한국전쟁 당시 튀르키예 종군기자의 눈에 비친 한국과 한국인 이미지 분석

Abstract

More than half a century after the end of the Korean War, the tragedy of genocide and collective trauma still affect younger generations who have no direct experience of war. Additionally, the division of the country into North and South Korea after the signing of the armistice has made it impossible to fully move on from the scars and devastation of the war. The Korean War continues to be remembered as an ongoing conflict, with countless untold stories related to it. In particular, overseas documents concerning the war are not only important for understanding the historical context but also need to be studied and analyzed, as they provide an opportunity to reexamine and reassess the Korean War. This study explores the image of Korea and Koreans during the Korean War through the articles and photographs published in Hürriyet newspaper by Feridun Es and his wife, Semiha Es, a journalist and photographer, respectively. Most of the articles about Korea during the war were dominated by keywords such as ‘the end of the world’, ‘hell’, ‘death’, and ‘suffering’, while the newspaper's accompanying photographs vividly depicted these harsh realities. Additionally, descriptions and photographs of Koreans in the newspapers primarily portrayed young men fighting on the battlefield, while the elderly, women, and children remained in the rear. Consequently, Semiha Es’s photographs of Korea and Koreans were largely focused on the elderly, women, and children. In their eyes, Koreans appeared static and carefree, showing a strong sense of nonchalance while working in the rice fields during wartime. Positive portrayals emphasized that Koreans were clean-conscious and that both young and old were friendly, polite, hospitable, and highly educated. What struck the reporter most was their strong attachment to the land, a sentiment frequently expressed in various articles. This deep connection to their land, homes, and villages was a recurring theme. On the negative side, Koreans were often depicted as fearful. However, it is important to acknowledge that these impressions were highly subjective and shaped by misunderstandings and prejudices, influenced by factors such as communication barriers. In conclusion, under the unique circumstances of the Korean War, Korea and its people were presented to the Turkish public through the words and photographs of Turkish war correspondents, portraying both positive and negative images. In particular, the various articles and photographs related to Korea and Koreans published in the Hürriyet Newspaper are valuable and meaningful in terms of grasping the historical reality. They provide very meaningful materials and information that allow us to recall the horrors of the Korean War and the meaning of its reversal, which we are increasingly forgetting after many years.