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[ENGLISH] Pop Culture Goes Political scrap
by
Katie Fustich
September 7, 2026
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Project V
The year is 2037, and Korea is on the brink of developing its first large-scale mech. In order to find a pilot, the government plans—what else?—a reality TV competition. Twenty-two-year-old Kim Wooram just happens to be one of the best mech engineers in the world. Winning the competition and piloting a cutting-edge mech feels like Wooram’s destiny, but there’s a slight problem: the competition is open to men only. Wooram decides to disguise herself as her twin brother, Boram, in order to enlist in the competition and fight for her dreams. Thus, the stage is set for Park Seolyeon’s latest novel, Project V.
Park’s 2022 novel A Magical Girl Retires explored the beloved magical girl genre through a contemporary feminist lens. In Project V, artfully translated into English by Gene Png, Park turns her pen to another pop culture institution: mechs.
The term “mech” or “mecha” refers to any number of humanoid robots. The concept has roots reaching back to science fiction writers like Jules Verne and H. G. Wells, but its modern incarnation is generally credited to Japanese film and comics, with series like Astro Boy and Mazinger Z capturing people’s imaginations in the mid-twentieth century. 1979’s Mobile Suit Gundam spawned one of the most enduring franchises in anime history, and 1995’s Neon Genesis Evangelion, with its profound explorations of the relationships between humans, spirituality, and technology, is widely regarded as one of the greatest television series of all time.
Though Project V’s protagonist Wooram sees mechs as useful extensions of humans’ preexisting capabilities to help others, she isn’t so naive as to think that mechs aren’t ultimately viewed as weapons by the wider world. She reflects: “No country would ever admit that in the event of an emergency, their mechs would be deployed as war machines.” Indeed, the mech genre has proven to be fertile ground for nationalist and militaristic ideals—ideals that author Park subtly critiques throughout the novel.
Following in this tradition, “V,” the mech Wooram competes to pilot, takes its inspiration from the 1976 film Robot Taekwon V. Though the film earned millions at the box office and remains a landmark of the Korean animation industry, Robot Taekwon V’s legacy has been tainted by the accusation that it disseminated anti-communist propaganda masquerading as children’s entertainment—a critique that could fairly apply to many stories in the mech genre and one that Park is clearly well aware of. Park’s own political leanings are no secret: her award-winning 2018 novel Capitalists Must Starve draws inspiration from labor activist Gang Juryong, while A Magical Girl Retires similarly explores themes of labor activism and trade unionism. Her works feature heroines who question authority and explode feminist stereotypes; Project V is no exception.
Project V’s protagonist represents what a conscientious use of mech technology could look like. Wooram quickly distinguishes herself in the competition with her creative problem-solving skills and human-first approach. While other contestants are eager to display their dominance and brute strength, Wooram finds a way to face each new challenge while ensuring her fellow contestants remain out of harm’s way. Her skillset quickly sees her become a fan-favorite contestant and a top-three finalist. The irony that Wooram distinguishes herself in a male-dominated field by using more “feminine” skills is not lost on the reader.
While Project V as a whole is a meditation on the mech genre, the book’s latter half takes a critical look at artificial intelligence. While large-scale superweapons like mechs may have encapsulated the Cold War-era’s technological fixations, governments and corporations around the world are now pouring money into the promise of AI’s efficient problem-solving skills.
As a finalist, Wooram has the opportunity to pilot V, but her excitement at witnessing such cutting-edge technology is quickly replaced with profound concern. During their first interaction, V is cold and guarded, even asking Wooram, “Do I need a pilot?” As their conversations progress, Wooram suspects that the AI powering V is beginning to think and feel for itself. Her attempts to teach V compassion for human beings are met with violent resistance. What’s worse, Wooram’s warnings about V’s AI go unheeded after her identity as a woman is exposed and the sexist backlash takes precedence over national security concerns.
After the explosive conclusion of Project V, readers aren’t served up any easy answers about the complex questions the novel raises. While Wooram is left reflecting on the fact that creations like V will always be reborn in one form or another, readers are likely to conclude that we need heroes like Wooram to rise and resist these powers.
Though pop culture and politics are inextricably intertwined, the two don’t often intersect in the literary world. Park Seolyeon is forging a new path with stories that mirror the absurdity of our contemporary age—and posit a future of hopeful possibilities.
Writer 필자 소개
Katie Fustich
Katie Fustich is a writer and lawyer. Her website is http://katiefustich.com.
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