Amanda Wright
Ewha Womans University

Received January 2, 2022; Revised version received February 10, 2022; Accepted February 20, 2022

Abstract

This article accepts the premises that reality is socially constructed, in large part by traditional media, which has a societal obligation to influence that reality in a responsible manner. Background on the social construction of reality, media representation, and information relevant to the Korean context is provided, followed by the views of North Korean defectors (hereafter NKDs) on said representation, and finally a brief discussion and recommendations. Each issue impacting the majority female NKD population is examined through a gendered lens. Conclusions include the need for greater diversity in the representation of defectors, a reduction of sexualization and victimization as previous authors have discussed, and minimizing the use of the “strong NKD woman” narrative.

Key Words : gender, social construction of reality, minority representation, intersectional, soft power, Netflix