어린이 잡지 『새벗』의 성격과 의의 -1950년대를 중심으로

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the features of magazine focusing on the editorial trend and system of children magazine, Saebot, was published in 1952 (from 1952.1 to 1959.12) then clarify its meaning in the history of literature. The ‘Saebot’ published during war time claimed to advocate ‘children magazine’ with ‘children’, ‘refinement’ and ‘entertainment’ outwardly. Combining interesting and helpful stories and pictures, it aimed to become the friend of children. The noticeable thing here is that this magazine focused on ‘children’. The publisher’s company did not reveal the Christian background,the main body of financial support, but only clarified that they were aiming only for what the owner of the country, children, are raised righteously and also living and growing together with children. From the overall editorial system in the magazine, it tried to raise children as cultivated adults by fostering ‘refinement’ of ‘children’ and inspire children racial consciousness to concentrate the racial power in the future. From the ‘Saebot song’, we can see that the magazine aims to deliver children the message encouraging them to with strong mind and hope so that they can overcome the difficult time like the war at that time and pioneer the future of the country in the future. The ‘Saebot’ which succeeded the culturalism and nationalism in 1930’s enlightened national spirit to the children. This magazine has a meaning in that it worked as “an accelerator to enlightenment of civic consciousness”later rather than working as right function to continue social system in 1950’ when the entire society was regulated with anti-communism and was adjusting to American life style and mind. At the same time, this magazine has an important meaning in juvenile literature history as it went through 1950’s as a major medium in where Korea juvenile literature was started and read. Since the change in contents and forms of juvenile literature works in ‘Saebot’ convey the changing features of each genre, author and time, it can be considered as a window to show the overall flow of juvenile literature. The study on ‘Saebot’, through a comparative study with the ‘Juvenile World’, ‘Children’s Digest’ and the ‘School’, a youth magazine, can be used as a basic data for tracing how the chapter of juvenile literature in 1950’s was started and restructured.