Myungwol Vs. Marie - Accepting Modernity

There were many issues surrounding the establishment of radio broadcasts in Korea during the Japanese occupation. The agenda of the Koreans strongly opposed that of Japanese. As mentioned in the Robinson reading, the Japanese used the broadcasts in order to secure their dominant position in Korean society by trying to establish Japanese oriented news, shows, and language. Koreans on the other hand used the broadcasts to promote traditional Korean music and language, in order to establish themselves as different from the Japanese. The rising conflict between the two groups, including the issues that Robinson discussed concerning the amount of listeners and how some listeners would be upset when hearing a broadcast in a language which was not their own is evident in the movie Radio Dayz.
Radio Dayz follows a group of people working on a radio drama at JDOK. The drama, called "The Flames of Love" is a love triangle between a man, played by Manchul, and two women, Marie, and Myungwol. I think that this film is trying to demonstrate the difficulties of becoming a modernizing nation. A modernizing nation is that which starts to 'evolve' technologically, socially and politically. A nation that is in traditional times has difficulties competing in the world economy and identifying itself as a strong and independent nation, and there is importance in modernizing. Therefore, Koreans would want to modernize and grow independent. However it is a difficult task to accomplish when the modernizer is occupying their country. Japanese colonization can be considered a catalyst to Korean modernization. By extension, the introduction of the radio (by Japanese government) encouraged the development of vernacular Korean. However, the Korean music played on the radio is more traditional. I think that this ongoing issue of submitting oneself to modernity at the risk of losing traditional is presented in the drama as the love triangle. Manchul has to choose between Marie, a modern woman who has travelled to Japan, is educated and (though not seen on the radio) dresses in modern garments, and Myungwol who is more traditional in virtues, education, and dress. It almost seems as if the modern is force upon Manchul, who ultimately chooses Myungwol.

The struggle between accepting modernity and the traditional is exemplified in the fight scene between Marie and Myungwol.