평양에선 우리 광장을 어떻게 볼까

Abstract

This study presented discussion on how North Korean writers literally embodied the square symbolizing South Korea's rallies, demonstrations, rebellions, and revolutions. We performed historic analyses of the mode of aesthetic portrayal by the North Korean literature on the squares of the 4.19 Revolution(1960), the 5.18 Democratization Movement(1980), the 6.10 Uprising(1987), and the 2016 candlelight vigil. By analyzing literary works, which took motifs from demonstration squares of South Korea, in Joseon Literature and Literature Newspaper, we evaluated how North Korean writers depicted and propagandized the South Square in their own way. The results showed that the square, where the historical events of South Korea took place, was defined as the arena for political struggle called 'anti-fascist anti-dictatorship' and 'anti-American pro-democracy'. In particular, aforesaid literary works focused on calling the South Square as a symbolic space for anti-American struggle. Thus, there was almost no literary formation or aesthetic portrayal for the 'Candlelight Square of 2016' in contrast to the immediate and usual response to the Square of '4.19, 5.18, 6.10'. The North Korean writers, who supported the struggle in the square in South Korea and instigated anti-American sentiment towards the square of 'Hyo Soon and Mi Seon Incident'(2002) and 'U.S. beef protest'(2008), totally disregarded and fell into silence towards the 'Candlelight Square in 2016 and 2017 that led to peaceful change of corrupt government. Here, it could be found that the North Korean writers was focused only on anti-American pro-democracy and was not interested in the South Korean inhabitants' freedom, democracy, and lives of the South Korean public suffering from the division of the country.