Theme: The Construction of the (Other) Enemy
Episode 5 introduces the necessary counterpart to nationalist identity: the imagined “other.” Within the fictional system of the film, the Red People represent the externalized threat required to sustain Yellow Nationalism. If Episode 3 visualized the birth of collective identity, Episode 5 exposes the mechanism that maintains it — the continuous invention of opposition. Historically, nationalism often emerges from resistance: anti-colonial struggle, cultural preservation, or survival. However, once institutionalized, it frequently requires an ongoing adversary to justify its authority.
“In a historical context, Korean nationalism seems necessary as an effort to control what it could within the context of a complex weave of Korean traditions. It was obvious there was a need to rebuild a nation that had suffered decades of humiliation by foreign powers. Nationalism has often been a convenient and effective political tool, mostly for ruling classes. The primary tactic of early nationalists during a period of colonial occupation was to struggle for national independence. Furthermore, since the nationalists were once the victims of imperialist aggression, nationalism generally assumes the character of anti-imperialism. However, nationalism often became a hegemonic ideology of the ruling elite and deprived it into a tool of authoritarianism. Conservatives used the concept of nationalism as a façade for their class interests and evinced concern for anti-feudal democratic reforms.”
This episode examines:
How enemies are symbolically coded
How dissent becomes equated with betrayal
How fear of difference sustains collective unity
How nationalism shifts from defense to dominance
The confrontation between Yellow and Red is intentionally theatrical. The Red figure is exaggerated and stylized — not to depict a real adversary, but to demonstrate how political systems reduce complexity into simplified antagonists. The crowd’s chant — “How dare you disrespect our flag” — reflects how symbolic objects become proxies for moral outrage. The flag is no longer fabric; it becomes a test of loyalty.
In this episode, the “enemy” is not a nation, ideology, or group of people. It is the necessity of opposition itself.