Agamben, Postcoloniality, and Sovereignty in South Korea. Issue 3 (26th December 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lee, Seung‐Ook; Jan, Najeeb; Wainwright, Joel
• Is Part Of: Antipode. Volume 46:Issue 3(2014:Jun.)
• Page Start: 650
• Page End: 668
• Publication Date: 2013-12-26
• Subjects: Geography -- Periodicals; 910.5
• DOI: 10.1111/anti.12070
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0066-4812

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>This paper examines modern Korean politics through the framework of Giorgio Agamben's theories of sovereign power, bare life, and the state of exception. Though his political analysis draws from the European history, we contend that the nature of his method attests to the possibility of analogical examples in non‐Western places. Thus, we argue that a postcolonial encounter with Agamben may enrich our understanding of sovereignty and political geography. In the Korean context, such an analysis needs to consider that sovereign power has been shaped by the itineraries of colonialism and empire. Korea's political space is deeply marked by the legacy of Japanese colonialism, the imperial interventions by the U.S., and the division of the peninsula. Thus, Korea offers a valuable lens through which to read Agamben's critique of sovereignty. Our paper offers such a reading to argue that a state of exception functions as the underlying <italic>nomos</italic> for postcolonial Korea.</p> </abstract>