1b - The Time of the Tiger: The face of Korea, presented by Marie Seung Jin Lee

The Time of the Tiger: The face of Korea, presented by Marie Seung Jin Lee The tiger is one of the most enduring symbols in Korean visual culture, continually reappearing across different historical periods and artistic media. Rather than treating the tiger as a static cultural icon preserved in museums, this paper argues that it functions as a living cultural code—one that evolves while retaining its symbolic significance. From prehistoric petroglyphs and Goguryeo tomb murals to Joseon minhwa, contemporary video art, and K-pop performances, the tiger has continuously adapted to changing social and technological contexts. The paper examines how the tiger has been reimagined across Korean history: as a symbol of survival in prehistoric imagery, a guardian figure in Goguryeo murals, a humorous and subversive character in Joseon folk paintings, and, more recently, as a global emblem of Korean identity. Contemporary examples, including tiger imagery in K-pop performances and the Olympic mascots Hodori (1988 Seoul Olympics) and Soohorang (2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics), demonstrate how the tiger continues to represent Korea on the international stage. Rather than viewing these adaptations as simple modernisations of tradition, the paper proposes that the tiger's enduring relevance lies in its ability to be continually reactivated across new media and cultural contexts. This process is understood through the concept of neo-traditionalism, in which historical visual traditions are not merely preserved but reinterpreted to speak to contemporary audiences. Attention is given to the playful tiger of Joseon minhwa, whose humour and irreverence anticipate the visual wit and meme culture associated with contemporary Korean popular culture. By tracing the tiger's transformation from ancient rock art to digital media, the paper argues that its significance lies not in historical continuity alone but in its capacity for continual reinvention. Ultimately, the Korean tiger serves as a powerful lens through which to understand the dynamic relationship between tradition, identity, and visual culture in Korea. Presentation slides at https://docs.google.com/presentation/... ABOUT MARIE SEUNG JIN LEE Exploring Art Curation, Art Historian, Researcher of SEA Art & Culture & Museum relics