우상에 갇힌 민족연극의 구상 - 김태진의 「리순신 장군」(1948)에 대한 소고

Abstract

Yi Sun-shin who was the hero of the Imjin War became the symbol of decolonization after the 8․15 liberation in that he was a national guardian who had driven out foreign power, and he was one of popular characters who frequently appeared in theatrical performances. Playwriter Kim Tae-jin who was once a member of the KAPF also presented a play「Yi Sun-shin」 on the stage in admiration of him before he went to North Korea, and he presented another play「Admiral Lee Sun-shin」on the stage in the North after he went there. The「Admiral Lee Sun-shin」was a creation of the playwriter that embodied the idea of national play that he had pursued before he went to North Korea, and that is one of important materials in that it is an example for the typification of historical figures in North Korean play and gives a clue on the aspects of idolization in the North. In this play, the king and the bureaucrat were regarded as the adversaries of Yi Sun-shin. The playwriter put emphasis on the inner conflicts of the Joseon Dynasty rather than struggle against foreign power, and severely criticized the feudal ruling classes. The subjugated people who were called the subjects, refugees or an army raised in the cause of justice were meant to be the embodiment of what the playwriter pursued: removal of feudalism and reality check of the general public. In fact, however, they couldn't be the subject of the play since they were just the objects to be saved by the admiral. The incompetency of the king and of the bureaucrat were played up in contrast with the superiority of Yi Sun-shin, and the public could be significant only in terms of their relationship with the admiral. As a consequence, the play「Admiral Lee Sun-shin」just functioned as a text of idolization. Kim Tae-jin had presented a theory of national play before he went to the North. In that theory, he defined the working class as the key people of democratic reform. He argued that the people should be enlightened through the play, and human rights should be the first thing they should learn about. In the play「Admiral Lee Sun-shin」, however, the people were actually disregarded, though they should be the core of national play according to the intention of the playwriter, and only the admiral was highlighted as an idol. Kim Tae-jin wasn't able to go against the current of the times, and his national play theory was just used as a means of idolization of the absolute.