Korean Popular Culture: “In Between Days” and “Public Enemy” Essay

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

How are the characters of the main heroes revealed in the films “In Between Days” and “Public Enemy”?

The main character in the 2006 movie “In Between Days” is a young girl from Korea who has moved to North America. The name of the protagonist is Aimie. Two characters should be described from the other 2002 movie — “Public Enemy”. Kang Chul-Joong is a policeman who plays the role of an anti-hero and confronts Cho Kyu-hwan, a killer and psychopath, who is a reputable manager at the same time. All of these characters are described with the help of so-called “social masks”. They depict the Korean value system as well. Thus, Aimie seems to be a self-centered girl. However, her friendship with Tran, who is also an immigrant, demonstrates that she can be different (In Between Days). The story of Aimie shows the importance of social connections for Korean people and the value of communication.

The social mask of Kang is that of the unpredictable cop who can break the law for making a profit. Despite such a style of behavior, Kang has a developed sense of justice. He is ready to do everything possible to find the psychopathic killer. Such depiction of Kang may be regarded as a manifestation of Korean society’s aim to implement the priority of human rights and the significance of human life. On the contrary, Cho is a good-looking manager with an excellent reputation. His social mask is used to hide his true self.

What is the importance of the idea of “throwness” in both movies?

The concept of “throwness” is used to describe the experience when the person has to live in a new environment. This idea aims to describe new feelings, impressions, and adaptation processes. This concept may be observed in both movies.

In “In Between Days”, Aimie lives in an extremely new society. She knows nothing about the new worlds and needs help to become an open and happy person. Her relations with Tran saves her from loneliness. The Korean value system pays particular attention to the role of the family. That is why the story of Aimie describes the difficult experience of almost all migrants.

In the second film, the detective Kang is not placed in the other location physically. He happens to see Cho in a dark alley trying to hide a weapon used for murdering his parents (Public Enemy). Kang is not sure that it is Cho, but he has been thrown into a new situation and should find a way out. In the film, one may observe the way Kang understands his mission and demands justice.

What is the main difference between the central ideas in the two movies?

First of all, movies are very different in terms of the presentation of genres. Both films are dramas. However, “Public Enemy” is full of action while “In Between Days” does not have this feature at all.

Second, movies differ in their angle of depicting the Korean value system. “In Between Days” demonstrates the importance of keeping in touch with family (Aimie’s letter to her father). “Public Enemy” demonstrates a usual life from the other perspective. The film reveals the controversy and role of justice in South Korea. Sometimes it is not clear whether Kang is right, but his ambitions and intentions seem to be stronger than him.

Works Cited

In Between Days. Ex. Prod. Bradley Rust Gray. South Korea: Soandbrad. 2006. DVD.

Public Enemy. Ex. Prod. Kang Woo-suk. South Korea: Cinema Service. 2002. DVD.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2021, March 24). Korean Popular Culture: “In Between Days” and “Public Enemy”. https://ivypanda.com/essays/korean-popular-culture-in-between-days-and-public-enemy/

Work Cited

"Korean Popular Culture: “In Between Days” and “Public Enemy”." IvyPanda, 24 Mar. 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/korean-popular-culture-in-between-days-and-public-enemy/.

References

IvyPanda. (2021) 'Korean Popular Culture: “In Between Days” and “Public Enemy”'. 24 March.

References

IvyPanda. 2021. "Korean Popular Culture: “In Between Days” and “Public Enemy”." March 24, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/korean-popular-culture-in-between-days-and-public-enemy/.

1. IvyPanda. "Korean Popular Culture: “In Between Days” and “Public Enemy”." March 24, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/korean-popular-culture-in-between-days-and-public-enemy/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Korean Popular Culture: “In Between Days” and “Public Enemy”." March 24, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/korean-popular-culture-in-between-days-and-public-enemy/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1