In the early 20th century Korean women began to manifest themselves in the public sphere. Sung
Un Gang explores how the women's gaze was reimagined in public discourse as they attended plays
and movies delving into the complex negotiation process surrounding women's public presence.
In this first extensive study of Korean female spectators in the colonial era he analyzes
newspapers magazines fictions and images arguing that public discourse aimed to mold them
into a male-driven and top-down modernization project. Through a meticulous examination of
historical sources this study reconceptualizes colonial Korean female spectators as diverse
active agents with their own politics who played a crucial role in shaping colonial publicness.
