The popularity of Korean romance novels in contemporary China: A feminist interpretation

Abstract

This essay deals with Korean romance novels translated into Chinese, especially the works of Kim Ha-in and Guiyeoni which forms a pattern of cross-cultural communication from the marginal culture to the center. Most studies treat them as an aspect of fast-food culture that undermines serious literature, with little attention to this literary and cultural phenomenon. Why are Korean romance novels so popular in contemporary China? There are some answers from different perspectives. However, it is obvious that Korean romance novels offered Chinese women the opportunity to reconceptualize gender. This article contributes to criticism on the interface between Korean romance novels and Chinese feminism and further unveils the relationship between Korean popular romance novels and new interpretations of femininity in contemporary China. The success of Korean romance novels benefits from the conscious choice of Chinese readers in the cross-cultural context, influenced by changes in Chinese women's concept of gender. The response to the aesthetic needs and expectations of readers has prompted the appearance of inverted cultural export, wherein such novels influence other cultures, reflecting upon and even challenging the gender concepts of other countries, which manifests the symbiotic relationship between popular literature and feminism. © 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.