Korean language education

The continuous rapid development of science and technology is projected
to bring dramatic changes to human life. The human of future, with standards
of life expectancy, cognition, and emotion far higher than in the present, will
fall under the category of the “posthuman.” According to Dominique Babin,
a French futurologist, the “posthuman” demands a new humanistic reflection
on the conditions of “post-death,” “post-body,” and “post-ego,” by overcoming
human limitations through science and technology. Since 2000, more and more
science fiction literature in South Korea has been created that is motivated
by a posthuman imagination, and its cultural achievements have been significant.
This article analyzes the posthuman imagination found in science fiction short
stories from the perspective of critical posthumanism.
Section (1), “Post-Body.” The short story, “Your Transformation,” written
by Kim Yi-Hwan, is a story about bodily transformations resulting from
commercial medical techniques—including corrective jaw surgery, full-body
plastic surgery, sex-change surgery, body transformation surgery, and body
destruction—leading to extreme future situations. The short story, “Goodbye,”
written by Yoon Yi-Hyoung, is a story about immigrants to Mars who freeze
their bodies and replace them with machines. Section (2), “Post-Death.” Park
Min-Gyu’s short story, “Good morning, John Wayne,” reveals an imagination
of “post-death” in which frozen humans are resurrected in the future, while critically examining the human desire for immortality as well as the desire for
power. Section (3), “Post-Ego.” “Road Kill,” written by Park Min-Gyu, is a
short story unfolding amidst a dystopian background. Maxi and Mao, robots
in this story, are actually more emotional and ethical than humans.
The science fiction short stories dealt with in this paper illustrate from multiple
different angles a new perspective concerning the body and mind. In particular,
by using various methods such as second-person narration, focalization, narrative
irony, parody, and documentary techniques, these stories demonstrate a unique
form of narrative aesthetics and thus help the reader actively to perform
humanistic introspection about the posthuman.

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerates the posthuman era. First, the
ecological thought of the fundamental causes of the pandemic in the crisis
of the Anthropocene spread “post-humanism” and post-anthropocentrism.
Second, as “posthuman-ism” in the process of responding to the pandemic,
expectations for artificial intelligence and medical technology are
heightened. Third, universities are transformed into posthuman educational
institutions that features non-face-to-face online lectures and
trans-disciplinary research.
In addition, “vulnerability” emerges as an important research topic amid
global crises such as novel viruses and climate change. The conditions of
various vulnerabilities due to social structure, as well as human existential
vulnerabilities, should be critically reflected. Despite expectations of
transhumanism for technological advances and human enhancement,
various human vulnerabilities, including physical vulnerabilities, cannot be
eliminated. Rather, it should improve the conditions of situational
vulnerabilities and allow them to move toward the ethics of solidarity and
social interdependence.
Posthumanist ecology emphasizes that humans are also a member of the
ecosystem. ‘One Health’ that encompasses the health of humans, animals
and environments is also an important example of posthuman science.
However, in reflection on the pandemic, the recognition of socio-political
conditions is needed in addition to post-anthropocentric ecological theory.
Pandemic is not just ecosystem problem, but also capitalist problem, and at
the same time, it is a biomedical phenomenon and a socio-political problem
as well.
Apocalyptic science fictions and Anthropocene narratives realistically
reproduce the crisis of this era. In the era of the pandemic-posthuman, the
solidarity of human and non-human environments that share vulnerabilities
globally, extends to the ethics of the planet, and breaks the boundaries
between humans and non-humans. This critical posthumanist ethic will
create a narrative of new hope.

Nick Bostrom is concerned that the “existential risks” of the modern world are also increasing with technological advances. He particularly emphasizes the dangers of superintelligence. Max Tegmark is also working on threats to artificial intelligence. Their AI discourse depends on the speculative imagination and scenarios of science fiction (SF). The apocalyptic narrative of AI is part of a posthuman culture in which the boundary between scientific fact and fictional imagination has become meaningless. This interaction and intersection between science and fiction can be captured with the terms “science/fiction” and “scientifictive texts.”
Expectations, optimism, anxiety, and fear about AI are greatly influenced by the dramatic narratives of popular sci-fi. It is highly likely that real-world AI technologies and scenarios will be misled by interesting stories rather than rational reasoning. Due to these “narrative biases,” the actual scenario for AI is highly dependent on SF and at the same time requires a skeptical view.
The technological singularity proposed by SF writer Vernor Vinge has prospered the SF subgenre called singularity SF. Furthermore, the singularity has had a great impact on technology and industry, as well as academics and education, as in the case of Ray Kurzweil. Modern technoscience and myth coexist in this discourse. High-tech companies can also be seen as followers of the singularity. AI and singularity narratives operate within the logic of money and power, as well as technological and cultural contexts. Singularity narratives can leave you indifferent to the real problems of AI, so critical analysis is required.

The discourse around “globalization of Korean Literature” tends to be policy- and journalism-oriented in terms of cultural exports. It is also the result of cultural inferiority complex and the need for globalization. In this context, this study explores critically the ‘Theory of World Literature’ both within the country and around the globe, focusing on the following three dimensions, and takes a step in the direction of a new perspective on the World Literature: (1)　It is required to go beyond commercialism and nation-centrism in order to build a network of literature, authors, and readers across the world. (2) It should embrace the perspectives of “the others”, minorities, and postcolonialism, defying eurocentrism and canon-centric perspectives. (3) Scholars in academia need to create new hypotheses and methods of research, and apply them into practice. Most importantly, this study aims to emphasize that Korean Literature should seek the importance of dialogical relationship with the world, not unilateral projects by translation institutes and commercial success.

‘포스트휴먼(posthuman)’이란 인간의 주요 능력이 현재의 기준과 한계를 월등히 뛰어넘는 존재이기 때문에 더 이상 인간으로 부를 수 없는 미래 인간을 의미한다. 포스트휴먼 또는 포스트휴먼적이라는 것은 인간이 아닌 다른 타자적인 존재들의 위상과 경계가 재조정되고 포함된다는 것을 뜻한다. 그리하여 전통적인 인류의 세계관과 인간상은 더 이상 지속될 수 없게 된다. 과학기술의 발전에 따라 변화된 인간의 미래와 인간 이후의 인간을 사유하는 다양한 인문학/비평 담론이 바로 ‘포스트휴머니즘(posthumanism)’이다. 그 가운데 비판적 포스트휴머니즘은 휴머니즘을 계승하는 동시에 비판하여 근대적 인간관을 다양화 ․ 갱신하고, 일면적인 기술 낙관론이나 공포를 지양하며 성찰적으로 사유하는 것을 목표로 한다.
  포스트휴머니즘은 최신 과학기술의 급격한 발전과 포스트모더니즘 사유의 영향을 통해 배태되었다. 그러나 포스트휴머니즘은 포스트모더니즘과 달리 근대적 ‘인간’과 휴머니즘의 상실과 몰락을 엄연한 사실로 경험하고 있는 시대의 사상이라는 차이점이 있다. 또한 포스트휴머니즘은 새로운 기술문화적 조건 속에서 인문학과 과학의 경계가 허물어진 시대의 학제적 담론으로서, 오늘날 ‘포스트인문학’과 대학의 변화와도 관련된다.
  SF(Science Fiction)는 “완벽한 포스트휴먼의 장르”로, 과학기술과 그에 따라 변화된 (포스트)인간의 ‘대중적’ 이미지와 감정적 ․ 이념적 지향을 형성하는 데 크게 기여한다. 그 점이 바로 (비판적) 포스트휴머니즘 비평이 SF에 적극적으로 개입해야하는 이유이다. SF 영화와 소설은 과학기술의 지식과 기대에 근거해서, (대중)과학 저술 역시 서사적 상상력을 발휘하여 포스트휴먼의 이미지와 그 이념을 확산시키고 심지어는 그 상상력을 현실화하기도 한다. “시대 자체가 SF로 간주”되고 있으므로, 포스트휴먼 시대의 사회와 문화를 이해하기 위해서는 SF에 대한 분석과 비평이 요구된다.

주제어 : 포스트휴먼, 포스트휴머니즘, 트랜스휴머니즘, 비판적 포스트휴머니즘, SF, 문학과 과학

  “Posthuman” means a future human being who can no longer be called a human because major abilities exceeds the current standards and limitations. This concept re-adjusts and includes the phases and boundaries of other non-human beings. Thus, the traditional view of the human world and the human image can no longer be maintained. Posthumanism is a variety of humanities / criticism discourses on the future of human beings and human beings after human changed according to the development of science and technology. Critical posthumanism is criticized at the same time as it inherits humanism. It aims to diversify or renew modern human views, to avoid one-sided technology optimism or fear, and to reflect on it.
   Posthumanism has been embodied through the rapid development of advanced science and technology and the influence of postmodernism. However, posthumanism differs from postmodernism in that it is an ideology of the era that experiences the loss and fall of the modern “human” and humanism as a fact. Posthumanism is also an interdisciplinary discourse in the era when the boundaries between humanities and science have been broken down under new technological and cultural conditions, and today it is also related to 'post-humanities' and the changes of universities.
   SF(Science Fiction) is a “perfect posthuman genre.” It forms a popular image, emotion, and ideological attitude about science and technology and posthuman. That is why (critical) posthumanist criticism must actively intervene in SF. SF movies and novels are based on the knowledge and expectation of science and technology, and (popular) science writing also expands the image and ideology of posthumanity through narrative imagination, and even finally realizes it. “Since the era itself is regarded as SF,” analysis and criticism of SF are required to understand the posthuman society and culture.

Key-words: posthuman, posthumanism, transhumanism, critical posthumanism, science fiction, literature and science