This dissertation aims to examine the characteristics of East Asian disaster narratives and their pathways of cultural healing through a comparative analysis of three representative maritime and disaster films from South Korea, China, and Japan—Haeu...
This dissertation aims to examine the characteristics of East Asian disaster narratives and their pathways of cultural healing through a comparative analysis of three representative maritime and disaster films from South Korea, China, and Japan—Haeundae (2009), Dongji Rescue (2025), and Japan Sinks (2006)—based on trauma theory. These three films are widely regarded as representative works in the development of maritime and disaster cinema in their respective countries since 2000, and they possess both comparability and representativeness in that each depicts a distinct type of disaster: natural catastrophe, historical maritime disaster, and national crisis.
The primary objective of this study is to investigate how disaster films function not merely as entertainment genres, but as cultural media that represent and process historical and social trauma. Through this approach, the study explores the distinctive emotional structures and cultural responses of East Asian societies within the context of the global risk society.
Methodologically, this study employs close textual analysis, comparative research methods, and cross-cultural contextual analysis, constructing an integrated analytical framework of “representation–narrative–healing–cultural roots.” The theoretical framework combines the trauma theories of Cathy Caruth and Judith Herman with disaster narratology, cultural memory theory, and comparative film studies.
The findings reveal significant differences among the disaster films of the three countries in their modes of trauma representation and healing. Korean cinema emphasizes the healing of everyday trauma through family ethics and the emotional codes of han and jeong; Chinese cinema foregrounds a narrative of national salvation rooted in collectivist historical consciousness; and Japanese cinema pursues cultural healing through apocalyptic anxiety and the aesthetics of mono no aware.
In particular, regarding trauma typology, South Korean cinema is characterized by a model of “everyday trauma,” Chinese cinema by “historical trauma,” and Japanese cinema by “prophetic trauma.” In terms of narrative structure, Korean films primarily adopt family-centered narratives, Chinese films emphasize nation-centered grand narratives, while Japanese films focus on the tension between collective identity and individual heroism.
The theoretical significance of this study lies in extending trauma theory into the field of film studies and further developing a methodological framework for comparative East Asian cinema studies. Practically, it examines the conditions under which disaster films may construct structures of emotional resonance and acknowledge cultural differences among East Asian societies within the context of a global risk society. In doing so, this study suggests that disaster cinema can function as a medium through which affective solidarity and cultural heterogeneity are simultaneously articulated, thereby offering new insights for trauma studies and comparative film scholarship.