King And The Clown Sociology

The King and the Clown (2005) had over 10 million viewers merely 46 days after its release. Joon-gi Lee, the actor cast for Gong-gil in the film became famous and sparked a ‘pretty man' craze in South Korea. The popularity of the box-office hit The King and the Clown demonstrates that Korean people are fascinated by this film; Homosexuality and cross-dressing are key themes of the film and these concepts have been considered as out of social norms in Korea. However, the popularity of The King and the Clown proves a valid research topic, although those key concepts were both consciously and institutionally seen as taboo in South Korea. In a contemporary Western context transgender identity, homosexuality, and cross-dressing tend to be understood as distinct phenomena. However, our understanding of practices of dressing in the clothing of the other sex, or of same-sex attraction may not apply to previous periods or other cultures. As Foucault explores, discourses around gender and sexuality are historically specific (Foucault, 1976 ). Therefore, in this chapter, social changes surrounding cross-dressing and homosexuality will be discussed in the context of historical traces and current trends in South Korea.
Around 5th Century B.C, Silla Dynasty formulated a system of Hwarang, an elite and noble group, also known as Flowering Knights, organised with the members of children of the king and noble birth. According to a Chinese record on Korean culture in 576 by Ling Hucheng of Tang China, the most attractive boys were selected among sons of noble birth, powdered and adorned beautifully. Hwarang, the group of youth, all the people in the country served and worshipped them with respect (Lin Hucheng,