

This paper is an attempt to discuss the history and the current state of 'SF theaters.' SF theater is still an unfamiliar genre to the public, and may surprise some, given that the stage is perceived as an insufficient space for stretching the scientific imagination. Since 2010 works that bring the scientific imagination into the theater have frequently been performed, and a recognition of SF theaters began to be established. Producers came to be absorbed in human psychology, and our isolation amidst the progress in technology, as well as in the absurdities of the world, while giving up the ideal of realistic descriptions. This became the foundation for SF theaters in South Korea today. Starting from the research history and the conceptual change in SF theaters, this study examined the status of SF dramas going back to the colonial period for SF theaters. Through inquiring into the history of SF theaters, we were able to derive the following implications and problems. Firstly, as they are based on future society or technical improvement without consideration of scientific probability or rationality, the scientific imagination is too absent for the work to be named 'SF theater.' Secondly, while being highly evaluated as an attempt to integrate science and stage in an era that emphasizes convergence, when we delve into the creativity of a material it is noticeable that the view of the world is still regressive. Thirdly, there are many cases in which scripts lean on SF classics or Japanese original works. Nevertheless, if young creators' diverse attempts in a genre can breathe with the contemporary audience desiring a new material, the foundation of a Korean-style SF theater may be expanded to include more significant work.