Translating K-Horror to the West: The Difference in Film Poster Design For South Koreans and an International Audience

Abstract

For my pro gradu master’s degree, I conducted research on the topic of South Korean horror film posters. The central question of my research is: “How do the visual features of South Korean horror film posters change when they are reconstructed for an international audience?” I compare examples of original Korean horror movie posters to English language versions constructed for an international audience through a mostly American lens. My study method is semiotics and close reading.

Korean horror posters have their own, unique style that emphasizes emotion and interpersonal relationships. International versions of the posters are geared toward an audience from a different visual culture and the poster designs get translated accordingly, but they still maintain aspects of Korean visual style.