South Korean perspective on Che Guevara?

May 9, 2016 12:21 PM

I'm looking for any insight into how Che Guevara is perceived in South Korea. Clearly there's not one single "South Korean perspective" on anything, but any kind of bird's-eye views, anecdotal reports, or online things to read would be helpful here.
posted by kalapierson to Society & Culture (1 answer total)

Best answer: I think most people either would not know him or just know him as some Cuban revolutionary in the past. Among younger generation / intellectuals, he may be a bit more known and respected as a great historical figure. The perspective wouldn't be very different from the popular North American perspective, because South Korean young people would read the same Che Guevara books, watch the same Che Guevara films, and wear the same Che Guevara t-shirts as their NA counterparts. As in NA, he would be often considered as this romantic and heroic figure, and among the progressives he would be studied and discussed, and sometimes idolized. Is there anything specific you suspect to be 'distinctly South Korean' in people's perception?
posted by eisenl at 11:26 PM on July 10, 2016 [1 favorite]