In a recent episode of the South Korean reality television show, Kang Ho-dong, a former
champion of traditional Korean wrestling (ssireum), was transformed into a girl as he jokingly
confessed that he has “grown fond of flowers lately.” As Kang pensively looked out of a car win-
dow, a blonde wig and pink ribbon were superimposed on his head via computer graphics—as
an editorial comment on his recently cultivated girls’ sensibility (Figure 11.1). Kang was also
offered a new nickname—sonyeodong—combining the Sino-Korean word sonyeo (少女, or shōjo
in Japanese) that means “girl” in Korean, and dong, the last syllable of Kang’s first name. Sonyeo
not only denotes girls in a demographic sense but also connotes their sensibility. The humorous
anecdote is a telling illustration of the shōjo iconography and sensibility that have endured and
permeate East Asian popular culture.
11
Ribbons and fRills
s hōjo sensibility and the transnational
imaginary
Jinhee Choi
Figure 11.1 The transformation of Kang Ho-dong into a sentimental girl on the television show Cool
Kiz on the Block (Uridongne yecheneug). Aired May 7, 2013 on Korean Broadcasting
System (KBS)