한용운·유산과 전통·애국주의

Abstract

This study is written to examine the contents and characteristics of Han Yong-woon’s literature which was dramatically restored and newly valuated in the literary circles of North Korea in the late 1980’s. Until then, Han Yong-woon's literature was rarely mentioned in the literary world of North Korea under the criticism that it adhered to the literary patterns of the bourgeoisie and contents oriented to Buddhism. By Juche Literature led by Kim Jong-il in the mid-1980’s, however, he was newly evaluated for his patriotism, devotion to populism, and active practice of anti-Japanese revolutionary movement. Of course, this change stemmed from a new perception of Han Yong-woon's literature. However, the definite premise was the decision of the party literature (Juche Literature) that Han Yong-woon's literature corresponded to the progressive tradition and legacy that could support Kim Il-sung's anti-Japanese revolutionary movement and the literature. This study investigates the reinstatement and reevaluation of Han Yong-un's poetry grounded on the situations focusing on first, literary magazines, contemporary collections of poems, and theses and articles contained in literary newspapers having North Korean people as their readers and second, the official position and evaluation of academic circles represented by 『Chosun History of Literature』. According to the findings, Han Yong-woon's literature was appreciated highly in terms of love towards the nation (sweetheart) and affection towards the people as it could be used to make Kim Il-sung's revolutionary movement and antiJapanese literature absolute. More importantly, however, to make progressive ideology and patriotism even more noticeable, the literary circles of North Korea did conduct a precise review on it regarding literary forms and rhetoric, too. In addition, Buddhist thinking and imagination which had been pointed out as his limitations came to be newly evaluated in connection with Juche Philosophy, which made it get over the negative value nearly. Currently, Han Yong-woon's works are considered to have risen to a solid status and excellent evaluation in terms of Chosun history of literature in North Korea. It is because his independence movement and work activities went beyond literary history and became listed in Kim Jong-il's 『Juche Theory of Literature』 and Kim Il-sung's memoir, 『Along with the Century』, one of the must-read books in North Korea and a textbook about the spirit of Kim Il Sung.