君子文學在韓國的形成軌跡

Abstract

This paper aims to clarify the emergence of Gentleman Literature in Korea through textual analysis. By selecting and examining works containing the term ‘gentleman’ by three of the most representative and influential literary masters from the late Silla to the mid-Goryeo period—Choe Chiwon, Im Chon, and Yi Kyubo—this study organizes and synthesizes their contributions, thereby revealing their respective roles in the developmental history of Gentleman Literature. Choe Chiwon originated Gentleman Literature in Korea; he applied the concept of the ‘gentleman’ in various official documents to praise or console colleagues, subsequently outlining the image of the gentleman among late Tang scholars and actively promoting the image of Silla as a ‘land of gentleman’. Following Choe Chiwon, Im Chon became a pivotal figure in the development of Gentleman Literature during the mid-Goryeo period. In his numerous letters and prose writings, his use of the ‘gentleman’ concept served not only purposes of seeking employment and social interaction but also objectively and rationally positioned the ‘gentleman’ independently of both Confucian and Buddhist spheres. This allowed him to navigate affairs within both domains according to the personal standards of a ‘gentleman’. Yi Kyubo, though a literary successor to Im Chon, expanded the genres of Gentleman Literature from the prose forms of his predecessors to include poetic forms. He skillfully integrated the concept of the ‘gentleman’ into poetry through embedded techniques and metaphorical objectification, liberating Gentleman Literature from rigid didacticism and making it vibrant and accessible. Thus, Yi Kyubo can be regarded as the synthesizer and finalizer of Gentleman Literature's development on the Korean Peninsula.