A Comparison of “Concerning My Daughter” and Its Film Adaptation

Yiyao Xiong*
Beijing International Studies University, Beijing 100024, China
*Corresponding email: 13552657761@163.com

In recent years, South Korea’s film industry has grown rapidly. Among its many films, adaptations of novels make up a notable portion. Well-known examples include “Silenced” and “Kim Ji-young, Born 1982”. Among these, both the novel and film “Concerning My Daughter” have also secured their places in the market. The novel Concerning My Daughter has been called “a mother’s monologue questioning the entire era”. After its publication, it sparked significant response in South Korea. It won the prestigious Shin Dong-yup Prize for Literature in 2018 and is regarded as the most discussed feminist work since “Kim Ji-young, Born 1982. The film “Concerning My Daughter” was released in 2024, directed by Lee Mi-rang and starring Oh Min-ae, Im Se-mi, and Ha Yun-kyung. Using very subtle and restrained shot language, the film deeply discusses social issues such as mother-daughter relationships, aging crises, and LGBTQ acceptance. After its release, it sparked broad social discussion and resonance and has been praised as a profound and moving work of realism. Based on intertextuality theory, this paper compares the novel and film “Concerning My Daughter”. It finds that although the two differ significantly in their approaches, both portray vivid and full-bodied characters. Each in its own way allows the audience to genuinely understand the themes of “acceptance” and “understanding”.

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Xiong, Y. (2025) A Comparison of “Concerning My Daughter” and Its Film Adaptation. Journal of Social Development and History, 1(5), 75-81.

Published

10/12/2025