[Slate] The Roots of 1970s Desire in 'Pine': Modernization
by Lee Jonggil
Pubilshed 07 Aug.2025 17:48(KST)
Vicious Characters... The Root of Desire Lies in Economic Development
'Return to the Countryside' Embodies the Desperation of Urban Migrants
Inevitable Ruin Due to Community Breakdown from the Saemaul Undong Movement
The characters in Disney+'s 'Pine' are all equally cunning and ruthless. The main characters, Oh Gwansuk (Ryu Seung-ryong) and Oh Heedong (Yang Se-jong), are criminals who make a living through petty scams and theft. They receive a proposal from Song Kitaek (Kim Jongsoo), the owner of an antique shop, to retrieve ceramics lying under the sea off the coast of Sinan and make a fortune. Trusting Chun Hwangsik (Jang Gwang), the chairman of Heungbaek Industries, who promises to buy everything if they bring it back, they set out for Sinan.
The grave robbing operation faces trouble from the very beginning. Im Jeonchul (Kim Seongoh), sent by Chairman Chun, and Na Daesik (Lee Sangjin), Song Kitaek's right-hand man, continuously cause problems. Jang Beolgu (Jung Yunho), a gangster from Mokpo who joins unintentionally, and Kim Gyosu (Kim Euisung), a grave robber from Busan, are also looking for opportunities to steal the ceramics for themselves. Chun Hwangsik's wife, Yang Jeongsuk (Lim Soojung), tries to use them for her own benefit as well.
Director Kang Yoonseong traces the roots of these desires to "modernization," a central issue in Korean society during the 1970s. The frustrated desires stemming from a complex toward the West became visible as a national project under the Park Chunghee regime. As modernization and development spread throughout society, everyone's desires were funneled into a single direction. In particular, industrialization privileged the economy and made the "politics of economic desire" possible.
The book '1970 Park Chunghee Modernism: From Yushin to Sunday Seoul,' written by Professor Kwon Bodurae of Korea University's Department of Korean Literature and others, explains this as follows: "While pre-modern society focused on 'stability' through status-based barriers and land bondage, emphasizing contentment and asceticism, modern society, assuming a natural state of equality for all, promoted hierarchical stratification based on ability and emphasized social mobility through competition of desires. This means that vertical mobility emerged as a new principle."
In 'Pine,' the character who symbolizes this structure of desire is Yang Jeongsuk. When she loses contact with her husband Im Jeonchul, she immediately marries Chairman Chun. Outwardly, she tends to him, but inwardly, she aims for real power in Heungbaek Industries.
The journey of the grave robbers is also filled with desire. Interestingly, this flow is not the typical 'migration to the city' (Ichonhyangdo), but rather a 'return to the countryside' (Idohyangchon). In the 1970s, while the Saemaul Undong (New Village Movement) was underway in rural areas, many farmers migrated to cities in search of opportunities. They trusted their own instincts about life more than the state's propaganda or the hype of broadcasting and the media.
However, not everyone could achieve upward mobility like Yang Jeongsuk. Most encountered a reality in the city that was completely different from what they had expected. Lacking education, skills, and connections, they struggled to find employment and, due to financial issues, moved from shantytown to shantytown. While a nearly self-sufficient life was possible in the countryside, the city was different. In a cash-based economy, losing income meant that survival itself was threatened.
The situation of Oh Gwansuk and the other grave robbers is no different. Unable to find decent jobs, they become entrenched as urban underclass or flounder in the mire of crime. Loyalty and human warmth are nowhere to be found among them. As the community spirit espoused by the Saemaul Undong was undermined by meritocracy and competition, individual survival struggles became the norm. Ultimately, the Pine (Barin, or country folk) will also meet their downfall in this era of community disintegration. The void will be filled with selfishness.
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