A01=Benjamin M. Han
Asia-Latin America
Author_Benjamin M. Han
Category=JBCT
Category=JBSL
Cultural Studies
Diasporic Nationalism
eq_bestseller
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_new_release
eq_nobargain
eq_non-fiction
eq_society-politics
Global Media
Globalization
Guardian: The Lonely and Great God.
Imaginary
Korean Cultural Studies
Korean Drama
Korean media and popular culture
Korean Popular Culture
Korean television
Korean Wave
Latin American Imaginary
Media Studies
Modernity
Secret Garden
Television Studies
The Land of Humans
Product details
- ISBN 9781439923245
- Weight: 454g
- Dimensions: 152 x 229mm
- Publication Date: 13 Feb 2026
- Publisher: Temple University Press,U.S.
- Publication City/Country: US
- Product Form: Hardback
Secure
checkout
Fast Shipping
Easy returns
For many Koreans, Latin America is foreign and unfamiliar, but popular television shows have generated considerable interest in this region of the Global South. In Reckoning with the World, Benjamin Han explores this phenomenon by providing a close reading of Korean TV programs that take place, are shot in, or depict Latin America. These dramas, reality shows, and travel documentaries present South Koreans with an understanding of themselves by projecting an illusion of difference that underscores themes of identity, race, and modernity.
Historical dramas like The Land of Humans, about Korean migrants in Mexico, consider diasporic identity and nationalism, while the fantasy series Secret Garden explores issues of modernity. In addition, the TV drama Encounter and the entertainment show Traveler contrast the cultures of global Korea with Cuba. As these programs create appealing storytelling, characters, and aesthetics, they inspire and resonate with audiences and fans across the globe. However, Korean television’s imaginary of Latin America is not about its investment in fostering greater interculturality with Latin American nations and their cultures but instead projects a façade of progressive racial and cultural politics shaping Korea’s reckoning with the world.
Historical dramas like The Land of Humans, about Korean migrants in Mexico, consider diasporic identity and nationalism, while the fantasy series Secret Garden explores issues of modernity. In addition, the TV drama Encounter and the entertainment show Traveler contrast the cultures of global Korea with Cuba. As these programs create appealing storytelling, characters, and aesthetics, they inspire and resonate with audiences and fans across the globe. However, Korean television’s imaginary of Latin America is not about its investment in fostering greater interculturality with Latin American nations and their cultures but instead projects a façade of progressive racial and cultural politics shaping Korea’s reckoning with the world.
Benjamin M. Han is Associate Professor in the Department of Entertainment and Media Studies at the University of Georgia. He is the author of Beyond the Black and White TV: Asian and Latin American Spectacle in Cold War America and the coeditor of Korean Pop Culture beyond Asia: Race and Reception.
