The Insidious Role of Religion in South Korea’s Military Entertainment Complex

• In Event: Political Behaviors and Contentious Politics in Korea

Abstract

The most popular narrative surrounding ‘wi-moon-gong-yeon’ aka ‘consolation performances’ for the military in South Korea (i.e. think K-pop idol groups singing and dancing at military bases) is a feminist one, of accusing the performances as just one more example of the hyper-sexualization of bodies—especially female ones. Given the backlash, it is worth asking who this is all for really? Who is the subject of the ‘consoling’ here? In the case of these consolation performances, I argue that there is an influential yet lesser-known factor that has managed to evade much of the contestation surrounding the utility of performing for the military: the military chaplaincy system. At first glance, the two are quite strange bedfellows, but they share several interesting parallels and homologous logics in South Korea: 1) both have historical roots in anti-communism and; 2) both emphasize a ‘warfighting spirit’ and the uplifting thereof (despite religious chaplains outside South Korea having moved away to a more human rights-based and holistic healing approach). The contributions that I hope to make with this paper is to analyze the sites of power where it is least apparent via the military chaplaincy system and explain how these performances in the military are inextricably tied to religion and political competition in South Korea. By presenting a less obvious but perhaps more powerful complementary narrative to the existing strand regarding feminism, this paper will ultimately uncover the politicization of religion and its effects for state security in South Korea.

Author

• Jiun Bang, Colorado College