• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.16 no.10
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• pp.701-710
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• 2016

Perspective of director Bong Joon-ho shown in his movies up to now had been limited to domestic issues but that in the was shifted to the world, mankind, and future of humans. Images exhibited in his movies had the same meanings of many stories in the Bible and myths. The study looks into his philosophical world through the Christian view of the world and the Oriental circulation thinking; the story of the was expressed in before the glacial period, the 17 year glacial period spent in a train, and after the glacial period; structure of the story was composed of allegory as prior to Israelites' Escape from Egypt, desert life for 40 years, and entrance to Canaan. The end in the Bible does not mean complete collapse but it contains aspiration for new heaven and new earth to open a new era, to make a new promise with the God and to live a permanent life. This study intends to interpret the developed in a quite different meaning of imagination of humans' future from the previous one by the director Bong Joon-ho and to make another different explanation underlying in the image projected on the surface layer by the director.

• Journal of Science and Technology Studies
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.127-164
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• 2014

This essay examines the motivations, goals, and assumptions of those who are participating in the appropriate technology movement in contemporary South Korea. In addition to analyzing books, articles, presentation materials, and media reports written by or about the "appropriate technologists," I have interviewed a few of them to hear their thoughts on appropriate technologies as well as inappropriate technologies. They choose to work on appropriate technology out of their good will for people in need, their Christian faith, and their pride in Korea's rapid and successful development. As a result, the appropriate technology movement in Korea does not engage in a critical evaluation of current sociotechnical systems, but instead takes an ethical and paternalistic stance in accepting and improving the given situation. Its apolitical character is effective in drawing a large number of participants, but it also limits their imagination and the movement's potential influence. Moreover, the movement's focus on "the other 90%" leads the participants to frame appropriate technology as something for "them" or "locals" rather than as something for "all of us." This essay concludes by suggesting that the appropriate technology movement in Korea should expand its scope from an ethical pursuit of technology to a political engagement with technology.