Dr Mark R Plaice

Lecturer in Korean Popular Cultures & Digital Media Studies
Contacts: m.r.plaice@edu.salford.ac.uk | mark.plaice@gmail.com
PhD Film Studies (KCL) | MA Korean Studies (SOAS) | MBA (Yonsei, Seoul) | MSc Counselling and Psychotherapy (Salford, pending) | PG Dip Academic Practice (KCL) | BA(Hons) (Greenwich) | FHEA
Dr Mark R Plaice
Research & Teaching Experience
University of Central Lancashire
2017 – 2025
Lecturer in Korean Popular Cultures (2018–2025) · Associate Lecturer (2017–18)
Preston, UK  ·  Additional Roles: Subject Leader (Co-Lead) Korean Studies, 2024/25 · Assistant Research Lead, REF UoA 33, 2023–25 · Co-Chair, Staff Neurodiversity Network, 2024–25 · Ethics Board Assessor, 2021–23 · FHEA Mentor/Assessor, 2019–23 · Film Festival Director, Asia Pacific Film Festival, 2017–19

My role at UCLan encompassed teaching, research, administration, and public engagement. I led the two key second-year modules in Korean Studies, coordinating delivery across teams of two to four tutors. I designed the Korean Society and Culture module to explore the contradictions and disjunctures of Korean Modernity through South Korean popular culture texts, their local production and global circulation. I have been shortlisted for the Student Union's Gold Rose Awards twice (Equality, Inclusivity & Diversity; Excellent Feedback).

Research and Funding: My research focuses on the relationship between South Korean society and its digital media. Recent projects include interview-based work with Queer Korean NGOs during COVID and an AKS Fellowship examining the impact of Netflix on South Korean television drama. I have won project bids totalling some £45,000 from Korea Foundation, AKS, Confucius Institute, and UCLan. REF 2021 contribution rated 3 stars.

Teaching and Supervision: I lead modules with a combined cohort of over 250 students. Three new modules designed: East Asian Popular Cultures (Level 4), East Asian Cinemas (Level 7), and Korean Society and Culture (Level 5). I also supervise undergraduate and MRes dissertations, provide pastoral care for 25 tutees per year, and mentor colleagues applying for HEA Fellowship.

  • Korean Society and Cultures (Level 5) — Interdisciplinary exploration of Korea's shift from Choson society to contemporary modernities: colonial modernity, military modernity, pop cultures, North Korean cinema.
  • East Asian Popular Cultures (Level 4) — Trans-regional media flows in East Asia; debates around gender, nation, and memory.
  • East Asian Cinemas (Level 7) — Graduate-level module examining cinema across East Asia through postcolonial and transnational frameworks.
  • Ab Initio Korean 1 & 2 (Levels 4 & 5) — Intensive Korean language modules.
School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS)
Autumn 2016
Senior Teaching Fellow, Media Studies Department
London, UK

Module convener for the core Level 7 MA module 'Theoretical Issues in Media and Cultural Studies'. Covered medium theory, the cultural industries, the public sphere, propaganda, encoding/decoding, the society of spectacle, and postmodernity. Set up collaborative VLE learning activities and created detailed essay preparation tutorials.

King's College London
2013 – 2017
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Film Studies Department
London, UK
  • Introduction to Film Studies: Contexts (Level 4) — Broad overview of social contexts and theoretical approaches to film.
  • Chinese Cinemas and National Cinema (Level 5) — Pre-war Chinese film; PRC, Hong Kong and Taiwanese cinemas.
  • Authorship and Creativity (Level 5) — Auteur theory applied to the oeuvre of Ang Lee.
  • Film and Architecture (Level 6) — Cross-disciplinary engagement with film and architectural theory.
Korean National University of the Arts (KNUA)
2012 – 2013
Visiting Lecturer
Seoul, Korea
  • Introduction to Film Theory (Level 4) — From early Film/Art debates through auteur theory, Screen theory, to contemporary concerns with affect and the digital image.
  • East Asian Action Film (Mixed Level 6 & 7) — Trans-regional genre theory applied to East Asian cinema.
EFL / Academic English Tutor
2007 – 2011
Private Tutor — IELTS Preparation, Essay & Thesis Writing, Research Skills
London, UK

Specialist in coaching Korean nationals in academic writing and research planning, using Korean as the language of instruction. 15+ years of EFL experience.

Education
2023–2025
PG Dip Counselling and Psychotherapy (Professional Practice)
University of Salford · Grade: Pending
Introduction to Person-Centred Therapy · Research Methods in Health & Social Studies · Introduction to CBT · Mental Health Studies for Counsellors
2013–2019
PhD in Film Studies
King's College London
Supervisor: Prof. Chris Berry  ·  Funding: Korea Foundation Postgraduate Research Fellowship
Thesis: Beyond Gangland: South Korean gangster film and the spaces of modernity
"This is a thoroughly researched thesis that offers wide-ranging and highly perceptive discussion of the Korean gangster film and its spatial tactics."— Dr Chi Yun Shin, Principal Lecturer in Film Studies, Sheffield Hallam University
"A confident, thorough and reasonably well-presented thesis. It asserts its contribution to the field in a clear and well-balanced way, drawing on a wide range of sources."— Dr Andy Willis, Reader in Film Studies, University of Salford
2013–2017
PG Diploma in Academic Practice in Higher Education
King's College London · Grade: Merit
Enhancing Academic Practice · Rethinking Teaching through Diversity · Curriculum Design & Development · Advancing Academic Practice · Using Education Research · Research Design for HE · Supporting Technology Enhanced Learning
2007–2008
MA Korea Studies — Merit
School of Oriental & African Studies, University of London
Korean Translation (K–E / E–K) · Literature in Korean · Korean Visual & Material Culture
Dissertation: Post Traumatic Narrative in South Korean Literature & Film
Fellowship: British Association of Korean Studies Language Training Fellowship
2004–2005
MA Global Media & Post-National Communication (Partially completed)
School of Oriental & African Studies, University of London
1999–2002
MBA — International Business · GPA 3.42/4.2
Yonsei University, Graduate School of International Studies, Seoul
Global Strategy · International Marketing · Corporate Finance · Financial Analysis & Investment · International Negotiation · Intercultural Management & Communication · Business Statistics · Research Methodology
1988–1991
BA (Hons) Humanities — 2:2
Greenwich University
Major: Philosophy — Philosophy of Language, Ethics, Political Philosophy
Minor: Asian History — Race, Class & Colonialism, Chinese History
Funding & Awards
£14,000
Korea Foundation — Cultural Exchange Funding (2024–25) Organised cultural exchange bringing Korean Queer Art & Film to UK audiences; artist visits and director Q&As. Collaborative bid with Dr Jaewook Ryu (PI), UCLan.
£4,200
Association of Korean Studies — Research Fellowship (Spring 2020) Facilitated archival/interview research in Seoul; pivoted to K-drama Netflix production interview study (forthcoming, Korea Journal).
£6,000
UCLan — Internal Sabbatical Funding (Spring 2020) Competitive internal application for one semester's research sabbatical in South Korea.
£17,400
Korea Foundation — Conference Funding (Jan 2019) Hosted 8th Korean Screen Studies Conference at UCLan — 50 scholars, 45 papers, two film screenings, keynote by Prof Sangjoon Lee (NTU Singapore).
£12,000+
UCLan Internal Funding (2018–19) Student study exchange trip (£8,000) · Korean Drama Symposium (£2,000) · Asia Pacific Film Festival (£1,000) · Conference attendances (£2,400).
€48,000
Korea Foundation — Graduate Research Fellowship (2010–2014) Doctoral research at Goldsmiths College / King's College London.
£3,000
Association of Korean Studies — Language Training Fellowship (2007–08) MA Korea Studies at SOAS, University of London.
Publications
Published Peer-Reviewed Articles
Plaice, M. (2020) 'Medial Drama: The Other's Critique of Korean Modernity', East Asian Journal of Popular Cultures, 6(2), pp. 275–292. [REF 3 star]
Plaice, M. (Ed.) (2020) 'Thematic Articles — Special Section on Korean Screen Cultures', East Asian Journal of Popular Culture, 6(2), pp. 219–292.
Plaice, M. (2020) 'Introduction to the Special Section on Korean Screen Cultures', East Asian Journal of Popular Culture, 6(2), pp. 219–222.
Forthcoming Articles
Plaice, M. (2026) 'Netflix Korea?: The impact of platform funding on the local television drama industry', Korea Journal, (Forthcoming).
Plaice, M. (2026) 'Fixing Social Media "Queer Moral Panic" the Korean Way: NGO/Government collaboration during COVID', European Journal of Korean Studies, (Forthcoming).
Publications Pipeline
Collaborative Projects
Plaice, M. & Mazierska, E. (2026?) 'Squid Game vs The 8 Show: Cognitive mapping the parameters of Korean Neoliberal Society'. In collaboration with Prof Ewa Mazierska, UCLan.
Plaice, M. & Kim, Jihye (2026?) 'My Name Is Loh Kiwan & the Untold Stories of Trans-Korean Diasporic Experience'. In collaboration with Dr Jihye Kim, Melbourne University.
Plaice, M. & Ryu, J. (2027?) 'Queer Cultural Production in South Korean Visual Arts: Chance and challenges'. Korea Journal.
Write-up Projects (researched and presented at conferences; queued for write-up)
Plaice, M. (2027?) 'K-Autism?: Images of Neoliberal Neurodiversity in South Korean TV dramas'
Plaice, M. (2027?) 'Politicised Censorship and the Films on the Blacklist in South Korea 2008–2016'
Plaice, M. (2027?) 'Neoliberal Noir in a Post-Conspiracy Era: The politics of South Korean crime film 2016–19'
Plaice, M. (2027?) '"It didn't have to be this way!": Unsettling Historical Narratives in South Korean Cinema'
Plaice, M. (2027?) 'The Queer Spaces of Seoul: Heterotopias, tactics, & the Neoliberal subject in South Korean queer film'
Planned Monograph & Edited Collections
Plaice, M. (2028?) Gangster Film and the Spaces of Modernity. Edinburgh University Press.
Plaice, M. (2028) Crazy Korean Screens: Digital cultures, neurodiverse representations & K-Mad Studies. Routledge.
Ryu, J. & Plaice, M. (2028?) Queer Cultural Production after the Korean Wave. Routledge.
EFL Publications
Plaice, M. (2002) English Talk Box, e4k / Neung Yule Publishing, Seoul.
Plaice, M. (2003) Top 10 English Expressions, Neung Yule Publishing, Seoul.
Conferences & Symposia Organised
June 2019
8th Korean Screen Studies Conference, UCLan — Korea Foundation funded. 50 scholars (UK, EU, USA, Korea); 45 papers; film screenings/Q&A with director Lee Na Jeong; keynote by Prof Sangjoon Lee (NTU Singapore).
June 2019
Korean Drama & TV Symposium, UCLan — UCLan Institute of Korean Studies funded. 20 papers; scholars from UK, EU, South Korea, USA. Selected papers published in EAJPC, 2020.
May 2014
East Asian Screen Studies Symposium, KCL — 30+ scholars; keynotes by Prof Julian Stringer and Dr Chi Yun Shin; industry round-table (BFI, distribution, film journalism).
2013–2015
East Asian Film Studies Research Seminar Series, KCL Film Studies Department
Conference Papers & Invited Talks
June 2025
Korean Screen Cultures Conference, Leiden — K-Autism?: Images of Neoliberal Neurodiversity in South Korean TV dramas
July 2023
Frankfurt University Workshop, Asia Forum 2023 — Invited Talk: The Korean Wave Wants You!: Critical reflections on Korean soft power and Korean Studies
June 2023
Hallyu Studies Network Conference, Seoul — Invited Respondent: Interrogating the Yeongin Hallyu Archive
Nov. 2022
Hallyu Studies Network Conference, London — Invited Talk: Challenges for UK Korean Studies in the Hallyu Era
Sep. 2019
Joint East Asian Studies Conference, Edinburgh — "It didn't have to be this way!": Unsettling Historical Narratives in South Korean Film
Aug. 2019
13th Asian Cinema Studies Society Conference, Singapore — The Rural Korean Gangster Film: Reconstructing the Countryside
June 2019
8th Korean Screen Studies Conference, UCLan — Neoliberal Noir in a Post-Conspiracy Era: Prosecutors, police, & the politics of South Korean crime film since 2016
June 2019
Korean Drama and TV Symposium, UCLan — Medical Drama: The Other's Critique of Korean Modernity
Mar. 2019
Association of Asian Studies Conference, Denver — The 'Politics of Aesthetics' in Blacklist South Korea
Mar. 2019
Society for Cinema and Media Studies Conference, Seattle — Neoliberal Noir in a Post-Conspiracy Era: Public prosecutors in Korean crime film
Jan. 2019
Media, Cinema and Cultural Studies Association Conference, Stirling — The Political Power of Film?: How to get on the blacklist in South Korea
Oct. 2018
6th Yun Posun Memorial Symposium, Edinburgh — The Queer Spaces of Seoul: Heterotopias, tactics, and the Neoliberal subject in South Korean queer film
June 2018
7th Korean Screen Studies Conference, Helsinki — Rural Space in Korean Gangster Film: The Countryside under South Korean Modernity
June 2017
12th Asian Cinema Studies Society Conference, Lancaster — Fighting Form(s): Shifting Poetics of Violence in South Korean Gangster Film
May 2017
6th Korean Screen Studies Conference, Hamburg — Disruptive Ganglands: The urban conflict zones of South Korean modernity
Mar. 2017
SOAS — Guest Lecture: Korean Gangster Film & East Asian Noir: Regional Genre Flows & National Genre?
June 2016
5th Korean Screen Studies Conference, KCL — Domesticating the Gangster? Introducing the Korean family drama gangster film
July 2015
9th Excellence in Teaching Conference, KCL — Poster: Teaching for Specific Learning Disabilities at King's College London
July 2011
MESCCA PG Conference, Bournemouth — Panel Organiser: Marginal Masculinities in East Asian Film; Paper: Limiting the Nation: South Korean images of North Korean men
Academic Affiliations & Activities
Organising Committee, Korean Screen Cultures Conference (EU)Member — 2018 to date
East Asian Journal of Popular CultureReviews Editor — 2019 to 2020
Higher Education Academy (UK)Fellow (FHEA) — 2015 to date
British Association of Korean Studies (UK)Member — 2018 to date
Association for Asian Studies (USA)Member — 2018 to 2020
Media, Cinema and Cultural Studies Association (UK)Member — 2012 to date
Society for Cinema and Media Studies (USA)Member — 2018 to 2019
Languages & Technical Skills
English: Native
Korean: Fluent (Level 7/8) — academic, professional, translation, 14+ years as language of instruction
Chinese / German / Japanese: Elementary
Technological Skills
Moodle VLEMaharaStarfish AI PlatformsLecture Capture MS ExcelSAP
References Available on Request