Theoretical Framework: Symbolic Interactionism and Visual Mechanisms of Governance
Redefining the Spatial Composition: Interaction Between Movement and Contact
Conclusion
Recently, the North Korean state media have been releasing groundbreaking photographs where instead of Kim Jong-Un taking the sole spotlight, his daughter Kim Ju-Ae takes the center of the frame. This central focus on Kim Ju-Ae, rather than on her father, has fueled speculation that she might be his successor. However, this approach cannot adequately explain the “changes in the visual order” that are at work within the photographs. Beyond simply showing someone, photographs can serve as a device that, through repetition, causes the viewer to learn to internalize what is considered a natural order. It is important not to underestimate the power of photography, in which recurring visual elements create specific meanings reconstruct power structures within the minds of the audience. Rather than treating the photographs of Kim Ju-Ae merely as signals of succession private family photos, this article analyzes them as ‘visual mechanisms of governance’ that instill a new ruling order through imagery.
