Article published In:
The Linguistic Landscape of Covid-19Edited by Jackie Jia Lou, David Malinowski and Amiena Peck
[Linguistic Landscape 8:2/3] 2022
► pp. 233–247
Edited by Jackie Jia Lou, David Malinowski and Amiena Peck
[Linguistic Landscape 8:2/3] 2022
► pp. 233–247
(Un)masking Seoul
The mask as a static and dynamic semiotic device for renegotiating space
In March 2019, South Korea instituted a mask mandate as the main protective measure against the spread of Covid-19. The mask and the government-issued posters detailing guidance and regulations regarding masking have since become a prominent part of Korea’s semiotic landscape. This study focuses on the capital city of Seoul to explore how these changes in the semiotic landscape have resulted in a (re)negotiation of control over space between the government and the citizens, through the lens of the mask as a static and dynamic semiotic device. The data is drawn from photographs, observations, and notes made during 3 months of commuting in central Seoul. The findings are interpreted in the light of local sociocultural ideologies, and in reference to the greater global discourse of both governmental intrusion into and regulation of spaces and behaviors through the act of mask-wearing.
Keywords: mask, Covid-19, semiotic landscapes, space, South Korea
Article outline
- 1.Covid-19 in South Korea
- 2.Masks, masking, and control
- 3.Setting, data and methods
- 4.The poster child of masking
- 5.The mask in movement
- 6.Conclusion
-
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