"Wise Mothers," "Mom Bugs," and Pyŏngmat (Twisted Tastes): The Limits of Maternal Emotional Expression in South Korean Webtoons

Abstract:

In the last decade, South Korean webtoons have joined television dramas (K-dramas) and K-pop as an important element of the Korean Wave abroad. Domestically, the South Korean public can idly browse or religiously follow thousands of free or subscription webtoons on their smartphones. Webtoon artists may dream of achieving broader success by having their works adapted transmedially, as a web drama (online TV drama) or even better, as a network, cable or Netflix series that achieves mainstream success. Two significant subgenres of webtoons are "lifestyle webtoons" (saenghwarwept'un) and "family webtoons" (kajogwept'un) and these two subgenres are combined in what I am calling "childcare webtoons" (yugawept'un). While South Korea also follows global media trends of "mom blogs" and Instagram microcelebrities or Youtubers sharing their parenting journeys ("sharenting"), "childcare webtoons" are a particularly rich space for observing changing mothering ideologies and parenting norms. This article examines "mom humor" and other stories mothers tell across the South Korean Internet, paying particular attention to what kinds of emotional expression are sanctioned and what is taboo. I analyze webtoons such as "I'm a Mom (Nanŭn ŏmmada)" and "The Birth of a Married Woman(Yubunyŏŭi t'ansaeng)," suggesting that even as the tedium of everyday motherhood is increasingly critiqued through media, the still somewhat rigid gender roles and maternal expectations in South Korea translate into an overall more muted and subtle "mom humor" alongside the still more socially expected stories of maternal gratitude and fulfillment.