최남선의 잡지 발간과 초기 근대문학의 재편-『소년』, 『청춘』의 문학사적 역할과 위상

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to review how SoNyun and ChongChun, published by Choi Nam-son, influenced to the character of early modern literature. I insist that total understanding of the character in early modern literature should be acquired by simultaneous analysis of literary works and literary institution together. In this point, the role and meaning of modern magazines was very important. In early modern period, Choi Nam-son thought literature as a ‘modern knowledge’. He introduced various modern knowledge through SoNyun and ChongChun which he played a important role as an editor. He tried to popularly distribute modern knowledge to the audience through ‘versification of knowledge’, translate and introduce western literary works as modern knowledge and make them as the exclusive standard of Korean literature. This point of view was widely shared with Group ChongChun, including Choi Nam-son, Lee Kwang-soo, Hyun Sang-yun, etc. Group ChongChun considered universalization of Western civilization as a key work of their age. They thought that the way to liberate colonial Korea is to subjectification of western civilization. However, They suffered from the lack of modern institution. Only spiritual abstraction like literature was permitted to them. They tried to build modern literary institution through offering literature prize. Offering prize of ChongChun became a important momentum which could capture popular audiences and reproduce novelist. Through this momentum, literature could have concrete position as a key institution of culture which locomotor modern society. Simultaneously it could build foundation to deepen its position as a core discipline of modern knowledge.