오무라 마스오의 ‘프로문학’ 연구

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to examine the work of Professor Masuo Omura, a first-generation Japanese postwar scholar of Korean literature, on colonial Korean professional literature. In the figure of the madman in colonial Korean Shin-Gyunghyang-pa literature, Professor Omura sensed the oppression of the times and the strong will to overcome it. He explored the strong influence of colonial proletarian literature on the formation of the young Omura. Through his empirical work, Professor Omura has provided materials and perspectives to look at Korean literature in a new light, especially through his empirical study of the KOPF Korean Council in Japan, where he criticized the behavior of Japanese left-wing intellectuals who conveniently exploited the ongoing Korean issue before and after the war. Professor Omura’s study of Kim Yong-je, a poet who has been forgotten and excluded from the literary histories of Japan and Korea, is composed with a balanced perspective of compassion and criticism. He offers a just assessment of the life of Kim Yong-je, a poet who was a stalwart of professional literature and a leading figure in pro-Japanese literature. Through his reflection on the colonialist violence of his own people and his international approach and reflection on Korean literature beyond the framework of the nation-state, Professor Omura has expanded the horizons of research on colonial professional literature.