북한의 古典文學 전통과 國語敎科敎育의 현장

Abstract

This article analyzes Korean, Literature, and Chinese textbooks of North Korea, and corroborates the way in which literature, especially the classic literature as the root of revolutionary traditions, is adopted and implemented in educational field in North Korea. In so doing, this article investigated the material aspect of revolutionary tradition in classic literature and the transformation process of classic literature education according to the transformation of classical literary point of view. Korean, Literature, and Chinese textbooks of North Korea mention a total of 129 classical literary works: 21 ancient poems and ancient and medieval folk tales; 67 medieval poems; 34 medieval novels; and 7 miscellaneous works of prose, among which the works introducing the original are a total of 44. The topic includes 7 works on desire of nature conquest, 9 works on joy and benefit of working, 33 works on human world, 32 works on criticism of feudal ruling, 11 works on misery of the people, 21 works on patriotic struggle against invasion, and 16 works on patriotism and dignity. This has originated from the educational goal stated in North Korea’s constitution and educational laws and the educational point of view based on independent literary theories. The classical literature of North Korea divides the first period of appropriate assessment of classic literature, the second period of alienation of classic literature, and the third period of re-assessment of classic literature. The three-volume literature history chronologically compiled by the Social Science Center of North Korea plainly illustrates the aspect of literature transformation, with which classic literature education has been transformed as well. The educational curriculum has been substantially transformed with the re-organization of 1996, enforced after the death of Kim Il-sung. In the case of Korean, classic literature is hardly mentioned in the 1984-1986 editions. For literature, the 28 classic literary works mentioned in the textbooks of 1984, 1994, and 1997 editions are recognized as the core of classic literature tradition. For Chinese, classic literature is hardly discussed, but some works of prose inform that the tradition of Gojoseon has succeeded to Goguryeo, Goryeo, and North Korea.