Abstract

This study examines the recent production and representation of mother-daughter narratives in Korean popular culture, highlighting the distinguishing aspects of these representations from traditional mother-daughter narratives and discussing the significance of their representation and changes. To do so, this paper examines the altered dynamics of the relationship between the "mother and the daughter" depicted in director Kim Se-in's film <The apartment with two women> (2021), focusing on the distinctive portrayal of the "mother" within the framework of existing notions of "motherhood" and "motherhood discourse." And explores the points of differentiation between the representation of the "mother" in the film and the traditional constructs of "motherhood." Traditionally, within social constructs, discussions of maternity have primarily revolved around the relationship between "son and mother," with less attention given to the relationship between "mother and daughter." In previous films that centered on the "mother and daughter" relationship, "motherhood" has often been consumed as a distorted symbol, either pathologized or exaggerated, detached from the actuality of maternal figures. <The apartment with two women> highlights the complex dynamics between "mother and daughter" that were previously unexplored in conventional mother-daughter narratives, showcasing the unstable mother-daughter relationship where the daughter remains entangled with a mother who does not fulfill the socially institutionalized role of a mother. Therefore, this study aims to explore how the new representation of mother-daughter narratives presented in the film <The apartment with two women> intersects with the reality of motherhood and discuss its social context and significance.