강소천 소고—해방기 북한체제에서 발표된 동화와 동시

Abstract

A study on Gang So-cheon—Children’s literature published under the North Korean governmentWon, Jong-chanThough Gang So-cheon was a writer who came to South Korea fromNorth Korea during the Korean war in January 1951, he controlledcircles of children’s literature in South Korea in 1950s. He was a writerwho was favorable for South Korean government of then times,representing anti-North Korea and anti-Communist ideology. How washis career in the North Korea? This was never been studied until now. This study found through material from the North Korea recentlynewly collected that Gang So-cheon was a member of field forchildren’s literature in North Korean literary union. He had continued to list works on 『Children’s literature』publishedby North Korean literary union as an its organ. Given his career that ledSouth Korean circles of children’s literature after coming to SouthKorea from North Korea during the Korean war, his traces under theNorth Korean government in the era of liberation would have animportant meaning. When dividing his life to several paragraphs, theperiod would be of a most different nature and special. This study triedto open a clue for discussion about continuity and non-continuity ofGang So-cheon’s literature by cultivating and giving spotlight on his3 works of then times unknown until now. Fairy tale and children’s verse written by Gang So-cheon andpublished in the North Korean system has content directly or indirectlyrelated to policy of a political party. But given situation of then times inthe North Korea, he did activity of creating literary works, beingsomewhat far from ‘literature of a party’. It can be said that he strivedto express figures who can give sympathy to children, and lyric self onhis works rather than becoming so called ‘a trumpeter of politicalpower’. But differently from his career in the North Korea, he haddirect or indirect relationship with political power, deeply involving inpolicy of culture and education, and body of literary men after comingto the South Korea. His works in 1950s clearly show favorable viewabout American army originated from anti-Communism. This can be aproblem because it is related to ruling ideology of the South Korea. It seems that his attitude suddenly changed from worship of Russianarmy to worship of American army. As a writer who came to the South Korea, to take root in the SouthKorea, some visible self-justification would be necessary. But given hiscareer in the North Korea, there was no reason for him to show a playturning situation. He came to the South Korea to avoid politicalliterature. So, it is irony that he spoke for ruling ideology of the SouthKorea and took a position of top authority in circles of children’sliterature. For Gang So-cheon, it would be highly possible that such‘changed self’ appeared as traumas in several folds in his literature. Inthe future, literature of Gang So-cheon should be approached morevariably than before, considering experiences of creating his worksunder the North Korean system.