Theme: The Institutionalization of Ideology
Episode 4 examines how nationalist identity becomes codified through political power and media control. Building on the previous episodes — where fear was introduced and collective identity was formed — this chapter investigates how ideology is stabilized through institutional authority. Growing up, I encountered rhetoric centered on national purity, economic triumph, and existential threat. These narratives were not isolated beliefs; they were embedded within political structures and amplified through state-controlled media.
This episode draws from the historical period of rapid economic development under authoritarian leadership in South Korea during the 1960s and 70s. During this era, economic progress was intertwined with nationalist messaging and anti-communist fear campaigns. Civil liberties were often suppressed in the name of stability, security, and national rebuilding.
The episode does not seek to retell political history. Instead, it examines:
How fear legitimizes authority
How economic progress can mask authoritarian control
How media repetition transforms leadership into myth
How dissent becomes framed as betrayal
The central image — a symbolic figure elevated on a pedestal before a uniform crowd — visualizes the fusion of fear, spectacle, and power. The crowd does not question; it reflects.
Hate here is not spontaneous. It is structured.
Fear is not accidental. It is curated.
Power is not hidden. It is normalized.
“I grew up hearing a plethora of nationalistic rhetoric, such as “I should be proud of being a member of this homogeneous society.” I was born three years before president Park Chung-Hee was assassinated in 1979. President Park is the most controversial political figure in the history of modern Korean. He was the mastermind of the economic policies called Developmentalism that brought rapid economic growth in the 60s and 70s in Korea. Park was also the leader of the political establishment that was the military dictatorship that had existed since a military coup in 1961. Park had control of the mass media which prioritized his economic policy, nationalistic vision, and fear-mongering anti-communist policy. As a result, civil rights for Koreans suffered under the name of national rebuilding and of course, homeland security. His political opponents and any civil rights movements were often branded as communists or communist sympathizers.”