Title
Grace Jung: K-Drama School
Abstract
The Wisconsin Book Festival hosted a talk by Grace Jung, the author of K-Drama School, a groundbreaking exploration of K-drama.
Stand-up comedian and media studies PhD Grace Jung took a rollicking deep dive into the cultural significance of Korean television by discussing her book, K-Drama School: A Pop Culture Inquiry Into Why We Love Korean Television. The audience gained insights on everything from common tropes like amnesia and slapping to conspicuous product placements of Subway sandwiches and coffee; to representations of disability, race and gender; to what Korea’s war-torn history says about South Korea’s media output and the stories being told on screen.
This was the third event that CEAS co-sponsored with The Wisconsin Book Festival for AY 2024-25.
Biography
Grace Jung earned her PhD in Cinema and Media Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles with fifteen years of media industry experience in New York and Los Angeles as a filmmaker, producer, writer and performer. She specializes in Korean television, film, comedy, gender and queer studies.