윤동주와 다문화적 주체성의 문학

Abstract

It is merely with an infusion of a monocultural subjective perspective that Yun Dong-ju is viewed as 'a poet of the resistance.'Especially, it seems inevitable to picture him as the representative poet of national literature in order to fill the gap in Korean literature history in the late colonial period. Thus, with emphasis on national literature,it is naturally disregarded that he was born in Manchuria considered a part of the colonized Joseon Dynasty (Korea). As research topics in Korean literature extensively include immigrants, diaspora, and multi-culturalism, however, how to define the place comes into question. Accordingly, it results in paying attention to Yun's birthplace once again. When Yun is active in the literary world as a poet,'Manchuria utopianism' is disseminated in Joseon. As a result of the prevailing belief, many intellectuals and peasants emigrate to Manchuria with a new hope that they consider Manchuria a promised land for their dreams which can be hardly realized in Joseon. It mostly derives from an excessive expectation of 'Five Peoples' Harmony,' the founding principle of Manchukuo. Koreans are told that they are allowed to live on terms of equality and harmony with other peoples and keep their tradition and culture in Manchuria. Indeed, some emigrants, who have trust in the Japanese imperial propaganda, firmly believe that there are the possibilities of resistance even in their pro-Japanese collaboration. In other words, they fancy that they are able to skillfully juggle the duel strategy called 'resistance to the empire through collaboration with it.'However, at that time, Yun comes to be aware of Manchurian ideological falsehood through his experience and failure while studying in Pyongyang. Not only does he observe that it is difficult for Koreans to be Korean in Manchuria; but also he reads that they would be forced to completely discard their Korean identity and transform themselves to be Japanese in Joseon as Japanese colonialistic policies in the name of the 'oneness of Korean and Japan' are reinforced and intensified. Put differently, Koreans are confronted with an conflict situation in which they should become either Manchurian or Japanese to keep their Korean identity anywhere or everywhere. By embracing such the ironic condition as part of his subjectivity, Yun experiences 'multiple subjectivity' in contrast to monocultural subjectivity. In turn,while studying in Japan, he re-experiences 'empty subjectivity,' that is,the absence of subjectivity in which he cannot be either Korean or Japanese. In the end, it is impossible for Yun to be pro-Japanese or anti-Japanese primarily due to the absence of subjectivity or the presence of multiple subjectivity which makes it hard to define the subject.