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Yongsoon

Name: Yongsoon
Director: Shin Joon
Released: 2017
Duration: 104 min

Representation Score

3.3/10

Limited

2017

Director

Shin Joon

Runtime

104 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Yongsoon is a character-driven domestic drama that highlights ethnic diversity. By featuring a Mongolian stepmother, the film breaks from a homogeneous portrayal of family life, offering a look into multicultural domesticity. However, the narrative structure adheres to conventional coming-of-age clichés. It does not offer systemic critiques or identity-driven subversions, remaining focused on personal adolescent desires. Overall, the film provides meaningful ethnic diversity but does not actively challenge broader socio-political hierarchies or explore non-heterosexual or non-cisgender identities.

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Category Breakdown

Does Yongsoon have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film focuses on heterosexual relationships and does not include any characters with non-straight or non-cisgender identities. There is no critique of the assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender.

How does Yongsoon portray gender?

Fair

A female protagonist drives the emotional journey of this coming-of-age story. While the story is centered around her, it follows traditional genre conventions.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Yongsoon?

Good

The inclusion of a Mongolian stepmother introduces themes of transnational identity and multicultural integration within a Korean context. This adds diversity to the depiction of a family unit.

How does Yongsoon represent religion and culture?

Fair

The story follows traditional coming-of-age clichés, focusing on personal and domestic experiences. It does not provide a critique of broader societal or institutional systems.

Does Yongsoon include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no visible or invisible disabilities depicted or mentioned in the film.

Present on Screen

The inclusion of a Mongolian character provides significant depth and disrupts ethnic homogeneity.
The film centers a female perspective within its emotional and narrative arc.

Limited or Absent

The narrative follows conventional clichés and lacks explicit systemic or socio-political critiques.
There is a lack of representation regarding LGBTQ+ identities or non-cisgender perspectives.

Official Synopsis

Yong-soon is an 18-year-old high school student. She falls in love with her gym teacher, but she thinks her teacher might have a girlfriend. Yong-Soon and her friends try to find out whether he does have a girlfriend, but they can't find any clues. Making things worse, her father brings a new stepmother from Mongolia.

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