The Triad of Colonialism, Anti-Communism, and Neo-Liberalism: Decolonizing Surveillance Studies in South Korea

This paper critically examines three intersectional hegemonic forces of maintaining a surveillance regime—the triad of colonialism, anti-communism, and neo-liberalism—that I argue are necessary for decolonizing surveillance studies in South Korea. I discuss South Korea’s Resident Registration System (RRS) as the contemporary incarnation of modern colonial power’s control over its colonial subjects, calling into question the maintenance of the colonial legacies within RRS policy innovations. I critically examine the way in which the legitimacy of neo-liberal surveillance is embraced by the anti-privacy scheme entrenched in the colonial and anti-communism legacies that relentlessly allows state power to control and intervene in individual realms. Questioning the triad of colonialism, anti-communism, and neo-liberalism can recast a critical work for decolonizing surveillance studies in South Korea.