A Study on the Representation of Female Characters in North Korean 3D Computer Animation: Focusing on the Character of Kkotsoon’s Mom in Eoksoe Who Defeated the Devil (2021)

Diversity has emerged as an important topic in the 21st century. This, along with the advancement of digital technology, is opening up new possibilities for content creation and consumption. Accordingly, the male-centered values of the past are being reevaluated, and animations in which women are expressed more actively, such as Disney Studio's Frozen (2013) and Moana (2016), are emerging. This paper studies how North Korean 3D computer animations during the Kim Jong Un era were highly evaluated in terms of graphic technology and directing skills, and how female characters were portrayed. It analyzes Kkotsoon's mom, a female character in Eoksoe Who Defeated the Devil (2021), in terms of story and acting. First, changes in the representation of women in North Korean society and animation are investigated by dividing them into the Kim Il Sung era (1946–1980s), Kim Jong Il era (1990s–2012), and Kim Jong Un era (since 2012). In Eoksoe Who Defeated the Devil, produced during the Kim Jong Un era as the story of Kim Jung Suk, Kkotsoon's mom is depicted as conformist and faithful to her family and as someone who needs to be protected and saved by men; this is also confirmed by the acting.