South Korea’s gendered nationhood : a case study of heavyweight weightlifter Jang Mi-ran

The research aimed to examine the androcentric nature of South Korea's nationhood. South Korea's former heavyweight weightlifter Jang Mi-ran and her sporting career exhibit the difficulties and possibilities that South Korean women are faced with. On the one hand she displays the stronghold of conservative gender order, and on the other hand she has rewritten a script for women and positioned them differently in the national imaginary. As an emphatic gender symbol, Jang compelled many participants to rethink what it means to be a woman in South Korea today, which could alter the character of the nation. A number of group interviews took place during the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics, featuring ethnically-Korean female participants exclusively - 42 in total. 22 women in 6 groups were interviewed during the Beijing Olympics and 20 in 4 groups during the London event. Their ages varied from 19 to 39, most of them had an undergraduate or post graduate degree and they were all professionals. Key words: Gender, Nation, Sport, Confucianism, South Korea