김희로 사건과 재일조선인 문학 이회성(李恢成)의 「우리 청춘의 길목에서(われら青春の途上にて)」를 중심으로

Abstract

The incident of Kim, Hee Ro occurred in 1968 and was shocking to both Korea and Japan. As its every movement was reported by both Korean and Japanese media, it aroused a huge public interest. After the incident, Japan started paying attention to minorities’ human rights and having interest in minority issues including Korean-Japanese. In the literary world, minority authors like Lee, Hoe Seong, Oshiro Tatsuhiro, and Jin, Sun Sin received literary awards. Through “In the Corner of Our Youth”, Lee, Hoe Seong handled the issue of Korean-Japanese youths exposed to discrimination and domestic violence in Japanese society. Also, using the incident by Kim, Hee Ro as a motif for the work, the specialty of Korean-Japanese literature like discrimination against Korean-Japanese human rights, identity, and domestic violence was expressed. The proof of using the incident by Kim, Hee Ro as a motif in the work by Lee, Hoe Seong can be found through many elements such as the hostage situation – which is similar to the actual incident by Kim, Hee Ro – and the narrative structure that follows the statements of Lee, Hoe Seong in Kim, Hee Ro’s trial. Lee, Hoe Seong described poor Korean-Japanese youths in Japan in detail and explained the reason why Kim, Hee Ro made the extreme selection through the work. Acquiring the specialty of Korean-Japanese literature, he made literary accomplishments such as progressing to the final screening for the Akutagawa Prize. As such, using the incident by Kim, Hee Ro for his work, Lee Hoe Seong handled the issue of Korean-Japanese youths and their human rights, made several literary accomplishment, and acquired the specialty of Korean-Japanese literature.